Baby Stepsis an upcoming game fromGetting Over Itcreator Bennett Foddy, developed in collaboration with Maxi Boch and Gabe Cuzzillo, who previously worked on the fast-pacedApe Out. AlthoughBaby Stepscertainly does feel like the love child of these games, with the same focus on intentionally awkward gameplay and improvisation, it has an X-factor that makes it more enthralling than one might first assume—at least based on our time with the game.
It’s also hilarious, leveraging an awkward and absurd sense of humor that many games aim for, but precious few get right. The game is an obvious metaphor for coming-of-age, with protagonist Nate dropped into a vast brush after spending his adult years failing to launch. Indeed,Baby Steps' protagonistis far from a muscled-up superhero out to save the day: he’s lucky if he can climb a hill without falling over. Remarkably, it’s throughBaby Steps' bizarre and perfectly frustrating gameplay that Nate is endeared to players, as it’s hard not to empathize with his internal struggles while literally walking a mile in his metaphorical shoes. Game Rant tookBaby Stepsfor a spin, getting a glimpse into this unexpectedly heartfelt man-child’s journey through the treacherous wilderness of adulthood.
Baby Steps Is an Eloquent, Side-Splitting Allegory for Growing Up
A brief introductory cutscene tells players all they need to know aboutBaby Steps' leading man. The game opens in Nate’s home, showing him sprawled out on a sofa in a messy den. His parents can be heard arguing in the background, his father chastising his mother for bringing him food and further enabling his lifestyle. Even from this first moment, Nate is struggling to walk, not because he’s incapable, but because he’s unwilling. Sheltered and babied by at least one of his parents, he’s never needed to carve his own path or take control of his life. That is, until he is mysteriously spirited away to a remote no-man’s-land.
Controlling Nate is not as simple as pushing forward on an analog stick. Depressing the left trigger lifts his left leg, while the other trigger controls his right leg. Lifting one shifts his weight to the other, meaning that you’ll need to smoothly alternate between each trigger while pushing the analog stick in their chosen direction in order to make any progress. Moving in a straight line is simple enough, but players will soon encounter all manner of obstacles, even the smallest of which seem insurmountable at first. After getting a grasp on the controls, Nate will emerge from the cavern where he spawned and is let loose in the opening area. With nothing more than some words of encouragement from an enigmatic stranger, Nate is ready to begin his journey, andBaby Stepsbeginsin earnest.
While walking, climbing, and balancing across varied terrain,Baby Stepsprovides an experience that is equal parts charming, goofy, and tranquil. It has the same penchant forpunishment asGetting Over It, where one wrong move can send players tumbling down, often resulting in a loss of progress. But there’s always something that keeps them going, and even though Nate’s locomotive abilities and athleticism are put to shame by even the most modest video game protagonists, he is unexpectedly fun to control. In fact, it’s Nate’s baffling incompetence that makesBaby Stepsmechanically engaging, encouraging constant experimentation and persistence.
Baby Steps Is Hilarious, but Also Surprisingly Fun
A game likeGetting Over Itis defined by its challenging gameplay which, paired with Bennett Foddy’s incongruously zen narration, lends itself to a very peculiar sort of flow state.Baby Stepsfeels like both a natural evolution and a meaningful expansion of these fundamentals, giving players more robust physics to play around with and a variety of smaller-scale challenges to complete. As unlikely as it may seem given itsQWOP-like mechanics,Baby Stepsis an open-world game, and the preview build offers a few insights into how this exploration-heavy premise ticks. Rather than following a map to a series of points of interest, players are encouraged to scan their surroundings manually, looking for anything that might lead to an unexpected gag, collectible, or story beat. Whether it’s a slick-looking straw hat pinned to the peak of some ruins or a tantalizing apple dangling atop a precarious rock formation, there’s usually something to pique the player’s interest and spur them toward a new challenge.
These challenges are relatively small, lacking the high-risk, high-reward nature ofGetting Over It’s uninterrupted campaign, and this makes them far less formidable. In other words, losing balance and plummeting twenty feet to the ground isn’t nearly so punishing, as the time commitment for these endeavors is low. With the addition of the open-world formula, where accidentally sliding down the side of a mountain can reveal a new area to explore rather than sending players back to square one,Baby Stepsmanages to be a far more joyful experience thanGetting Over It.
There’s no penalty forfalling inBaby Steps, which further helps make failure easier to swallow.
Although the preview only offered around 60 minutes of gameplay, it’s incredibly intuitive, and masteringBaby Steps' surprisingly nuanced mechanics came with ease. Its platforming and exploration have a dash ofDeath StrandingDNA, in the sense that players need to carefully analyze the topography that surrounds them, thinking several steps ahead instead of simply charging forward and hoping for the best. It’s a deceptively intellectual process that rewards forethought and bravery in equal measure, which made my short journey of mechanical mastery that much more exciting and deep.
Only a longer playthrough will reveal whetherBaby Steps' off-the-wall ideascan sustain a full game, but the future certainly looks promising. It certainly has the makings of a viral game, and if it finds the right audience, it could wind up being one of 2025’s most enduring indie darlings.
Baby Steps
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Nate, an unemployed failson with nothing going for him, until one day he discovers a power he never knew he had… putting one foot in front of the other.Explore a world shrouded in mist, one step at a time. Hike the serene mountains by placing each footstep yourself, in original physics-based gameplay from the minds behind Ape Out and Getting Over It. Take in the sights, fall in love with the local fauna, and try to find meaning in a wasted life.Get ready to fall for Nate, in Baby Steps, a literal walking simulator.KEY FEATURES• Fully-simulated physics based walking.• A world that seems to come alive with a dynamic soundtrack built up out of 420 beats and vibes.• A lengthy trek up a mountain-sized mountain that you can explore at your own pace, or slower.• Fully dynamic onesie soilage system.• Non-collectible hats.
Baby Stepsreleases on PC and PS5 on Jul 23, 2025. Game Rant was provided a Steam code for the purposes of this preview.
