Baby Steps tips you need to know

Baby Steps is one of the weirdest games of 2025, which is why it’s so surprising that it’s also one of the best games of 2025. You can read more about why in our full Baby Steps review, but right here and right now we’re breaking down some of the biggest tips we learned while spending over a week writing that review.

We learned a few interesting things about momentum, physics, and foot placement, and we’re going to try and break it down as best we can in this guide, but honestly, there’s just one constant truth: the more you play, the better you’ll get. Take it slow and enjoy the ride.

It’s “open world” and loops, there’s no wrong way to go

The first thing you need to know about Baby Steps is that it’s open world, meaning that there is no wrong direction, and the world is actually littered with cutscenes, easter eggs, hats, and secrets. If you see something interesting on the horizon, you should go and check it out. There’s a feature-length movie’s worth of cutscenes in the game, and even minigames I won’t spoil here. Baby Steps is fascinating, but you won’t understand why if you just head up. Going down might feel bad, but getting back up is always easier the second time around. The same goes for going left or right — eventually, you always loop back around if you just travel in one direction without going up or down. As long as you can, eventually, go up, you’re always going the “right” way.

Get into the rhythm

You just need to place one foot in front of the other, and getting into a good rhythm will help you to move quickly. What you should note, however, is that you should change your pace depending on the incline or decline of the terrain you're on. The steeper your climb, the faster your steps should be, while still lifting your feet high into the air.

Analog controls

On the subject of lifting your feet, controller players with analog triggers will notice that you can lift your feet to different heights, and with a digital interface you’ll always be lifting your feet to the max height. This is fine for most of the game’s challenges, but a few of them will feel far safer with a tighter degree of control on every footsteps.

Tippy toes

You’ll need that tight degree of control because your toes in Baby Steps take up space. Literal space in front of your body, and if you have your toes underneath, say, a rung on a ladder, it can prevent you from lifting your leg, and will probably end with you ragdolling down a flight of stairs or a cliff. Conversely however, the ball of your foot just behind your toes seems to be the best place to use when placing your foot down on a perilous perch or quickly climbing a steep incline.

Side stepping

If you’re too close to a ledge, lifting your toes over it will be tough, because your whole foot is in the way. This is where side stepping comes in, as side stepping allows you to immediately get your whole foot on an object, instead of just your pinky toe. Great for tall, tight ledges and steps.

Purposely falling

Sometimes falling is just easier. What is walking, if not falling and catching ourselves before we hit the ground? If you’re going down a decline or over a waist-high fence, just throwing your weight into it can sometimes get it done. Likewise, some platforms might feel too high to get on top of, but sometimes tactically having your upper body fall onto the platform will make Nate stand up while on top of it. Cheeky.

Terrain color

The color of the terrain you’re traversing will usually give away how well you can stand on it. In the early areas, dark brown spots represent steep rocks and mud, for example, while a lighter grey color is a safe and grippy rock you can walk on comfortably. Even with that though, you’ll need to factor in you pace speed and the incline of the surface you’re walking on. If you’re on a particularly slippy surface, take small steps to keep your feet relatively together.

Every little helps

Some large platforms and steps can be made just by side stepping from an incline, or standing atop a small rock. Sometimes the difference between victory and failure in this game is an inch of walkable space, and sometimes that space can only be walkable for a split second. It’ll take some experimentation and practice, but Nate is surprisingly manueverable, and you can get him up some dodgy looks hills.

Paths for those with the eyes to see

On that note, there are paths everywhere for those with the eyes to see. Early on in the game you’ll be trained to take large, wide paths that feel safe to walk on, but there are dozens if not hundreds of smaller paths Nate can take, if you’re good enough. To make the most of this tip you might need to just get better at the game first, but if you keep an eye out for traversable bits of terrain that look dangerous, you just might be able to master them with enough effort.

There’s (almost) always another way

If you’re struggling against a steep incline, or you can’t seem to master the slippy sand, just take a step back and look somewhere else. As mentioned above, the game is open world and it loops. Multiple times I found myself frustrated to the point where I needed to take a break, but as soon as I returned I managed to find a new path and progress easily. If you just want to finish the game, it’s actually pretty simple — but that’s also why you should spend some time exploring as many paths as possible.