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Content Pipeline or Not: Cocos2D-Mono vs Cocos2D-Mono.Core

Both packages ship the identical engine runtime (Cocos2DMono.dll). The only difference is build-time: the main package declares a dependency on MonoGame.Content.Builder.Task (the MSBuild task that compiles .mgcb content projects), and Cocos2D-Mono.Core does not.

Which to reference​

Your projectReference
Uses the MonoGame content pipeline (a Content.mgcb, compiled .xnb assets)Cocos2D-Mono
Loads raw assets yourself (files, streams, embedded resources) and never runs MGCBCocos2D-Mono.Core

The gotcha worth knowing: MGCB does not flow transitively​

The MGCB package ships its MSBuild targets in build/ only — not buildTransitive/ — which means the content-build task does not activate in your game project just because a package you reference depends on it. This is standard MonoGame behavior, not a Cocos2d-Mono quirk.

The practical consequence: a game project that uses the content pipeline should reference MonoGame.Content.Builder.Task directly, exactly as a plain MonoGame game would:

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Cocos2D-Mono" />
  <PackageReference Include="MonoGame.Content.Builder.Task" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
  <MonoGameContentReference Include="Content\Content.mgcb" />
</ItemGroup>

Because of that, Cocos2D-Mono and Cocos2D-Mono.Core behave identically for most consumers today — .Core exists for migration continuity from the historical per-platform .Core packages and as insurance if a future MGCB ships transitive targets. If you're unsure, reference the main package; you can always narrow later.

The project templates wire all of this correctly out of the box.