Baba Is You

Baba is You is one of those rare puzzle games that makes you feel like a genius three seconds before making you feel like an idiot again. It’s a testament to its strength that I’ve spent as much time as I have playing it and working on a walkthrough. I’ve barely even paid any attention to new mobile games this past week.

Overall these are minor inconveniences, and do little to inhibit the excellent puzzles on offer in Baba Is You. The Switch has built up a solid catalogue of indie puzzlers to enjoy, but Baba Is You’s inventive and mentally taxing challenges comfortably establish it a space at the top of the pack.

I’m not going to pretend to have finished it. I’m hoping this is a game I’ll keep playing for a long time, picking away at puzzles, and then desperately hoping for extra levels to be added later. But this is wonderful. Completely wonderful. Original, inspired, challenging, and most importantly of all, that constant sense of “Oh no, how will I ever do this one!” so quickly followed by, “I AM A GENIUS!” It’s a very, very smart game, that has the humility to let you, the player, feel like the clever one.

The main hook of being able to change the variables and redefine the level goals never overstays its welcome and is constantly adding new elements to keep it fresh and challenging until the very end. When I think back on puzzle games that I’ve played in my life, I don’t know if I can think of many that have kept my attention and continually innovate as well as Baba is You did. While it may not be for everyone, fans of puzzle games and problem solving will fine a lot to love here and should not miss out on this experience!

The game has over 200 puzzles, and I’m roughly 50 deep. I plan to make my way to the finish line, not just because it’s a great game — and it is! — but because its obsession with rules has me rethinking the rules in every other game I love. It’s selfless in a way, a game that lets you bend its rules to appreciate the rules in everything else.