The player controls an outcast that escapes death and explores experimental worlds in a research lab in MythOS.

The player can use a body-log positioned on either elbow to change their avatar, which affects their in-game body proportions and ability to use items.

[3] The player can also find "Gacha Capsules" that can unlock props, NPCs, and weapons in the sandbox mode upon being pulled apart.

This is where the players enter MythOS city and encounter a new enemy type, named the Omniprojecters, which possess firearms.

This poses a new threat to the player, so the game grants them an MP5K to fight the Omniprojecters and Nullbodies present in that room.

They find themself in the Bonelab Hub, which hosts all of the sections such as Parkour, Sandbox, Arena, experimental, mods, etc.

After going through those levels, Jay then activates the device on the player's arm, allowing them to pick between avatars at any given moment.

The player must use a strong avatar for this, such as Heavy, to roll the balls into their coordinated spots, unlocking the doors.

After that whole section, the player is thrown into a series of battles between Nullmen, Skeletons, Void Turrets, and Omni Projectors.

Bonelab was initially announced as "Project 4" (due to it being the studio's fourth game) at Oculus Connect 6 on September 25, 2019.

It was confirmed to have modding support for both platforms and be built upon "two years of innovation and interaction engine progress”.

[5] After this announcement, interest and hype for the game rose over the months, with Director Brandon Laatsch frequently provided updates on his Twitter such as claiming that Bonelab was "playable from logos to credits" on July 23, 2022.

In late December on X, Brandon asked the community if they would like to test the update over Christmas or wait till its all fleshed out and release then.

[8] PC Gamer criticized the campaign's pacing, but enjoyed the improvements to melee combat, "most avatars I inhabited could swing a sword or club with ease... Blunt attacks land with satisfying weight".

[9] While disliking how prone the game was to causing motion sickness, Rock Paper Shotgun praised the gun handling of the game, writing that "the simulated weight and presence of Bonelab's two handed guns that makes it easy to keep track of where your hands are supposed to be".

[10] Road to VR felt the title's modding support had vast potential, but wrote that Bonelab's campaign had the same problems as its predecessor.

[11] UploadVR was impressed that the Meta Quest 2 version ran as well as it did, but noted numerous performance issues, "It’s certainly playable, but not a completely smooth experience".