Baby Steps’ designers trolled players by placing stacks of cans at the top of ‘plausible’ climbing challenges they didn’t even bother testing, and players managed to climb them all—except one

There is a style of game design built around rigorous playtesting and polish, aiming to smoothly guide the player from one challenge to the next, ensuring they never get hung up for too long or become too frustrated by an obstacle they can’t overcome. And then there’s Baby Steps.

One of the best games of 2025, Baby Steps embodies an element of game design that co-creator Gabe Cuzzillo is drawn to: “Indifference to the player.”