One Foot In Front The Other
I have played Baby Steps for review, and truthfully, I went into this game not expecting too much. However, I should know by now that you shouldn’t underestimate Devolver Digital. Their ability to find and help create highly memorable experiences, time after time across a variety of genres, is almost unmatched. So, does Baby Steps continue this tradition? The simple answer is yes, but the reasons why might surprise you.
If you don’t know, Baby Steps is a physics-based walking simulator of sorts, where you play as Nate, a down-and-out person living in his parents’ basement watching anime. One day, he finds himself in a mysterious place and in need of the toilet, so he must put one foot in front of the other to reach his destination. That is literally your only real goal here in Baby Steps.
This obviously manifests in what initially appears to be quite simplistic gameplay. You use the left stick to control balance and movement by leaning backwards or forwards, while using the left and right triggers to lift your corresponding legs. Where things get a bit more interesting for the gameplay is in the obstacles you face and the terrain challenges you encounter on your journey. For example, sand and mud are more difficult to maintain balance and momentum on than rocks or grass. Also, Nate’s journey to the toilet takes him up a mountain, so these terrain challenges provide a real uphill battle. Then you have the simple task of climbing steps, which can really take several minutes if you aren’t careful. However, the hardest obstacle you’ll face is needing to walk over planks left from a broken bridge. This requires such precise steps and balance, and just like with all the obstacles in the game, one wrong move could send you tumbling hundreds of metres back down the mountain. It is going to be extremely interesting to see people trying to speedrun Baby Steps and find the most efficient path up the mountain.
I’ll be completely honest though; the gameplay isn’t what keeps me playing Baby Steps even now. To my surprise, it’s the down-to-earth, intentionally wacky and slightly bad voice acting, combined with some brilliant comedy writing. Baby Steps might just be the funniest game I’ve ever played. There wasn’t five minutes that went by without something making me chuckle. It could be Nate slowly falling over while exclaiming “Oh shit,” or a character jumping out and yelling at me because I fell into a cairn and knocked it over.
What makes this comedy even better is that you never know when it’s coming. Early on, you’ll have a moment where Nate is talking to a fellow climber about not needing a map. His reaction to this guy trying to help you was hilarious, and it made me think about how we as gamers often ignore tutorials or think we don’t need items that we actually do. Frankly, the more I play Baby Steps and the crazier the comedy I see, the more I strongly believe the entire game is a satire poking fun at the stereotypical gamer bro that we often talk about but rarely see. Do they really exist?
Baby Steps has this undeniable charm that is hard to escape. As I mentioned before, the voice acting may come across as bad to some players, but for me it added to the comedy value in every moment of speaking. The voice acting fits perfectly with the tone and style of the game.
This is something which also extends to the presentation throughout Baby Steps. The visuals aren’t going to blow you away by any means, often looking like a fan-made project from itch.io, but they also aren’t the worst I’ve seen and once again suit the tone of the game expertly. One nice touch visually is how different particles stain Nate’s clothes and dirty his feet, until he falls into water.
Audio shines through a lot more, with a high-quality soundtrack using wildlife sounds combined with instruments to create one of the most unique scores for a video game I’ve ever heard. Sound design for footsteps and different surfaces is what you’d expect from a modern game, and nothing feels out of place.
In the end, Baby Steps is a game that I got so much more enjoyment from than I ever expected. It will live long in my memory for being the funniest game I’ve ever played. Although I recognise that it won’t be to everybody’s taste, I believe it sets a new bar for comedy in video games and for that reason alone is worth checking out.
Developer - Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy
Publisher - Devolver Digital Released - September 23rd, 2025. Available On - PS5, PC. Rated - (M) - Drug Reference, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language Platform Reviewed - PC
Review Access - Review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
I’m Jordan I have a background in game design and am deeply passionate about accessibility in gaming. My favourite games/franchises include Shenmue, Red Dead Redemption 2, Plague Tale: Requiem, Metal Gear Solid 3, Yakuza, Splinter Cell, and Assassin’s Creed.