Cody and May are a mess. Honestly, that’s the whole point of the game, but nothing crystallizes their fractured marriage quite like the cuckoo clock it takes two throws at you about midway through the story. It isn't just a level; it's a mechanical fever dream. You’ve probably spent the last few hours shrinking or growing or fighting squirrels, but then Hazelight Studios decides to lock you inside a literal timepiece. It’s stressful. It’s beautiful. It’s arguably the moment where the game stops being a "cute platformer" and starts demanding real synchronization.
The "Cuckoo Clock" chapter is technically titled "The Clocktower," but everyone just remembers the giant bird. It represents the "Time" element of their relationship—specifically, how Cody feels May never has enough of it. While the Rose's Room chapter was all about whimsy, this place is cold, brass, and lethal. You’re dealing with ticking gears and swinging pendulums that will absolutely crush you if your timing is off by even a fraction of a second.
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The Time-Shifting Mechanic is Actually Genius
Joseph Fares and his team at Hazelight are known for "mechanic-hopping." They give you a toy, let you master it, and then throw it in the trash for a new one. In the cuckoo clock it takes two segment, Cody gets the ability to "Time Warp." He can break objects and then rewind their state. May, on the other hand, gets a "Clone" ability. She can drop a stationary version of herself and then teleport back to it instantly.
Think about that for a second.
Cody controls the past and the future of the environment. May controls her position in space. It’s a literal manifestation of their marital issues: he’s stuck looking at what happened or what might happen, and she’s trying to be in two places at once because she’s a workaholic. It’s not subtle. But it works because the puzzles require you to actually communicate. You can’t "solo" the clocktower. If Cody doesn’t rewind a falling platform at the exact moment May teleports to her clone, you both fall into the abyss of cogs. It’s frustrating. It's also the most rewarding feeling when you finally nail a sequence after three failed attempts.
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That Bird is a Nightmare
We have to talk about the mechanical cuckoo. Most people expect a wooden bird that chirps. What you get in cuckoo clock it takes two is a giant, rusted, steampunk monstrosity that wants to peck you into dust. The boss fight with the mechanical bull—and eventually the bird's internal components—is a masterclass in boss design. It’s less about "hitting the boss until the health bar goes down" and more about navigating a shifting arena.
One of the weirdest parts of this level is the town square. You enter this miniature clockwork village filled with these little wooden people. They’re just living their lives while you, two giant humans (well, dolls), stomp around. There’s a specific moment where you can use your powers to fix things in the town, like a little bridge or a Ferris wheel. It feels like a breather. A weird, wooden breather before the game decides to throw you back into a world of grinding metal.
Why the Pacing Matters
A lot of games fail because they stay at one "speed" for too long. Not this one. The cuckoo clock it takes two level starts with slow, methodical puzzles. You’re figuring out how to lift gates. You’re learning the rhythm of the pendulums. Then, suddenly, the game shifts into a high-speed chase or a bird-flight sequence.
The visual design here is worth noting too. Everything is metallic. Gold, brass, silver, and deep shadows. It’s a sharp contrast to the soft, fabric-filled world of the earlier levels. It feels dangerous. It sounds dangerous too—the clanging of metal on metal is constant. It’s an auditory reminder that time is ticking. The game wants you to feel that pressure.
The Elephant in the Room (Or the Bird in the Clock)
Some players find the clocktower to be the point where the difficulty spikes. Is it "hard"? Not in the way a FromSoftware game is hard. But it is "coord-intensive." If you are playing with someone who isn't a "gamer," this is where the arguments start. "Rewind it now!" "I am rewinding it!" "No, the other way!"
It’s meta-commentary at its finest. The game about a couple arguing forces the players to argue.
But there’s a nuance here that people miss. The cuckoo clock it takes two level is actually the turning point where Cody and May start working with each other's flaws rather than just complaining about them. Cody realizes his time-manipulation isn't just about him; it’s about creating a path for May. May realizes her clones aren't just for her escape; they’re markers for Cody to follow.
Real-World Takeaways for Your Playthrough
If you're stuck in the clocktower right now, take a breath.
- Watch the shadows. In the platforming sections involving the swinging pendulums, the shadows on the floor are your only honest friends. Don't look at the pendulum itself; look at where its shadow lands.
- Cody needs to be proactive. If you’re playing as Cody, don't wait for May to ask for a rewind. Look at the "ghost" outline of the objects. If it's transparent, it can be manipulated.
- The Clone is a safety net. If you’re May, drop a clone before you attempt a risky jump. If you miss, you can teleport back to safety instead of restarting at the checkpoint. It saves so much time.
- Listen to the clicks. The sound design in the cuckoo clock it takes two level provides cues for when a trap is about to trigger. There’s a specific "winding" sound right before a gear spins.
This chapter isn't just a hurdle. It’s the mechanical heart of the game. It’s where the "Two" in the title really starts to matter. Once you get past the bird and the bells, the rest of the game feels different. You’ve been through the grinder—literally—and you came out the other side.
Go check the town square for easter eggs. There’s a lot of tiny details in the clockwork village that most people sprint past. Take a second to just look at the craftsmanship of the "assets." It’s one of the few times in gaming where "industrial" doesn't mean "boring." It’s intricate. It’s precise. It’s exactly what a broken clock should look like from the inside.
Next Steps for Mastery
- Focus on May's Teleportation Timing: Practice the "blink" maneuver in the town square area where the stakes are low. You need to be able to do this instinctively before the final tower climb.
- Coordinate the Time-Scrubbing: If you're Cody, learn the "hold" points. Sometimes you don't need to rewind all the way; you need to stop the object mid-animation to create a stepping stone.
- Explore the "Hells Tower" Mini-game: Look for the hidden mini-game in the clock area. It’s a brutal vertical climbing challenge that will test your platforming skills far more than the main path does. It’s optional, but it’s the ultimate "bragging rights" moment for this chapter.