The Electric State: Kid Cosmo boasts nearly as many attributes as its titular robot companion. The Netflix exclusive is an emotionally layered, character-driven, interactive narrative. It’s also a nostalgia-packed throwback to the pixelated puzzle-adventures that helped popularize Nintendo’s original game console. Most importantly, it’s the official prequel story to the beloved movie The Electric State. 

We’ve got just what the medic-bot ordered: five tips and tricks to ensure you become fully immersed in this origin story while helping Kid Cosmo survive his perilous visit to Mars!

1. Soak in the story.

On the surface, The Electric State: Kid Cosmo could be mistaken for an old-school puzzle-adventure that’d be right at home in any library of dusty Nintendo and Sega cartridges.

But its fully playable game-within-the-game, dubbed Kid Cosmo: Martian Marooner, isn’t a mere distraction or side activity. It’s the driving force behind the title’s emotional tale. As main characters — and siblings — Michelle and Chris form a strong bond as they play Martian Marooner over the course of several years

While it’s easy to join them and become engrossed in the charming robot’s pixel-perfect journey, you’ll want to pay close attention to the many exchanges between the siblings. The sister and brother occasionally break from the game, but most of their dialogue unfolds while they’re as immersed in Martian Marooner, just as you might be. 

But it’s not just the kids’ conversations you’ll want to eavesdrop on. Background chatter, particularly between their parents, forms many of the prequel’s narrative beats. If you want to fully unravel The Electric State’s origin, you’ll need to focus on the talking heads as much as Kid Cosmo’s robot-thwarting tasks.

2. Heed Michelle’s advice.

Listening closely to Michelle and Chris’ spirited exchanges won’t just deepen the story, it will also help you beat Kid Cosmo.  

Much like those addictive, 8-bit classics we lost hours to as kids, Kid Cosmo can be challenging. But because you’re essentially playing alongside the siblings, you’ve got two extra brains to help you sort out its more difficult bits. As you control Cosmo, maybe trying to crack a puzzle or combat a specific enemy type, you’ll often hear Michelle chime in with a helpful tip. She’s not simply watching over her brother’s shoulder; those conversations also work as a vehicle to organically deliver tips and strategies through the storytelling.

3. Don’t be afraid to die.

Kid Cosmo shares plenty with the classic games that inspired it. But while securing one of Cosmo’s coveted cogs might evoke the same satisfaction you felt when, say, clearing a dungeon in The Legend of Zelda, this updated take on the genre isn’t nearly as punishing. 

Most notably, you’ll never lose much progress upon meeting an untimely demise. Your lives aren’t limited, and checkpoints are never scarce. Whether you take one too many blasts from an enemy bot or accidentally slip into a swamp, you can plan on re-spawning pretty much where Cosmo gasped his last breath. Don’t be afraid to experiment! 

4. Survey the board before you act.

Kid Cosmo’s expansive world is made of interconnected, albeit self-contained, areas. Upon unlocking a door and entering a new section, you’ll spy different enemy types, environmental obstacles and challenges, and useful items. The deeper you dig into the campaign, the more these elements combine and interact to fuel progressively steeper challenges. 

And while there’s little penalty for repeated failure, it’s better to rely on previous successes rather than aimless trial and error. When entering a new space, especially one presenting fresh spins on established elements, it’s smart to survey everything within the board’s boundaries. 

5. Watch The Electric State.

The Electric State: Kid Cosmo serves as the official prequel to The Electric State, the movie. While you can certainly enjoy the game’s largely self-contained tale all on its own, watching the film will deepen your appreciation of the universe you’re in, as well as its human and robot characters.

Check out the soundtrack from The Electric State: Kid Cosmo!