Baby Steps: Everything We Know

Well, it appears Getting Over It and QWOP are about to meet their maker in an all-new physics-based “walking” simulator known only as Baby Steps. Why Baby Steps you ask? Well, to put it simply, because the whole point of the game, while also under the guise of being a fantasy-like adventure, is to learn how to put one foot in front of the other. And yes, this is a full-priced game that just so happens to boast a million or so views over on its official announcement trailer. Intrigued to hear more? Us too, and we can’t for the life of us explain why.

In case you missed the studio’s earlier works, which of course includes the ever-popular but ludicrously frustrating Getting Over It, then you’ll already know how the likes of Bennett Foddy operates when placed in a dark room with nothing more than a drawing board and a copy of Unity. But for those who missed the memo (and a number of involuntary headaches, no less), then know this: Baby Steps, as wholesome as it may strike you as, isn’t going to be your average walk in the park. Quite the opposite, actually.

So, with the basics out in the open, what more do you need to know about the upcoming walking simulator? Will it draw from the same lines as QWOP, or will it be something else altogether? Well, here’s everything we can tell you about it, right down to its rather unusual but oddly intriguing storyline. Baby Steps: what on earth is it, and when can we expect to take it for a walk?

What Is Baby Steps?

To put it simply, Baby Steps is an upcoming walking simulator. And not the usual sort of walking sim you’d expect to find on most indie shelves — but an actual walking sim, where walking is the whole point. Or at least, learning how to walk as a fully grown adult, anyway. That’s really what Baby Steps is all about, and it looks like one of the most unusual, albeit hilarious video games you’ll set eyes on this year.

Of course, we’d expect nothing less of Bennett Foddy, to be fair, what with the likes of QWOP and Getting Over It already being two of the most frustrating, albeit ridiculously entertaining indie games on the market. Baby Steps, really, is just Foddy’s way of pushing the boat out for the sake of obtaining a foothold on modern consoles. No doubt it’ll be equally, if not more painful to, well, get over.

Story

You play as Nate, an unemployed failson whose life has taken a drastic turn for the worse. Alone, useless, and absorbed in a box set of One Piece with no intention to succeed in life, you find yourself whisked away to a mystical realm—a land covered in mist and idyllic landscapes. As the involuntary castaway, you must learn how to take your first steps away from the couch and towards an unknown future. The question you’re trying to answer is simple: what is the meaning of life? Heavy, right?

“Explore a world shrouded in mist, one step at a time,” reads the press release. “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.”

Gameplay

If you’ve any sort of memory of Getting Over It, then you’ll have an idea of what the mechanics in Baby Steps will be like. Another game worth pointing out is Octodad: The Dadliest Catch—a physics-based game that makes full use of the button layout to create some frustratingly complex puzzles. Baby Steps won’t be any different from the looks of it, which means you can full well expect to spend more time learning how to stumble over a pebble than anything humanely difficult. Like Death Stranding, maybe, but with less uncooperative cargo and more wayward limbs.

Going by the blurb, the goal of the game is to “trek up a mountain-sized mountain.” Easier said than done, of course, what with even the most basic movements being tied to a control system that’s purposely designed to test your patience and what have you. And so, while the story itself may only be an hour or two in length, the reality of the situation is that, depending on your ability to make heads or tails of the controls, it could still take you upwards of a day, week, or even a lifetime. And that isn’t an exaggeration; just ask the millions of people who never finished Getting Over It.

Development

Of all the items on the Devolver Digital Showcase docket, Baby Steps was hands down one of the strangest, albeit most intriguing games to make an appearance. And rightfully so, what with the studio’s previous works being hailed as some of the best and longest standing indie games on PC, period.

Anyway, while we can’t say for certain how long Bennett Foddy and the Ape Out crew have been working on the next entry in the physics-based saga, we do know that the team will be aiming to release it on consoles and PC at some point in 2024. So that’s a start.

Trailer

The good news is, Foddy and team have already gone ahead and posted a trailer to help shine a little extra light on Baby Steps’ story and gameplay features. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Baby Steps will be stumbling into the limelight at some point in 2024, and will be aiming for a launch on PlayStation 5 and PC. Does this mean Xbox Series X|S isn’t in line to receive the ol’ Foddy treatment? From the looks of it, no. But that isn’t to say it won’t be shedding its Sony and PC exclusivity at some point in the foreseeable future, though, as a lot of games that go on to accumulate mass recognition often do.

Can’t wait to get your hands on Baby Steps? If you’re interesting in hanging about, then you could always check out the studio’s social feed for additional info here. We’ll be sure to update you just as soon as a final release date comes around. Until then, it’s merely the case of waiting for Devolver Digital to take it off ice.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Baby Steps when it releases? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.