Baba Is You

Created by Finnish developer Hempuli - also known as Arvi Teikari - Baba Is You is an indie puzzle game that revolves around moving pieces of the puzzle around in order to bend the rules they enforce. It might sound overly complicated, but in fact it is fairly simple, and entertaining.

Available on Windows, Linux, MacOS and Nintendo Switch, the 2019 game was received with high praise amongst critics and players alike. Most of the compliments are directed towards the original concept, fair difficulty, and satisfying challenges presented by the game. At the same time a lot can be said about the art, puzzle, music and seamless explanations of Baba Is You, even more impressive is the fact that the one-man development team created everything you see on screen.

Simple, Yet Effective

Right out of the gate Baba Is You teaches players in one of the most simplistic, yet effective manners in gaming, how to play the game. With concepts and mechanics displayed almost perfectly from the get go, the game warps the task of moving blocks around, by infusing those blocks with words and making them enforce rules.

As the main character Baba - a white rabbit - your objective is to solve the riddles and puzzles through logic to achieve the goals set out for each level. Overall, the game feels fairly balanced and puzzles have escalating difficulty that provide a satisfying journey to players. Of course, some puzzle might seem unfair, but usually all it takes is a set of fresh eyes, creativity and logic to push through.

Break The Rules

Puzzle games can be associated with logical challenges that require a very specific set of actions or sequences to be solved or completed. Thankfully, Baba Is You dodged that bullet by creating a game that while self-contained - after all it still has a limited set of resolutions - stil offers players freedom to carve their own resolutions. It also dares players to think outside of the box, and search for ways to defy the rules or set parameters it poses at first glance.

A very original take, this game is also very large with over two-hundred levels players can average up to one-hundred hours of gameplay before reaching the final flag. And while after many puzzles, levels can seem the same, they rarely are. The moving pieces that require reshaping and rebuilding are almost never similar to previous challenges. Players should be warned that the game does have a steep learning curve, that while fair, might not please everyone.

Verdict

Baba Is You, takes the classic concepts of Sokoban puzzle and logic games,and infuses them with an original twist. Its vast levels designs, fair difficulty, and teaching formats allow the game to remain challenging throughout its entirety.

PROS:

• Well Explained Concepts/Mechanics
• Lengthy and Varied Level Designs
• Satisfying Resolutions
• Creative Freedom
• Chill Music

CONS:

• Very Challenging Late-Game Puzzles
• Extremely Steep Learning Curve