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Baba Is You

Baba is You manages to take the familiar idea of nudging blocks and solving puzzles in a fresh direction. Brilliant.
Baba Is You Game Cover
89%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
story, grinding
98% User Score Based on 10,098 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

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Baba Is You Game Cover

About

Baba Is You is a single player casual puzzle game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Hempuli and was released on March 13, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Baba Is You" is a charming puzzler where you manipulate rules, such as "Baba Is Win" or "Rocks Are Push," to solve levels. Use tools like undo, restart, and editor to modify the "Jam Is Nordic Game Jam 2017" game world. Control Baba with arrow keys, save progress with "S," and access the menu via Tab. The full version, offering more features, is in development.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Baba Is You screenshot
Skip User Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,098 reviews
gameplay285 positive mentions
story12 negative mentions
  • gameplay
    993 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Baba Is You" is characterized by its innovative and unique mechanics that allow players to manipulate the rules of the game through word blocks, creating a rich tapestry of puzzles that require creative and outside-the-box thinking. While the game starts with a gentle learning curve, introducing new mechanics gradually, it quickly escalates in difficulty, often leading to frustrating moments where players must rely on trial and error to discover obscure solutions. Overall, the game is praised for its clever design and the satisfaction derived from solving its challenging puzzles, though some players note that the lack of clear guidance on certain mechanics can lead to confusion and difficulty in progressing.

    • “You constantly change the rules of the game and new mechanics get introduced so you have to think outside the box and be really creative.”
    • “I have solved about 80 puzzles so far and new puzzles keep surprising me with interesting mechanics and clever solutions.”
    • “The game's difficulty curve is masterful, gently introducing new mechanics while gradually ramping up the complexity.”
    • “It was fine for the first 2-3 worlds, but it very quickly introduces unexplained mechanics and solutions that the average person probably wouldn't think of.”
    • “The way they teach you new mechanics is by just throwing things at you and you try to guess what you need to do, which is really annoying sometimes.”
    • “The difficulty curve is all over the place and could be a lot better when it comes to the introduction of the more obscure mechanics, as the game can get frustratingly hard at times and promote tedious trial and error gameplay once you get far enough into the game.”
  • music
    401 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its charming, soothing, and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the puzzle-solving experience. However, many players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over extended play sessions, leading some to prefer listening to their own music instead. Overall, while the music enhances the game's appeal, its lack of variety may detract from the experience for some players.

    • “The charming pixel art, coupled with a delightful soundtrack, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
    • “Without a doubt the most enjoyable and mind-melting puzzle game I ever played, music takes this game from excellent to unforgettable, truly a genius game!”
    • “The music is simple, pleasant, and unobtrusive, a perfect tempo for your brain to grind its gears while you ponder.”
    • “The only real complaint I have about the game is that there is only one music piece when you're in a puzzle.”
    • “The music gets a bit annoying and the visuals are pretty basic, especially on screens where the puzzle is small but they get the job done.”
    • “The music, admittedly, does get tiresome after listening to it on loop while staring at a particularly troublesome mindbender, though it seems designed to be as non-intrusive as background music can get.”
  • graphics
    393 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Baba Is You" are characterized by a charming, minimalist art style that enhances the gameplay experience without distracting from the puzzles. While some players appreciate the cute and simplistic visuals, others find them basic or even eye-straining; however, the overall aesthetic is generally seen as fitting and effective for the game's innovative mechanics. The combination of retro-inspired graphics and a soothing soundtrack creates an engaging atmosphere that complements the challenging puzzle-solving elements.

    • “In addition to having a brilliant concept, really well thought out mechanics, a unique visual art style and a great soundtrack, the puzzles themselves are just incredibly designed.”
    • “The simplicity of the visuals adds to the game's elegance, allowing the gameplay and creativity to shine through.”
    • “The graphics are charming in their simplicity, too.”
    • “I love this game but the graphics are hurting my eyes and there is no option to turn off the constant moving.”
    • “The music gets a bit annoying and the visuals are pretty basic, especially on screens where the puzzle is small but they get the job done.”
    • “While the graphics are nothing to look at and the music is downright annoying, the gameplay is still addictive and fun.”
  • humor
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Baba is You" is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, often leading to unexpected and hilarious moments as players navigate its unique puzzle mechanics. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke laughter through its quirky art style, amusing solutions, and the delightful frustration of solving complex puzzles. Overall, the game combines challenging gameplay with a charming sense of humor, making it a standout in the puzzle genre.

    • “Baba is You is a brain-twisting, word-flipping extravaganza that will leave you both scratching your head and laughing uncontrollably.”
    • “The game encourages you to try to 'break' the levels, often with hilarious results.”
    • “I never thought I'd find a game so deeply challenging and frustrating that constantly wins me back over with how adorable and funny it is.”
    • “The jokes are unoriginal and fail to elicit any laughter.”
    • “The humor feels recycled and lacks any real comedic value.”
    • “The attempts at humor are stale and simply not funny.”
  • story
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting that it lacks a coherent narrative or significant plot elements, making it easy to pick up and put down. While some appreciate the visual storytelling and unique quirks of individual puzzles, the overall consensus is that the game would benefit from a more pronounced story to enhance player engagement and progression. Despite this, the gameplay mechanics and puzzle design are often praised, suggesting that the game can still be enjoyable without a strong narrative.

    • “This game is of the most elegant design; its puzzles have the most elegant solutions, and where there is story, that too is elegant.”
    • “Each level, especially the difficult ones, has a unique quirk or story to tell, making them a joy to solve.”
    • “The game does a good job easing you into the logic of the world and teaching you how the rules work, then it grabs you by the ankles and chucks you into the deep end as each sub-area provides more twists and words to use and abuse in your quest to take the game apart by the seams.”
    • “The levels have very little in common, there is no coherent story, no proper player onboarding or tutorial-like structure.”
    • “The smaller puzzles are enjoyable in their riddle-like quality, but for a game this long, the lack of a pronounced story or strong atmosphere is a major weakness.”
    • “It is rather lacking in some other areas because the central mechanic (clever and well-explored though it is) makes it nearly impossible to tell any kind of coherent story.”
  • grinding
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly as the difficulty spikes and obscure mechanics are introduced. While the initial puzzles are engaging, many reviewers note that the later levels devolve into repetitive and cumbersome tasks, leading to a mentally exhausting experience. Despite some moments of satisfaction upon solving puzzles, the overwhelming complexity and trial-and-error nature of the gameplay often detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Incredibly creative concept, but completing the challenges is more tedious than fun.”
    • “The difficulty curve is all over the place and could be a lot better when it comes to the introduction of the more obscure mechanics, as the game can get frustratingly hard at times and promote tedious trial and error gameplay once you get far enough into the game.”
    • “The first few levels were nice, then the difficulty ramped up pretty hard and it became pretty tedious.”
  • emotional
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a profound emotional journey while engaging with the game, oscillating between feelings of frustration and triumph as they tackle challenging puzzles. Many describe moments of intense joy and satisfaction upon solving difficult problems, often feeling both incredibly smart and utterly foolish at different times. The game's unique mechanics and heartwarming atmosphere contribute to a rich emotional experience, making it a memorable and impactful puzzle adventure.

    • “This game made me feel like an idiot, made me feel like a genius, and made me feel so terribly clever.”
    • “I laughed, I cried, I spent 40 hours of my life completing every puzzle and I don't regret a second of it.”
    • “I can't remember the last time I've had such an emotional rollercoaster of an experience of feeling like a genius then like an utter idiot and so on.”
  • atmosphere
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming pixel art and calming soundtrack, which together create an inviting and immersive experience that enhances puzzle-solving. Reviewers appreciate the blend of minimalistic graphics and tranquil music, noting that it fosters a focused and relaxed environment, although some mention that the lack of a pronounced story can detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game's aesthetic and sound design contribute significantly to its appeal, making it a standout indie puzzler.

    • “The charming pixel art, coupled with a delightful soundtrack, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The game's colorful, pixelated graphics add to its charm, while its tranquil soundtrack and sound effects create an immersive and relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “Between its subdued, bassy soundtrack and its wibbly-lined, childlike art style, baba manages to maintain a very lax atmosphere.”
    • “The game may or may not be mocking you with its cutesy atmosphere for taking it too seriously and struggling to beat a level.”
    • “The smaller puzzles are enjoyable in their riddle-like quality, but for a game this long the lack of a pronounced story or strong atmosphere is a major weakness.”
    • “The chill atmosphere and music is appreciated, and I dig the MS Paint-esque graphics, but it wasn't really enough to make up for the tedium of what was actually going on.”
  • replayability
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive number of puzzles, multiple solutions for each level, and the potential for user-generated content through a level editor. Players appreciate the challenge of rediscovering solutions and the ongoing updates that introduce new levels and features. While some note that traditional story modes may lack replay value, the overall design encourages repeated play and exploration.

    • “Amazing puzzle game, very unique and the level editor adds unlimited replayability.”
    • “Infinitely creative and endless replayability; you find something new every time you load the game up.”
    • “Levels often have multiple solutions, making the game super replayable if you're into that.”
    • “The replayability is the downside of the game, but so is for every puzzle game.”
    • “No actual replay value.”
    • “This high difficulty ceiling is wonderful for a puzzle game as the genre by nature lacks replayability.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with few major glitches reported and recent beta builds addressing most crashing issues. However, players have noted the presence of minor bugs and the reliance on "intentional glitches" to solve certain puzzles, which can lead to frustration and a feeling of needing to exploit the game mechanics rather than using legitimate strategies. While the initial levels are enjoyable, the later stages may require players to navigate these glitches, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “No glitches I've seen so far, and I can't wait for the level editor!”
    • “A lot of puzzles actually require you to utilize intentional glitches which circumvent the normal collision detection programming.”
    • “To top it off, you have to innately understand how to glitch the game because there are no explanations on how to abuse these glitches.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, the game isn't bad and the first levels are interesting and fun, but the later levels are way too difficult and to solve them you often have to use strategies that feel more like abusing glitches and less like developing a valid strategy.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly optimized for performance, running smoothly even on low-end devices, but players find the concept of "optimization" in terms of puzzle-solving to be confusing, particularly with changing rules. Overall, while the game offers a wealth of content without performance issues, the optimization aspect in gameplay can be challenging.

    • “No performance issues that I saw, and lots of content.”
    • “This game, especially for tougher puzzles, requires you to figure out the optimized solution from the beginning.”
    • “Performance-wise, you could probably run this on a Samsung fridge.”
    • “This game, especially for tougher puzzles, requires you to figure out the optimized solution from the beginning - and the 'optimization' of changing rules is very confusing.”
    • “This is not a game about complicated permutations or optimizations.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development is characterized by minimal yet charming artwork, with users highlighting the cuteness of the character design.

    • “The character design and artwork is minimal but super cute.”
    • “The character design is cute.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express a strong preference for a one-time purchase model, arguing that in-app purchases would detract from the overall experience by undermining the value of having all content available for a single price.

    • “Don't make it in-app purchases; it would ruin the 'all content for one price' feeling.”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should.”
    • “I hate how the game constantly prompts me to buy premium currency; it breaks immersion.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 11 critic reviews
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46h Median play time
44h Average play time
7h Main story
47h Completionist
19-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Baba Is You is a casual puzzle game with fantasy theme.

Baba Is You is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, iPhone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 7 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 47 hours to finish. On average players spend around 44 hours playing Baba Is You.

Baba Is You was released on March 13, 2019.

Baba Is You was developed by Hempuli.

Baba Is You has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Baba Is You is a single player game.

Similar games include Patrick's Parabox, Snakebird, Antichamber, Stephen's Sausage Roll, WitCup 12 and others.