Baba Is You

This is peak. I love it how I can change the rules like they're part of my sandbox, the level editor is what carried it, honestly. Also Baba Is Sleep is just too cute.

Super cool game and creative concept. definitely recommended to those who want a challenging puzzle game

A challenging puzzle game where the solutions almost always feel 'fair'

The game’s core mechanic of rewriting the rules through words is an amazingly creative and challenging approach to puzzle-solving. It really made my brain go brr in new ways, which was fun but also: I’m not very good at puzzle games.

I got stuck about ten puzzles in but I appreciated the mental workout it offered nonetheless.

Rules of this puzzle: Review is Written, Baba is You, Wall is Lock, Key is Heart, Flag is Win.

I've 100-percented this game and now it's time to review it.

Firstly, it is a masterpiece of programming artistry with a genius concept. The music and visuals are pretty good too. That's about all the good I have to say about it.

The audience for this consists of masochists, people with above average IQs, people who want to waste their time, and puzzle enjoyers who don't care about getting anywhere even close to completing games. That last one is a problem for achievement hunters like me and one of the reasons I don't like it.

This game is absurdly difficult. It legitimately makes Souls-likes look like a baby smashing two rocks together. The reason it's so difficult is because completing levels requires zero skill, only brainpower. Lots and lots of brainpower. There's even an undo button.

It relies on your lack of knowledge of its convoluted, unintuitive, and downright questionable mechanics and interactions to be difficult. If all the mechanics were clearly shown, then it would cease to be difficult for the majority of the levels, which is how it should've been designed. Instead, it throws you headfirst into levels requiring mechanics that would maybe take you years to discover.

The store page gives you the impression that the game allows you to beat levels in creative and open-ended ways but this is not the case at all. Level solutions are very rigid and specific, especially later in the game. There is no room for player expression or creativity. Beating the game requires extreme logic and sometimes extreme irrationality.

This causes it to leave the territory of "a fun game which is therefore not a waste of time" and cross into "a massive waste of time so much so that almost anything else would be a better use of it". Seriously, most people could probably get their PhD in the time that it would take them to 100-percent this game without guides or hints, which is why the vast majority of people use them. It's such a waste of time that people in multiple comment sections of solution videos that I found have said it took them WEEKS just to solve a SINGLE LEVEL. You're better off spending your time on problems that actually matter and help humanity progress instead of playing this. You'd also be more fulfilled, but that bar is very low when it comes to this game.

On my quest to 100-percent it and subsequently write this review, I oftentimes opened it, thought something along the lines of "I really don't want to deal with having to solve this puzzle or follow a guide right now", and then closed it immediately after. It's genuinely mentally exhausting. In some sessions of playing, I just stared at the screen for hours while attempting to think of the solution so, in a sense, it's more of a waste of time than watching paint dry because at least that takes far less time and you can maybe paint some more afterward.

At one point, I came up with the bright idea to take notes to help me find the solution faster, but I quickly realized that it would simply be writing down every possible combination of words that actually does something and then doing a ton of trial and error. At that point, the game stopped being a puzzle and started being a brute force decryption simulator, which felt like bashing my head against a wall. I read another review where someone said that the game felt like his job, which I think was programming, and if he wanted to feel like he's doing more work then he would just actually go do more work. This is the perfect description of it: a video game version of manual tedious mathematics and logic problems such as stoichiometry, long division, and any factorization of large numbers or equations.

In most sessions before I started looking up guides, I made zero progress. Eventually I started setting a time limit for myself on each level which when expired, I would look up a guide or the solution. This actually increased my enjoyment of the game but it still sucked because following the convoluted solutions required a notable amount of mental energy. Any game that requires the players to restrict or limit themselves beyond how it already is to enjoy it more is poorly designed. The designer's entire job is to make the game enjoyable, not to make it into one that requires the player to do certain things for it to work as it's supposed to.

Also, any game that requires the players to refer to an external source to enjoy it more is poorly designed. This is definitely a game that would've been much better with a "hint" or "show solution" button or both that pops up after a certain amount of time has been spent in a level. Actually, would that have made the game better or would it have emphasized how poorly designed it truly is? It could've been designed in a way to better prepare the players to beat the game on their own and then it wouldn't feel like it needs those buttons. This is something I call "negative handholding".

Speaking of the developer, he has to be a super sadist, a master troll, a power-tripping egotist, an extremely dense genius, or a combination of any of those. Here is some evidence to support that claim.
- Levels often have a solution that seems clear or correct but actually isn't due to it being explicitly prevented in the rules. It has A LOT of these "bait solutions" and they only serve to make the game unenjoyable.
- When watching solution videos, I discovered that some were outdated due to the fact that the levels were updated to be more difficult.
- A majority of the game feels like you're at the whims of a kid in control of the rules for a pretend play battle. There's almost a constant "that just doesn't work because I said so" and "that attack didn't work because I blocked it".
- Most of the levels made by people besides the developer are some of the easiest in the game.
- Lastly, the evidence to show that the developer might just be a dense genius and not someone who revels in knowing that they're causing others to suffer, which is most likely, is that he could have had a case of what I call "developer blindness", which occurs when a developer and/or the consultants become so familiar with the product that they forget what it's like to be someone experiencing it for the first time, causing them to neglect developing it in a way that would make it enjoyable for anyone besides themselves.

To conclude, Baba Is You is an extremely difficult puzzle game that is a masterpiece in programming with quirky audio and visuals which ends up being an unrewarding and unenjoyable waste of time most of the time due to extreme design oversights. I only kept playing because I'm a completionist who wanted to conquer it, beat it into submission, and not let it win because it's utter bullcrap. It truly is a test, in puzzle game form, of how much bullcrap someone can tolerate before stopping.

or maybe i'm just low iq i guess idk

This is a great game for people who enjoy logic puzzles. I like it because it really makes me think in creative ways. If I'm working from home, it makes a nice brain-break when I feel like I'm getting bogged down with work and want a fresh perspective, and the game is challenging enough that I know I'll be able to enjoy playing it for a bit without accidentally getting sucked in for longer than anticipated.

I am unfortunately not smart enough for Baba is You, but I still know an innovative masterpiece when I see one. I'll have to settle with cuddling my Baba plush for the time being, maybe one day I'll actually master the gameplay

step 1: buy game
step 2:play game
step 3: play tutorial
step 4: beat world:
step 5: second world
step 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next levelstep 6: level to hard
step 7: watch a youtube tutorial
step 8: beat level
step 9; play next level

baba isnt you all the time, but despite the misleading title, it is quite a fun and challenging game!

Game is Excelant

Puzzles get harder but i do not get smarter. Either way, the game is fun, and forces you to think way outside the box. Literally in some cases.

If you like Puzzles, Baba is for you

Uhhh, I like it but it hurts.
In all honesty it's a perfect puzzle game, with levels that can be solved in multiple ways, most often by thinking OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. It's also a wonderful study of how to design level progression and complexity. Stunning little gem and I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to play through it whole, but I come back to it from time to time, when my brain needs a little scratch. 10/10 Would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

The base of the game is simple and yet very original. Very fun to play next to your friends or partner while discussing which might be the best solution and seeing how they fail on the attempt. It is a nice alternative to watching movies while having a pizza, we really enjoyed it

One of my favorite game ever, the gameplay idea is simple but the level complexity it can reach is amazing. it starts quite easy so everybody can have fun, but the later stages of the game get pretty hardcore and let's face it if you're not into puzzle games, you'll probably be frustrated quite quickly. But if you get into it, at some point your brain will explode when you discover all the secrets! After more than 50 hours on it, I'm still struggling with some of the last levels, and I'm sure I still have some secret stuff to find !

Fulfills the fantasy of making the player feel smart. Looks cute.

I feel so stupid all the time but when I solve a puzzle I feel so smart. I've played for 9 hrs and barely feel like I've scratched the surface so you're definitely gonna get a lot out of this. Not your everyday puzzle game.

Easily the most mind-bending (and mind-aching) puzzle game I've ever soldiered on with. Grueling difficulty masked in a winsome veneer.

The game gets hard to the point of frustration, and that's the fun of it.

One of the best puzzle games out there. I tried to beat this game over since release like 5 times now. Still haven't finished it! Ever level is hand crafted and you can feel it, but the later levels are so hard. I started thinking about them irl all the time.

Very enriching. Very cute. I became "every walk cycle at once" Baba stack. it did not solve the puzzle but it WAS funny af

Bit tricky, but some of best puzzle design i've yet seen.

Interesting puzzle game, but if you suffer from having a cute smooth brain like I do, you'll end up having to look up a lot of hints.

This game is like a brain freeze after eating too much ice cream too quickly: It hurts your brain so badly, but it's still so good. Highly recommend if you don't mind difficult puzzles with outside-the-box solutions.

the most creative and unique puzzle game i have ever played .
has enough levels for hours of fun and satisfying gameplay many with many thought provoking levels that youll have to come back to multiple times.
every level feels new and expands your knowledge of whats possible, even in the late game you have to find new tricks to solve some of the most creative puzzles ive experienced expanding on the unique gameplay ruleset of the game.
once the game and the secret ending is finished the new adventure provides more levels and keywords to keep you playing with additional high quality and interesting levels on par with the original game.
best experienced going in blind or at the very least with only the tutorial levels watched in order to fully enjoy the game but be warned the game is very difficult having many levels that i had to come back to multiple time to solve .
if you ever get stuck there is the baba is hint spoiler free guide to help push you along while still keeping the puzzles challenging i suggest the only if you cant advance at all to prevent ruining the fun of the some of the more unique puzzles.

Baba is a logic and creativity masterpiece that will challenge you to look for more in very exquisite ways. Anyone that loves to discover secrets will enjoy the mix and match of functions and possibilities!

its very fun especially for those who like portal, and chips challenge. but it is very hard and completely fine to watch playthroughs to understand a level

If you like puzzles, Baba is You is the game for you. I really like how it constantly encourages you to think outside the box. With more than 200 levels, there is always something more to learn, and the difficulty increases gradually from "oh this is cute" to "what on actual Earth." My family & friends who are not gamers really enjoy it too, they learned the ropes quickly and find it engaging but also accessible. And, the community guides are excellent if you really, really get stuck! If you like brain-teasers, I can't recommend this game enough.

You know the game design is good when the game is a complex puzzler with no tutorial but still feels so incredibly intuitive. This is the kind of game you get when the designer/developer are passionate about their product.

Up there with one of the best games I've ever played I cannot find a single fault with the game.

Baba Is You

This game is awesome it makes me want to slam my keyboard in to my wall out of frustration. 100/10 would rage again. (this game is so good and smart though)

Game Is Good
Brain Is Small

An unique puzzle game where you change the rules of the level. The game has over 200 levels in its main campaign along with a capable level editor. If you are divided about getting this game, you can find the game jam build on the creator's itch.

puzzles were fun and challenging, had some fun playing the game at school, baba is silly :3

if you like puzzles that make you want to rip your hair out, or ones you have to boot up your computer at 1AM for because you've just realized the solution after thinking about it ALL DAY, or ones where you open an "impossible" level days later and go "oh my god, it can't be that simple" (it is), then this is the game for you. endlessly infuriating, can't stop coming back.

this game makes me want to rip my hair out- you absolutely need to play this game it is incredible

This Game is great! I recommend it it is a mind bending puzzle game where you change the rules!

very fun puzzle game
Sadly I suck and my progress is slow

7 hours playtime over a few/ several days and I love it. The puzzles are pretty fun most of the time but you should be prepared to put a lot of time and thought into them. Don't try to complete every puzzle immediately, you WILL get stuck, so if you are really stuck just move on and go to another area or puzzle.

Best puzzle game. For those who love seeking solutions, experiment and get amazed from unexpected results.

Took many hours, and was stuck on one level for 6 months and 13 in game hours with encroaching paranoia that the game was bugged or that the dev was trolling me, but I beat the game with no hints or guides. Turns out me is skill issue. 10/10.

This game is just way too hard, or I'm just way too stupid.
Love it!

Extremely creative and versatile gameplay. Cute, simple graphics and cool, motivating music.
This game is quite hard tho, especially if you're trying to clear all the levels. Some levels look like copies of previous levels but with crucial elements removed, making you wonder how you're supposed to complete this new version level that no longer has enough of whatever element that you relied on before.

This game is absolutely infuriating to the max. 10/10 with friends though.

amazing mostr wonderful pzuzle game on the planet i love you baba

The sound tract is great to sleep to. Very nice. Though, I'm not smart enough for most of the puzzles, lol.

Possibly the best puzzle game I've ever played. To sum it up for the unfamiliar:

Baba is You is a puzzle game based on the basic elements of coding logic. Rules for how elements behave on each level can be bent and broken. You'll often catch yourself staring at the screen with confusion, walk away, have an AHA! moment, sit back and feel like the smartest person on the planet. That is, until the next level makes you feel like an idiot, only to repeat this glorious experience again.

Do yourself a favour and try not to spoil the game by looking up hints. Rather walk away, think about it, sleep on it, and come back.

its a really cute game but the puzzles got a bit boring for me thats all lol

I beat the game, but I still pop in, from time to time. There are some levels that I simply can't wrap my head around, but I refuse to look the answers up.

Amazing Rule-Discovery (at the start), breaking the rules is a very creative idea.
Would recommend!
chess battle advanced

Well-balanced for level of difficulty. Fun and challenging, but not to the point of frustration.

Very inovative puzzles that not only make you think outside the box, but also think with the game's mechanics