In Baba Is You, you play as a small creature who can literally change the rules of the game by pushing them around the screen.
I was enticed by this puzzle game a few months back when I watched this fluffy creature push around words that represented the rules of the game. In doing so, it turned itself into one of the game’s walls and then walked into a flag and won the level. In each level, there are different commands that define the game – sentences like ‘Rock is Push.’ The various words within this command can be pushed and moved around, to replace ‘Push’ with ‘Me,’ for example, turns you into the rock.
There is always a ‘win’ object, whether it be a heart, flag, or something else, which you need to make your way to. This is not always an easy task, but normally, changing around some of these commands can make the level possible and winnable. As many of the levels are designed to look like an average game, you need to take what you expect from each level, throw your ideas away, and then just pay attention to the various rules around the screen.
In one level, you start off surrounded by walls. These walls, according to the commands around you, do nothing – yet I spent a few moments not passing through them, just because they were wall,s and in most games, these would stop me from moving to the other side without an opening. Eventually, I stumbled through them, realizing that there was no rule in place that said ‘Wall Is Stop’. Baba is You is filled with these kinds of discoveries and silly moments.
Baba Is You is divided into worlds with levels that you unlock through completing various stages. Often on the world select, you will be given the option between two levels, in case one is just too challenging for you. With over 200 levels to play through, in various environments, it will take you a while to play through the game.
As you progress, you get more words to stick in between the different actions and objects, allowing you to use ‘And’ to give an object two different characteristics, while ‘Not’ lets you remove characteristics. These additions do make the game more of a challenge, but solving the puzzles and just playing around with the commands is really satisfying. Also, there is something super awesome about making lava pushable, crushing skulls with rocks, and turning yourself into a crab. With all of the commands at your fingertips, pushing words around to manipulate them is just fun.
Be prepared to take a step back from time to time, allowing the commands to really sink in, before turning yourself into something you simply can’t move.
Baba Is You is available now on the Nintendo Switch and Steam.
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