Some of the best games are the simplest in concept. Perhaps no recent game is more simplistic than Baby Steps. Released today, the game advertises itself as a walking simulator, which sounds strange before hearing the context around the game. The project is a collaboration between Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy, the developer of Getting Over It, a similarly simple game with the goal to frustrate players in the most engaging way possible.

According to the Steam store page, the game follows the adventures of Nate, an unadventurous and unlikable man who would rather do anything but walk. As one would expect, he is thrust out of his comfort zone when he is forced to traverse the world the developers have crafted. Although Nate travels alone, he does run into other characters, allowing for funny interactions to break up the core gameplay. The content of the dialogue in the game earns it the mature rating, despite the majority of characters shown not acting mature at all.

As for the gameplay itself, Baby Steps does everything it can to make players appreciate automatic walking in other games. Each leg is manually controlled separately, meaning the main challenge of the game comes first with controlling the steps of the character to progress forward. Later on, this challenge expands as the terrain and environment grow more and more difficult to traverse. Much like other games of its type, the game is meant to make players angry enough to get good at it, at which point they can look forward to discovering a more in-depth set of movement options than it first seemed.

Baby Steps follows in the footsteps of iconic titles, causing many players to look forward to the feeling that games in its genre provide. As reviews begin to pour in, the community will get a sense of whether it is possible to make a walking simulator fun. Baby Steps released today on Steam and PS5.