Baba Is You
Pushing logic to the limit
by Ryan Strenkowski
Version reviewed: Switch Baba Is You by Hempuli, $15 on PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, ESRB rating E for Everyone, release date: 3/13/2019, reviewed on 3/9/2022. I purchased this game.
For most puzzle games, you would simply follow the rules of the game until you found the solution. In Baba Is You(2018), you push the rules in your favor to solve each level. Literally.
Baba Is You is a puzzle game with over 200 two-dimensional levels, each containing different rules, objects, characters, and obstacles the player must interact with in order to win. The rules for each level controls the interactions, so in order to solve the level, the player will have to reshape the logic behind the rules.
The first level makes it easy for the player to understand how the rules impact each level. It shows that Baba, the white rabbit, is you, the player; Wall is stop, making it impossible to move past the wall; Flag is win, showcasing that reaching the flag clears the level; Rock is push, allowing the player to move the boulders impeding your access to the flag. As the player progresses through the game, each level gives more control over the rules and adds new keywords for the logic and objects to interact with.
Every level has a clear solution to reach the end, but the charm of the game comes from the various ways you can interpret the logic in order to find a solution. I found myself often questioning what if I combined this object with this description and enjoyed having the freedom to test these hypothesis, even if they lead to a dead-end, forcing me to restart the level.
The puzzles themselves are not very straightforward and often reward creative solutions, making you think at least five moves ahead. The game does get increasingly difficult, leading to frustration when I was unable to solve a level requiring me to look up the solution in order to progress.
When I first started the game, I noticed my inputs would often be picked up twice. I would often have to rewind my actions as it would ruin the level, leading to a lot of annoyance. I found that you can increase the delay between movements in the options, and I have never had an issue with it since. Outside of this issue, the controls feel very natural and have not caused me any issues.
The visuals themselves for the game are very simplistic, but the art style lends itself well to the gameplay in conjunction with the music. It creates a charming atmosphere, but the same track will loop for each level quickly getting on my nerves. However, the animations and sound effects are high quality, and added greatly to my feeling of control.
The game includes a level editor where you can create your own or download custom levels. The editor itself is very overwhelming with a huge number of customizable options including changing sprites, creating new logic. The screen looked like a combination of Photoshop and Mario Maker, but the tutorial helped explain the core features allowing me to create a new level. However, sharing the level was a lot harder than in similar games. For those who enjoy building levels, the range of options and customization will be a joy.
The bottom line? Yep… I’d recommend this game. For $15, you get more enjoyment than your typical AAA game.
Gameplay: 9/10
Visuals: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Controls: 8/10
Replay value: 7/10
Ryan Strenkowski is a IMM major at TCNJ working towards becoming a producer for video games and the development of esports events.
