Bennet Foddy, known for creating games that induce rage, aims to shift gears with his upcoming title, Baby Steps, which promises a less frustrating experience.
For many gamers, the name Bennet Foddy may evoke feelings of apprehension. He is the mastermind behind the infamous flash game QWOP, released in 2008, and has also contributed to other notable projects like VVVVVV and Ape Out. Foddy has built a legacy on creating games that challenge players with awkward mechanics, such as CLOP (a QWOP variant featuring a unicorn), GIRP (a keyboard-based climbing game reminiscent of Twister), and the infamous Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, which itself served as inspiration for other rage-inducing titles like Only Up and A Difficult Game About Climbing.
Foddy’s upcoming project, Baby Steps, is being developed in collaboration with Gabe Cuzzillo and Matt Boch, both of whom worked on Ape Out. In this game, players will embody a 30-something manchild navigating the outdoors, but with an unusual twist: players must manually control each step taken by the character, making it a unique take on the walking simulator genre.
While Baby Steps continues Foddy’s trademark awkward movement mechanics, the developer assures that this title won’t be designed to incite frustration. Austin Wood, a senior writer, had the opportunity to try out Baby Steps and interview Foddy at GDC 2025, describing the experience as “the most intimidating demo I’ve had in 12 years of covering video games.”
This self-inflicted challenge is also reflected in the various paths players can take within Baby Steps. “It’s a rock or it’s a tree; it’s minding its own business. It’s not telling you, ‘hey, can you get up here?’ You decide, I think I can get up there, and that moment is where the player begins to set their own challenge. We’ve focused on honing that feeling,” Foddy elaborated.
Baby Steps is set for release in late 2025, providing an exciting opportunity for players to explore the role of a manchild while waiting to dive into some of the other remarkable games of 2025.