Baby Steps Review Overview
What is Baby Steps?
Baby Steps is a literal walking simulator where the controls are lifting up each leg in an effort to walk forward. You play as an unemployed 35-year-old, Nate, who gets teleported to a mystical world veiled in mist. Exploring will take patience and time, as you will need to skillfully navigate through different environments by using the physics-based controls to move around. The game is developed by the creators of well-known physics-based games, namely Ape Out, QWOP, and Getting Over It.
Baby Steps features:
⚫︎ Literal Walking Simulator
⚫︎ Unique Platforming
⚫︎ Unhinged Adult Humor
⚫︎ Tons of Nudity
⚫︎ Gameplay Built to Frustrate You
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 Playstation |
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| $19.99 | |||||
Baby Steps Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Unusual Engrossing Narrative Simple to Grasp Gameplay Semi-Open World Gives You Options Many Secrets to Find |
Humor is Hit or Miss Made to Frustrate You |
Baby Steps Story - 9/10
The narrative of Baby Steps is an oddly compelling tale that happens to be unhinged and absurd at the same time. The story makes you root for a seemingly unlikable protagonist who’s trying to climb up a mountain despite the unclear motive. The comedy is not for everyone. The writing, characters, dialogue, and overall story don’t entirely make sense, but it’s still weirdly captivating in a depraved sort of manner.
Baby Steps Gameplay - 8/10
The gameplay revolves around using a simple control scheme using both triggers to control specific legs in an effort to move forward. The game will continue to challenge you as the difficulty ramps up in different ways by introducing new platforming challenges and environmental hazards. Despite the simplicity and the whole goal of the game being to annoy the player as much as possible, there are certain things you can’t control, specifically the physics, that make navigation and platforming even more frustrating than they have to be.
Baby Steps Visuals - 5/10
To put it simply, the visuals of the game are downright ugly, and it’s most likely intentional. The models look like they’re ripped right out of an asset store and animated to fit the game. The washed-out graphics combined with the models make it look similar to decades-old Machinima videos that definitely have not aged well. Although the one bright spot it has is its scenery, as the different biomes and vistas make the hike worth the painstaking effort.
Baby Steps Audio - 6/10
The audio design of the game supports the zany nature of the game. The music progressively becomes more comical as you climb more dangerous parts, contrasted by mostly ambient noise of birds and other wildlife as you go on a leisurely
hike up the mountain. On the other hand, the deadpan delivery of the numerous characters adds to the comedic aspect of the game.
Baby Steps Value for Money - 8/10
For $19.99, this could be considered the best Foddian game out there. The open-world design makes for multiple branching paths up the mountain, meaning there’s always a different route to take. In addition to this, there are so many secrets and cutscenes to discover, which makes the journey oddly rewarding in a sense. The issue is that the enjoyment comes from both the difficulty and its humor, meaning that the game is only really fun if you enjoy both the comedy and the challenge.
Baby Steps Overall - 72/100
Baby Steps is an absurd game that’s built to annoy and frustrate you. Yet, it still has a certain charm to it because of how ridiculous it is. The comedy is crass and in your face, as the line between cringe and humor is constantly being crossed as you progress through Nate’s climb to the mountaintop. Despite the frustrating nature of his quest, the narrative and simple gameplay loop are weirdly captivating, and you might find yourself attached to the protagonist’s character development.
Baby Steps Review: An Absurd Yet Captivating Hike
The popularity of ragebait
games has skyrocketed in the past few years. One of the main proponents of the genre’s success is Bennett Foddy, a well-known name in the game industry, responsible for both QWOP (2008) and Getting Over It (2017). The common thing about both games is making failure the highlight of the game, where one could find meaning in getting up and trying again despite failing numerous times.
Yet, even I have to admit that I was hooked by the nature of overcoming challenges. I remember trying desperately to beat my friends in QWOP by having the highest score and working through the frustration and fear of failure by finishing Getting Over It and floating into the realm of space. When I heard that Foddy was releasing a new physics-based walking simulator, I just knew I had to try it out and suffer through it to see just how far he’d take it in 2025.
A Hiking Comedy Built on Failure
The story revolves around Nate, a 35-year-old unemployed failson
who’s wasting away in his family’s basement. After getting transported to what seems to be an entirely different realm of existence, Nate now explores a mystical world dressed up in a onesie that seems to be too small for him and motor skills that leave you questioning how he survived for 35 years.
To put it simply, the overall plot and everything tied to it doesn’t really make sense—that is, until you start to see glimpses of Nate’s past as you see him interact with the game’s many weird and, honestly, disturbing characters. You see him constantly refusing to ask for help despite encountering people who are willing to do so, or trying to avoid confrontation when he knows he just did something wrong.
However, you start to see his development little by little as the once unlikable failure of a protagonist becomes a character you root for, despite still being pathetic for the most part. I don’t want to spoil too much of the game since the buildup and the dialogue are probably the most surprising highlights that the game has.
Nate’s awkwardness becomes the focal point of the game’s comedy, which is definitely not for everyone. The absurd characters and their lewd appearances, crass jokes, and cringeworthy interactions won’t land 100% of the time. But for what it’s worth, the overall narrative is compelling enough to make you want to know what’s going to happen next.
Footing is Everything
Bennett Foddy’s games are usually simple when it comes to the mechanics; it’s the journey to the end that gradually gets harder as you continue. For context, Baby Steps has you control and lift Nate’s left leg and right leg to a bumper or trigger (L2/LT and R2/RT for controllers), while moving the left stick lets you lean in that particular direction. Simple, right? Except for the fact that everything is determined by the ground you step on.
Everything becomes an obstacle course of sorts; a plain that looks flat might have tiny pebbles or twigs that’ll affect Nate’s balance, making him fall over. It doesn’t take long for anyone, I’d say, to get the grasp of walking in the game, since it’s not particularly hard. It’s the precision to walk, climb, and mantle up ledges, rocks, and platforms that makes it difficult.
The pressure you apply at both leaning and lifting Nate’s legs matters a lot. For context, applying more pressure to the left stick makes him lean towards that direction more, and leaning too much might make him fall over. On the other hand, applying more pressure to the triggers would lift his particular leg higher, making it useful for precise platforming that’ll be required later on.
Once you understand the mechanics of moving Nate, only then do you start to see the depth of the game’s physics and layout. Making sure you have the right footing is the key to succeeding in Baby Steps, and you’d be surprised at the things you can climb up by knowing how to step correctly.
More Than One Beaten Path to Take
The semi-open world design makes the hike a much different climb than you’d imagine. In contrast to Foddy’s previous linear game, Baby Steps has multiple routes for you to take that vary in difficulty. While you won’t necessarily encounter every route as you trek your way to the mountaintop, you might notice a new route when you eventually fall from your original path.
Of course, nothing is stopping you from simply taking the route you’ve originally planned to take, as the name of the game is that you dictate where you’re supposed to go. However, having potentially easier routes as you ascend higher is a great way to soften the blow of falling from a great height.
There are different cutscenes and secrets to find while you explore the different vistas the game has to offer. For example, I found a red pail on the ground that Nate used as a hat that triggered a special cutscene after finding one of the game’s many checkpoints. Another cutscene was triggered when I stumbled onto a manmade rock tower. There are many more of these to find, and has other quests
and items to pick up, but don’t be surprised if you find nothing of value.
It’s Made to Frustrate You
It’s not surprising that a game made by Bennett Foddy is frustratingly difficult. So much so that it feels intentional that Nate falls over the moment the elevation is just slightly different. There might be certain physics interactions that just go beyond your control, or just the slightest misstep turns into minutes or hours of progress wasted.
Even the music is there to be annoying, as you’ll notice it louder and louder as you progress through a challenging platforming section or as you go up higher. The combination of animal noises and erratic drums makes for a disturbingly distracting beat that might end up annoying you, as it did to me.
This also bleeds into the narrative, as you might find yourself being frustrated at how Nate acts and refuses to accept the help being offered to him to make the journey that much easier. But, in reality, that’s the objective of the game. It challenges you and frustrates you, and somehow, some way, you’ll need to find a way to overcome it. But, ultimately, it’s a game built to frustrate even the calmest person out there.
Is Baby Steps Worth It?
Mostly For the Masochists and For Fans of the Humor
Baby Steps is an oddball for sure, and I wouldn’t recommend it to those who are looking for a good time. Cringe interactions, wacky characters, and wonky platforming are all a part of the comedy. If you don’t enjoy that type of humor, then it’s highly doubtful that you’ll enjoy the hike up the mountain-sized mountain.
On the other hand, the game does have its moments. From the ridiculous narrative to the allure of overcoming adversity through determination, skill, and effort, this is a game that masochists and fans of crass humor will enjoy.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Playstation |
||||
| $19.99 | |||||
Baby Steps FAQ
Does Baby Steps support other audio options?
No. The game only comes with English voice acting. However, the game does support in-game text options for the following languages:
Does Baby Steps have nudity and other adult content?
Yes. The game has droves of nudity included, with the added option of censorship if you choose to do so. Along with this, the dialogue and comedy do contain mature content that is not suitable for young audiences.
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Baby Steps Product Information
 |
|
| Title | BABY STEPS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Septemeber 23, 2025 |
| Developer | Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 |
| Genre | Platformer, Simulation |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | M 17+ |
| Official Website | Baby Steps Official Website |
