Baba Is You

Baba is You is a block-pushing puzzle game about changing the rules to solve puzzles, featuring a cast of simple and charming characters. The rules of the game are defined in each level by words that can be pushed around, changing how objects in the level behave. Not only does Baba is You have hundreds of puzzles that go to very surprising depths, it also has an active modding community, with substantial player-created content.

In each level of Baba is You, the rules that dictate how the level works are written out in-level as simple sentences. The words that form these sentences are blocks that can be pushed and rearranged within the level grid, affecting the currently active set of rules. For example, if the level has the rule “WALL IS STOP,” walls are impassable. However, if you replace the word “STOP” with the word “PUSH”, those walls can now be broken apart and pushed around like boxes. Many levels are designed around subverting your expectations of what can and cannot be done, requiring both logical reasoning and lateral thinking to tackle them.

Over the course of the game, new mechanics are regularly introduced in the form of new words, such as “DEFEAT”, “SHUT”, “HOT”, and many more, that each affect how objects behave. These levels can sometimes be initially difficult to parse with their many rules, but all the components of a level are always there for a reason. Some levels also have multiple viable solutions, which is a consequence of the freedom and versatility of the rule-rearranging mechanics.

Baba is You is a pure puzzler and so effectively has no story, although it does feature a quirky cast of characters. With over 200 levels, and 150 more available in a free DLC, there is plenty of puzzling to be done. However, relatively few levels have to be solved to reach the credits, allowing players to see many of the great mechanics on display without having to solve too many difficult puzzles. Baba is You does, however, have quite a few tricks up its sleeve beyond the first ending, for those who want to see just how far these mechanics can go.

In addition to its plentiful main game content, Baba is You also has a level editor where players can make and share their own levels. The game also has an active modding community, with many fan-made level packs featuring new mechanics modded into the base game, although the mods and editor aren’t available on mobile platforms, and level packs are only available on computer builds.

This description was written by Asher Stone and edited by Oriane Tury.