Baba Is You

About

"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

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 12,709 reviews

gameplay348 positive mentions

story14 negative mentions

gameplay
1,254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
71%
1%
The gameplay of "Baba Is You" is characterized by its innovative and versatile mechanics that allow players to manipulate the rules of the game itself through word-based interactions. Players are introduced to new mechanics gradually, creating a satisfying learning curve that challenges them to think outside the box and experiment with various combinations to solve increasingly complex puzzles. While the game excels in creativity and depth, some players find certain mechanics unintuitive or poorly explained, leading to moments of frustration amidst the rewarding gameplay experience.
- “Extremely creative and versatile gameplay.”
- “Very innovative puzzles that not only make you think outside the box, but also think with the game's mechanics.”
- “Baba is You is a brilliant puzzle game that redefines how we approach game mechanics.”
- “The introduction to gameplay is sorely lacking as the game progresses, instead relying on trial-and-error to reveal the seemingly arbitrary mechanics required to solve later puzzles.”
- “The late game puzzles are far too difficult because you're simply not taught all the mechanics.”
- “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
502 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charming, catchy, and soothing qualities, effectively complementing the cute pixel art and enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a relaxing atmosphere conducive to puzzle-solving, some note that it can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset to the game, contributing to its unique identity and engaging ambiance.
- “The music and sound design are perfect for the game's aesthetic style.”
- “The charming pixel art, coupled with a delightful soundtrack, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
- “Great puzzles, with cute pixel art, and catchy music that does not overstay its welcome no matter how long you are in a level.”
- “Did have to turn off the annoying 'vibrate' effect as to not get a headache, and also needed to mute the music after 20 minutes as it gets rather repetitive and distracting!”
- “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 is extremely repetitive and boring too, just to top it off.”
graphics
500 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
2%
The graphics of "Baba Is You" are characterized by a charming, minimalist art style that enhances the gameplay experience without overwhelming players. Many reviewers appreciate the cute and simple visuals, which complement the game's clever puzzles and soothing soundtrack, creating a cozy atmosphere. While some critiques mention the graphics as basic or retro, they ultimately serve the game's focus on innovative mechanics and challenging gameplay.
- “The art style is adorable and adds to the comfy and simple visual experience.”
- “The graphics are simple, which makes it easy to understand each level.”
- “The graphics, music, and atmosphere in general are perfect for the kind of game it is and they allow you to concentrate on the logics behind a level.”
- “Despite the dreadful graphics, there's some really clever logic puzzling going on here, and some of the harder levels have got me scratching my head.”
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's a blend of old retro pixel 'art' used as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics, and some of the most amateurish MS Paint style drawings I've ever seen.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can do graphics properly, or a lack of talent; regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result of these decisions.”
humor
119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
3%
The humor in "Baba Is You" is widely praised for its cleverness and absurdity, often eliciting genuine laughter from players as they navigate its mind-bending puzzles. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to create funny moments through unexpected solutions and quirky mechanics, making the experience both challenging and entertaining. Overall, the game's charming art style and witty design contribute to a delightful blend of humor and gameplay that keeps players engaged and amused.
- “The first ten levels are worth the price alone - they're creative and funny tutorial levels that challenge your way of thinking without overstaying their welcome.”
- “Baba is you is a brain-twisting, word-flipping extravaganza that will leave you both scratching your head and laughing uncontrollably.”
- “The solutions are also incredibly funny; this is the first puzzle game that had me laughing out loud.”
- “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
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
75%
18%
The consensus among users is that the game lacks a coherent or engaging story, with many describing it as having "no story" or "non-existent" narrative elements. While some appreciate the thematic visuals and puzzle mechanics, the absence of a compelling plot diminishes the overall experience for many players, making it easy to pick up and put down without a strong narrative drive. Overall, the game is primarily focused on puzzle-solving rather than storytelling, which some find refreshing, while others see it as a missed opportunity for deeper engagement.
- “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, have 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.”
- “There is no story.”
- “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.”
grinding
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
7%
88%
The reviews indicate that while the game starts off engaging and offers clever puzzles, it quickly becomes tedious as the difficulty ramps up and requires excessive trial and error. Many players find the later levels frustrating due to the need for precise execution and repetitive actions, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Although some puzzle enthusiasts may appreciate the challenge, the general consensus is that the game suffers from a lack of balance, leading to a tedious experience for many.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Doesn't need any grinding, but you need skill.”
- “But at its core, the game is extremely tedious.”
- “It's fun for the first few hours, but it becomes really tedious really fast.”
- “The first few levels were nice, then difficulty ramped up pretty hard and it became pretty tedious.”
emotional
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players describe the emotional experience of the game as a profound rollercoaster, oscillating between feelings of genius and utter frustration. Many express that the challenging puzzles evoke strong emotions, including laughter, tears, and a sense of heartwarming achievement, while also making them feel intellectually diminished at times. Overall, the game elicits a unique blend of joy and despair, leaving players both satisfied and emotionally drained.
- “This game makes me want to cry.”
- “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.”
- “I laughed, I cried, I spent 40 hours of my life completing every puzzle and I don't regret a second of it.”
atmosphere
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
31%
9%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a calming and charming ambiance, enhanced by its delightful pixel art and soothing soundtrack, which together create an immersive experience. Players appreciate the blend of simplicity in design with engaging puzzles, although some note that the lack of a pronounced story can detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully evokes a unique, relaxing environment that encourages thoughtful gameplay.
- “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, [i]baba[/i] manages to maintain a very lax atmosphere.”
- “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.”
- “As of now though, I've given up and when I take away its creative mechanic, I just see an overly bland atmosphere of a game.”
- “Between its subdued, bassy soundtrack and its wibbly-lined, childlike art style, baba manages to maintain a very lax atmosphere (not to mention offset the existential horror of turning sapient beings into rocks and keys, or accidentally forming the extremely nihilistic rule, 'all is empty').”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
9%
The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive number of puzzles, multiple solutions for many levels, and the potential for user-generated content through a level editor. While traditional puzzle games often suffer from limited replay value once solutions are known, this title encourages players to rediscover challenges and explore creative approaches, enhancing its longevity. Frequent updates and an active community further contribute to its replayability, making it a compelling choice for puzzle enthusiasts.
- “Custom levels = infinite replayability.”
- “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.”
- “Puzzle games by their nature don't have replayability once you know the solution.”
- “The replayability is the downside of the game, but so is the case for every puzzle game.”
- “I've 100% completed it. The game has seriously impressive longevity for a game with little replay value. There's no point to replaying the same puzzles, save for a few special cases.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with users reporting minimal glitches and crashes, particularly in recent beta builds. However, some players have noted the presence of minor bugs and the necessity to exploit "intentional glitches" to solve certain puzzles, which can detract from the experience for those who prefer traditional gameplay strategies.
- “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
40%
60%
The game is highly optimized for performance, running smoothly even on low-end devices, but players find the concept of "optimization" in gameplay confusing, particularly with the changing rules and the need to identify optimal solutions for tougher puzzles. Overall, while the technical performance is solid, the gameplay mechanics related to optimization may be challenging for some players.
- “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.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of "Baba is You" has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing concern that it feels like a poorly executed mobile port rather than a genuine PC game. There is a strong desire among players for a one-time purchase model, as in-app purchases could detract from the game's cohesive experience.
- “Baba is You is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers.”
- “Don't make it in-app purchases; it would ruin the 'all content for one price' feeling.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”