Baby Steps from Bennett Foddy and publisher Devolver Digital arrives on September 23, handing players control of an awkward protagonist’s limbs instead of a simple forward button. This preview covers the game’s basic systems, the team’s approach to improvised dialogue, streamer-minded design, and the estimated playtime, assuming players explore every corner. But before we continue, can we all agree that Devolver Digital is actually the best publisher out there, and I mean it!
What is Baby Steps?
On the surface, Baby Steps is a walking-simulator built around clumsy limb control. Players guide Nate, a TV-sucked couch potato, through an open world with no map, no waypoints, and a handful of hats to collect. The challenge is literal: moving a foot is its own microgame.
The design trades polished movement for micro‑physics; taking a single step can feel like splitting an atom. The team recorded most voices in an improvised way and stitched the best takes into short cutscenes, which gives the world a ramshackle comedic tone that pairs oddly well with its difficulty.
Who thought a hiking sim would be this sadistic? Expect moments that provoke laughter, groans, and the occasional stream highlight, the developers built the game knowing people would watch as much as they would play.
Developer commentary in the preview emphasizes spectator moments and story beats formed through player struggle rather than scripted triumphs. Early mentions of the project and its timing are collected in the launch announcement, which points to the September 23 date.
Scope and tone
The world is intentionally freeform. Players can drift off the main path into side content that could run a few hours, and if someone tries to see everything, the team suggested it might stretch out to 100 hours. The difficulty curve is adjustable by player choice: there are easier ways to traverse and self-imposed harder lines for those chasing the sweat.
Balancing comes with a wink. Designers prove sections are possible with tools and shortcuts during development, then let players find their own approaches to repeatable climbs. The result should create the kind of moments streamers clip and commentators riff on for days.
The game’s presentation is a step up in scope from earlier one‑scene experiments. It introduces a cast of characters and improvised lines that lean into on-the-spot comedy, somewhat ragged but often effective, rather than tightly scripted exchanges.
Baby Steps promises a curious mix: an open world with slow, fiddly movement and a design eye toward spectatorship. Players who enjoy poking at systems, collecting unusual hats, or simply laughing at their own failures may find it rewarding. Those who want straightforward traversal will likely find it frustrating on purpose.
Share quick takes and screenshots with the community on X and Bluesky during launch week.
