Baby Steps PS5 Review. Published by Devolver Digital and developed by Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy, Baby Steps is one of those rare games that straddles the line between slapstick comedy and strangely meaningful adventure. You play as Nate, a jobless layabout who wakes up in a surreal, mountainous world where walking itself becomes the biggest challenge. It sounds like a throwaway joke, but what begins as a gag unfolds into a uniquely satisfying journey that mixes patience, persistence, and plenty of laughs.
Baby Steps Review (PS5) – Feels And Faceplants
The magic lies in the movement. Every wobbling step Nate takes is under your control, with one stick guiding each leg and a button shifting his weight. At first, it feels impossible—Nate stumbles, tips, and smacks into the dirt in ways that would make a clown blush. But with time, rhythm sets in. That first stretch where you string together more than three steps without disaster feels monumental, like you’ve conquered your own Everest.
What elevates it beyond a physics toy is how deliberately the world is built. Every hill, slope, and awkward ledge has been designed to test your awkward gait. One moment you’re laughing as Nate cartwheels helplessly into a ditch, the next you’re inching forward across a cliff edge with sweaty palms. It’s a game that demands experimentation, but also rewards it with the joy of genuine progress.
Believe Me Man, I’m Trying
NPC encounters add warmth to the madness. Sparse as they are, the characters you meet drip with oddball personality, and their light-hearted dialogue gives Nate’s bizarre odyssey a sense of connection. These interactions break up the long silences of climbing and stumbling, grounding the absurd physics with surprising charm.
Comedy is everywhere, but it’s never grating. Nate’s muttered commentary—half self-pity, half disbelief—lands with perfect timing. He feels like the world’s most reluctant adventurer, and that reluctance is what makes his failures funny instead of frustrating. Combined with the exaggerated animations, every fall has its own punchline.
Can You Climb It?
Visually, Baby Steps keeps things clean and cartoonish. Its exaggerated style perfectly fits the goofy tone, while the variety of landscapes ensures the challenge always feels fresh. Performance holds steady too, which matters when every misplaced frame can undo minutes of hard work. The soundtrack, meanwhile, is unexpectedly soothing. Rather than constant comedy jingles, the music leans into calm, meditative tones. It creates a surreal mix of peace and chaos—the serenity of the world against Nate’s slapstick struggle.
Yes You Can!
The game is also unafraid to play with scale. I’ll never forget cresting a hill only to see a snowy mountain looming in the distance, realising with despair that it had to be climbed. It was crushing, yet also brilliant: a moment that perfectly captures how Baby Steps balances comedy with genuine tension.
Thankfully, the toughest sections are often optional. The most punishing climbs exist for those who want them, while the main route offers a more forgiving, if still challenging, path forward. This flexibility makes the game surprisingly accessible without diluting its spirit of persistence and failure.
At Least I’ve Got This Sweet Hat
There are flaws, of course. The camera sometimes feels cramped in narrow sections, making tricky climbs harder than they need to be. Nate’s limbs can occasionally glitch into tangled messes that feel less like comedy and more like bad luck. These rough edges don’t ruin the experience, but they can frustrate after a hard-earned climb.
Difficulty will divide players. Baby Steps doesn’t hold your hand, and its trial-and-error gameplay can be punishing. But the balance always leans fair—every fall feels like part of the lesson, and each success feels truly earned. For players willing to embrace the chaos, the challenge is exactly what makes it rewarding.
I’m With You Bro..
By the time the credits roll, Baby Steps transforms what looks like a single-joke concept into a surprisingly layered adventure. It’s about failure, persistence, and finding joy in the ridiculousness of progress. It’s charming, hilarious, and often maddening, but it knows exactly what it’s doing.
Baby Steps is out now on PlayStation 5.
Review code kindly provided by PR