Developer Stress Level Zero has officially announcedBonelabfor Meta Quest 2 and PC VR. The follow-up to its popular VR predecessor, the action sandbox gameBoneworks. Previously known under the development moniker of Project 4, the new game will be a direct continuation of the first game and will feature similar gameplay, enemies, and environments.
The news was announced by developer Stress Level Zero at the 2022Meta QuestGaming Showcase on August 02, 2025. The studio has spent the last two years improving its celebrated physics engine, the 1 Marrow Interaction Engine, to allow weapons and other objects in the environment to behave in a more realistic fashion within the newBonelab.
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Stress Level Zero claims thatBonelab’s body remapping system will ensure that player movements in the game feel authentic no matter the difference between the in-game customizable avatar’s proportions and the player’s real-life body. The game will also give players haptic feedback, synchronizing self contact and hand proximity ensuring that the visuals match what the player feelsmaking for new levels of VR immersion.
TheBonelabannouncement trailer showcases the game mechanics, new enemy types, and environments players will get to explore. It also teases that the original game’s “arena” and “trials” modes will be making a return. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed at the end of the video that there is a crate emblazoned with the predecessor gameBoneworksname and logo behind a locked door, possibly teasing the inclusion of thefirst installment in the VR franchise.
For players new to the franchise,Bonelabwill be a sequel to the 2019 virtual reality gameBoneworks,which takes its influences fromValve games such asPortalandHalf-Life.Boneworks' gameplay mainly consists of puzzle-solving akin to its Valve counterparts with combat gradually coming into play as the game progresses. In the game, players must battle through and escape from a virtual city. All the objects within the environments could be manipulated by the player according to the object’s real-life size and weight, so small objects such as cups or hammers could be easily picked up with one hand while larger objects like crates or axes take more effort to be picked up and require both hands.
As with a large proportion of VR games, it wasn’t without its issues. The originalBoneworkswasbuilt using the Unity engineand suffered some bugs such as players' limbs becoming stuck in various objects. Despite these issues, the game received mostly positive criticism with many critics praising its incredible engine for VR adventuring and its “old-school” feel.
Bonelabwill be released later this year for PC-compatible VR headsets and Meta Oculus 2.
