October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Baby Steps Review: The Hell and Hilarity of Hiking

Baby Steps makes every step a challenge and every fall a potential punchline. Its open-world hike is inventive and funny, but the repeated physics comedy may wear thin over a long trek.
Length5 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Baby Steps turns walking into a problem you solve one foot at a time. Its long, open-ended trek toward a mountain can make a muddy slide or a precarious ledge genuinely funny—but the same awkward movement is also the source of its frustration. PC Gamer’s Jody Macgregor found the slapstick and story compelling, though the repeated physical comedy grew draining over a lengthy session. That tension is the game’s defining test: whether you enjoy learning to walk Nate through the wilderness enough to keep getting back up.

What is Baby Steps?

Baby Steps is a single-player adventure and simulation game about Nate, an unemployed man who finds himself in a misty wilderness and sets off toward a mountain. Rather than making walking automatic, the game simulates it: players control Nate’s feet, judge where to place them, and try to keep him upright on uneven ground.

It was released on September 23, 2025. The cited storefronts list it for Windows PC through Steam and for PS5. Steam names Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy as developers, with Devolver Digital as publisher. Steam listing · PlayStation Store listing

How walking becomes the game

This is not a conventional walking simulator in which holding a direction moves the character smoothly forward. PC Gamer reviewer Jody Macgregor describes using trigger input to lift a foot and a stick to position it. The player must manage balance and terrain as well as direction; even precise input does not make Nate graceful.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
RealCool 20L Lightweight Hiking Backpack, Small Travel Daypack for Camping
  • 【Ergonomic and Comfortable Design】:This breathable backpack is engineered based on the natural movement patterns of the human back, conforming to muscle contours for superior comfort and ventilation. Its scientific weight distribution evenly disperses load across the entire pack, effectively alleviating muscle soreness caused by prolonged carrying.
  • 【Large Capacity & Multi-Compartment】:Maelstrom 20/30L hiking daypack storage with multiple pockets. Features a front bungee net and bottom buckle straps for securing tents, sleeping pads, and more. Accommodates travel or hiking essentials without causing fatigue from excess weight, letting you focus on your journey.
  • 【High-Quality Material】: The Maelstrom hiking backpack is made from high-quality 210D nylon fabric, which is tear- and scratch-resistant. The fabric features a water-repellent coating. It easily protects your belongings from light rain, dew, or accidental splashes. Please note that while the fabric is water-resistant, it is not designed to withstand heavy rain or downpours.
  • 【Unique Function Design】:Maelstrom hiking backpack features reflective strips on its surface for enhanced safety. Elastic cords on both sides secure trekking poles, while the main compartment includes a Velcro strap for attaching a hydration bladder. A water tube outlet at the upper right corner allows for convenient hydration on the go.
  • 【Lightweight & Multi-Purpose】:The 20/30L men's hiking backpack features a lightweight construction weighing just 1.2 lbs. 20L size: 9.8*8.3*16.9in,30L size: 11*9*18.9in.The spacious 20/30L capacity meets gear storage needs for travel, camping, hiking, or fishing. Its portable design ensures easy carrying and is suitable for both men and women.

That control scheme creates the central joke and challenge at once. A safe-looking step can become a wobble, a stumble, or a fall, especially on rocks, mud, slippery slopes, and ledges. The game’s official listings also advertise a dynamic system for onesie soilage, an irreverent feature claim that fits the physical comedy rather than serving as a measure of how difficult the hike is.

Steam recommends a controller. On PS5, the PlayStation Store lists DualSense trigger-effect support. A controller is relevant to the intended feel, but the cited listings do not establish that a DualSense is required or that it is the only compatible option on PC. Steam listing · PlayStation Store listing

The mountain is a route-finding problem

The hike is an open-world journey toward a distant mountain, not a chain of isolated levels. In a March 2025 hands-on report, PlayStation.Blog author O’Dell Harmon Jr. says the game provides no map or waypoint system. Players choose their route, using landmarks such as distant campfires as hints about where to head.

Rank #2
Sale
Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack, Lightweight Camping Daypack with Rain Cover
  • High-Quality Material:Hiking backpack is made of high quality rip-stop 210d nylon fabric,which is water resistant,tear resistant,anti-scratch and wear resistant. Furthermore,we also give away a rain cover with a clear silver reflective logo. It is putted in the little pocket under the backpack. So it is no doubt that all your things will keep dry during rain. Just take this outdoor backpack,no matter the weather.
  • Ergonomic and Comfortable Design:Thicker padded back with ergonomic breathable design paired with adjustable, breathable and padded shoulder help to reduce fatigue during a long day of hiking. The hiking daypack comes with an ergonomic ring handle,which is labor-saving and durable. The adjustable chest buckle works perfectly to distribute the pack’s weight and keep it steady and centered. And chest buckle designed as a survival whistle for quick and easy use in case of emergency.
  • Large Capacity & Multi Compartment: Maelstrom Hiking Daypack provides several pockets for handy storage and convenient organization. Spacious backpack packed with roomy zipper main compartment, 1 top pocket, 3 front zipper pocket, 2 waist zipper pockets and 2 mesh side pockets.In addition,one waterproof wet pocket is added to the main compartment to better separate sweaty clothes or other personal things after swimming or taking exercise.
  • Unique Function Design:The camping backpack is printed with reflective signs to remind safety. The sides of the backpack have elastic and fasteners that can hold two sets of trekking sticks or adjust the webbing according to needs. There is a headphone hole on the top of the backpack for you to enjoy music. There is a Velcro to fix the water bag liner in the main bag and a water pipe hole on the top side of the backpack to assemble the water bag system.
  • LIGHTWEIGHT -- Easy to carry:The 40L hiking backpack is lightweight and it’s breathable mesh shoulder straps with plentiful sponge padding help to relieve the stress from your shoulder. The large capacity of 40L provides enough space for outdoor travel,camping,hiking and fishing. It meet size requirements for most airlines. This camping backpack can be used as hiking backpack, travel bags and business bag,which is suitable for men and women.

That open design grew out of experiments with a narrower course. Co-creator Bennett Foddy explained that a 100-meter-wide test level made route-finding and careful foot placement more interesting. The result gives exploration a practical role: a difficult slope is not necessarily the only way forward. Macgregor recounts repeatedly sliding down muddy ground before finding a ladder that bypassed a troublesome route. That is one reviewer’s account of a playthrough, but it illustrates why looking for another path can matter as much as refining a step.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Harmon’s pre-release report also describes no checkpoints and says Nate cannot die, while noting that the world can be explored after the narrative ends. Those details come from a short hands-on session before launch, so they are best treated as design context rather than a promise about how every stretch of play will feel. PlayStation.Blog, March 28, 2025 · PC Gamer review

Is Baby Steps funny or frustrating?

It is deliberately both. Falling is not just a failure state: Nate’s ungainly movement, physical mishaps, and dialogue are part of the comedy. At its best, the game makes a small success—getting across a ledge or finding a way around a slope—feel earned precisely because walking is so uncertain.

Rank #3
HIKEMAN Mesh Shoe Storage Bag for Hiking, Backpack External Storage Pouch, Attach to Backpack for Hiking, Camping, Backpacking & Outdoor Activities(Army Green, M)
  • Adjustable size: This is an expansion hiking storage pouch for mountain climbing that can be rolled up and adjusted to fit the size of your shoes. Available in 2 sizes to accommodate a variety of shoes.
  • LIGHTWEIGHT & EASY TO CARRY: Weighs onlyS/M[1.69/2.53] oz and packs down into its own pocket when not in use. Ultra-lightweight design won’t add extra burden, easy to carry and store, perfect for outdoor adventures.
  • Convenient Hanging Design: Comes with a fixed buckle that can be easily hung on a backpack, freeing up space in your backpack and keeping your gear organized.Maximizing internal pack space for essentials.
  • VERSATILE STORAGE: Not just for shoes—use it as a stuff sack for gloves, hats, water bottles, or climbing gear. Perfect for hiking, camping, mountaineering, beach trips, or gym use.

But a joke repeated across a long trek can lose its punch. Macgregor gave the game 85 in PC Gamer and praised its physical failures and dialogue, while also reporting that the repeated physics humor began to feel draining during a nearly 15-hour climb. That is one reviewer’s playthrough and reaction, not a guaranteed completion time or universal verdict. It does, however, point to the right question for prospective players: do you enjoy the process of recovering from a fall, or does repeated awkward movement become work?

Foddy told PlayStation.Blog that the developers aimed for “a game that looks hard but plays pretty chill.” That was the team’s stated intention, not evidence that every player will find it relaxed or accessible. A tricky ledge may feel like a boss battle, as Harmon puts it, even when the game is not built around conventional combat. PlayStation.Blog, March 28, 2025 · PC Gamer review

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Music, hats, and the game’s official features

The Steam and PlayStation listings advertise a long mountain trek, music built from “420 beats and vibes,” and “Non-collectible hats.” Those are Devolver Digital’s storefront descriptions, not independently measured claims about how much music a full playthrough contains or how varied it will feel. Foddy has described the audio system as “a cutting-edge experimental music system that works in sync with the walking sim.” Steam listing · PlayStation Store listing · PlayStation.Blog, March 28, 2025

Rank #4
HOOEY Mule 25L Backpack - Hiking, Gym, & Travel Bag with Boot Carrier, Hat Strap, Rain Cover, Laptop Sleeve (Brown/Tan)
  • Versatile Gear Carry System: Features a patented hat strap and boot carrying system with a dedicated boot pouch, making it easy to transport specialty gear while keeping hands free.
  • Ample Storage & Organization: Spacious 25-liter capacity includes a padded laptop sleece, tech pocket, internal organization compartments, and adjustable hydration pocket for efficient gear management.
  • All-Day Comfort: Designed with padded shoulder straps, an adjustable sternum strap, and a breathable padded back panel to provide comfortable support during extended wear.
  • Weather-Ready Design: Includes a detachable rain cover to help protect contents from unexpected weather conditions, making it ideal for travel, outdoor activities, and daily use.
  • Durable & Travel Ready: Built with a reinforced top handle, daisy chain attachment loops, and rugged construction for dependable performance on the road, at work, or during outdoor adventures.

Platforms, accessibility, and content notes

The cited official listings cover Windows PC on Steam and PS5. Steam lists Windows minimum and recommended requirements and recommends a controller; consult its current listing for the latest specifications, since storefront details can change.

The US PlayStation Store listing shows 19 accessibility features as of October 7, 2026. Among them are full controller remapping, some adjustable stick sensitivity, adjustable stick inversion, clear and large text and subtitles, basic subtitles for the main story and main characters, basic captions for important sounds, volume controls, pausing during offline gameplay or cinematics, and options to play without motion controls, vibration, or adaptive trigger effects. The listing limits subtitles to the main story and main characters and captions to important sounds; it does not promise subtitles or captions for all content. PlayStation Store listing

Both storefronts flag mature content. Steam describes mild nudity, strong language, some drug references, and mature humor; the PlayStation listing uses the descriptors drug reference, mature humor, nudity, and strong language. Steam listing · PlayStation Store listing

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Who should play Baby Steps?

Baby Steps is a better fit for players who enjoy deliberate controls, comic failure, and choosing their own route than for anyone seeking effortless traversal or tightly guided objectives. Its strongest idea is also its biggest risk: every foothold can be an amusing little problem, but the hike asks you to keep solving them for a long time.

If that sounds appealing, the game’s awkwardness is not a barrier to the experience; it is the experience. If repeated falls and slow progress sound more irritating than funny, the central mechanic may wear you down before the mountain does.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. Left 4 Dead 2 Server Hosting (2026): 5 Best Hosts for Co-op and VersusBlog8min
  2. How to Set Up a Subnautica Nitrox Server (2026): Launcher, Port 11000 and server.cfgBlog8min
  3. Best Counter-Strike: Source Server Hosting (2026): Plans and Prices From 6 HostsBlog8min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.