Table of Contents Show
Reference of objects and properties, and walkthrough.
Rules and Properties
Basic Words
IS:The most important word in the game. Noun IS property will give that property to the named object as long as the rule remains intact.
Noun1 IS Noun2 will transform all instances of the first noun into the second. This happens instantaneously and is not undone if the rule is disrupted. The transformed objects do not retain any traits of what they were transformed from (so Baba Is You / Baba Is Crab will freeze the level unless Crab Is You).
Noun IS Noun (where both nouns are the same) will prevent transformations of the noun. This can override any transformation of the noun, but it cannot undo past ones.
There are a few special cases of transformation. TEXT IS Noun will inevitably freeze the level because any.. Is You rule will be destroyed. Noun IS TEXT will turn all copies of that noun into the textual representation of themselves.
NOT: If Noun IS NOT Property, then the noun can never have that property even if another rule would provide it. One NOT will override any number of rules that provide the property, including ones built into levels.
If NOT Noun IS Property, then all nouns other than the one named have the Property (except TEXT).
Two NOTs in a row cancel each other out.
HAS: Noun1 HAS Noun2 will cause any noun1 that is destroyed to spawn a noun2.
MAKE: Noun1 MAKE Noun2 will cause any noun1 to spawn a noun2 whenever it moves.
AND: Connects together two noun phrases or two property phrases into a compound that applies both. For example, Noun AND Noun IS Property, or Noun IS Property AND Property. NOUN Is Property AND Noun will cause an object transformation which makes the first property redundant. AND is not needed between multiple rules.
ON: Noun1 ON Noun2 behaves like a single Noun, but applies only to instances of Noun1 that overlap Noun2 at the moment they do so.
Properties
Throughout this section, a property in []s means “an object with that property’. For example, [You] means “an object with the property You”.
You: Determines the object(s) that respond to your controls. Many other properties trigger only on contact with [You]. There may be several such objects. If ever there are no [You] and no transformations to create one, the level is frozen and you must undo or restart to continue.
As a special case, if Empty Is You, pressing controls will Push every object on the level in the direction pressed if it has empty space in the opposite direction. Other interactions with [You] are suspended in that case (eg, you can’t collect [Win] when Empty Is You).
Win: Wins the level when overlapped by any [You].
Stop: Prevents other objects from moving through it. The objects never overlap.
Push: When moved into from an adjacent square, moves one square away from the object moving into it. The objects never overlap. Note that Text Is Push is always in effect.
Pull: Behave like Stop when an object moves into it (unless the same noun is also Push), but when an object in an adjacent square moves directly away, move one square towards it. The objects never overlap.
Sink: When overlapped by any other object, destroys the other object and itself.
Weak: When overlapped by any other object, or blocked from moving, destroys itself.
Defeat: Destroys any [You] that touches it. Does not destroy other objects. Contrary to the name, this may not instantly cause defeat if other [You] exist. Defeat takes priority over Win.
Hot: Emits steam, but has no other effect except interactions below.
Melt: Is destroyed if it ever overlaps Hot.
Fall: Will always move as far as possible downwards / south if the spaces there is empty each step.
Tele: Any object overlapping [Tele] is moved to overlap another [Tele] every step.
Float: [Float] will never be counted as overlapping any object that is not [Float] (and vice versa), even if they are in the same square. Note that effects like Push and Stop, that do not involve overlapping, are unaffected by Float.
Open: When overlapped by any [Shut], destroys itself and the overlapped [Shut].
Shut: Has no effect on its own other than the above interaction with [Open].
Shift: Any object overlapping it is moved in the direction it points.
Red, Blue: Changes the color of the item. Has no other effect.
Best: Causes the object to glitter. Likely cosmetic only.
Overland Walkthrough
0: Baba Is You
Introduces: Baba, Flag, Wall, Rock, You, Win, Stop, Push.
Hopefully, this one isn’t a problem.
Just walk over, push the rocks and touch the flag. Or, hey, form Baba Is Win (without disrupting Baba Is You), or Rock Is Win then touch the rocks, or whatever you like.
1: Where do I go?
Walls don’t stop you, stop stops you.
Disrupt Wall Is Stop to walk through walls, then form Flag Is Win and touch the flag.
2: Now what is this?
Sometimes Baba isn’t you.
Identical to Overland-1, but you’re a wall. Disrupt Flag is Stop to walk through them, then form Flag is Win (forming Baba Is Win won’t do you any good since Baba’s not on the level)
3: Out of reach
Introduces: Water, Sink.
items that Sink can be removed by other items. Remember you can change the win condition.
Remove the first water obstacle by pushing a rock into it. Don’t do the same with the second rock – there aren’t enough rocks to clear the whole pool. Instead, just change Rock Is Push to Rock Is Win and touch the rock.
4: Still out of reach
Introduces: Skull, Defeat.
You can push groups of objects. Defeat tags don’t affect things that aren’t you.
Push the three rocks out of the way of the starting area. Then form them into a horizontal line and push them through the skulls to disrupt Skull Is Defeat. You can then walk through the skulls yourself and touch the flag.
5: Volcano
Introduces: Lava, Hot, Melt.
If it won’t excuse you..
Be careful not to disrupt Baba Is You as you leave the starting area! Note that pushing the rock into the lava doesn’t do anything (because Lava is not Sink). Move the blocks to create Lava Is Push, then just push the lava river out of the way and touch the flag.
6: Off Limits
There can be many Yous, and You can be anything.
Disrupt Wall Is Stop to walk through walls. Then form Wall Is You (be careful not to accidentally leave You disconnected!) and move the upper right walls into the flag.
7: Grass Yard
How can two rules use the same Is?
Note that there is no Wall Is Stop rule here, so you can walk through walls! Move Flag and Win through the perimeter wall to move them to the top left corner, and form a + shaped cross with “is” in the middle, crossing Baba Is You and Flag Is Win, then touch the flag.
The Lake Walkthrough
1: Icy Waters
Introduces: Jelly, And, Ice (without text).
If there’s plenty of You, you can sacrifice Yourself.
Remove Sink from Baba Is You And Sink, to be able to cross ice safely. Push the And out of the rule too, and form Wall And Baba Is You. Then, crash the square of walls into the jellyfish surrounding the flag to remove them and touch the flag.
2: Turns
Introduces: Crab.
Remember rules can be written vertically or horizontally.
Rearrange the text into Star Is Sink And Push, then push the star into the skull to remove it. Move Crab one space up, then push the And through the tunnel to form Crab And Baba Is You, then touch the flag with the crab. (Take care not to disrupt the rule while moving.)
Alternative: Instead of forming Crab And Baba Is You, form Crab Is Baba Is You which has the same effect but switches the appearance of the crab.
3: Affection
Introduces: Algae, Keke, Love, Move.
Defeat doesn’t bother Keke. Maybe he can fetch for you.
Change Keke Is Move to Keke Is Push to be able to reposition Kekes. Move one of them onto the same level as the heart, and then push him to the right so he is facing it. Then put back Keke Is Move and Love Is Push. Keke will push the heart out of the Algae for you. Disrupt Love Is Push (as otherwise you will push it instead of touching it to win) and touch the heart to win.
Alternative: Form Keke Is Love then just touch one of the hearts.
4: Pillar Yard
Introduces: Pillar.
Blocks of objects can break through Defeats, and be repurposed.
Make a row of three pillars and push them through the stars, so that one of them is overlapping the flag. Then, disrupt Pillar Is Push and form Pillar Is You.
5: Brick Wall
There is no way through. But there is another way to win..
Just form Baba Is Win.
6: Lock
Introduces: Key, Door, Open, Shut.
Keys don’t open doors; Open opens Shut.
Open the first door by pushing the key into it, then the second door to the right. Then, move Rock to where Key is, to form Rock Is Open / Is Push and open the third door by pushing the rock into it. Touch the flag.
7: Novice Locksmith
Doors don’t have to be opened, just gotten past.
Form a + shaped cross of Key Is Push / Key Is Open and open the first door by pushing the key into it. Then, push Door into the previous room and form Door Is Push. Push the second door out of the way and touch the flag.
8: Locked In
Introduces: Object transformations.
You can create rules of the form NOUN IS NOUN.
Disrupt the two Stop rules to form Wall Is Jelly, so that you can escape the box. Then, form Jelly Is Flag and touch one of the flags.
Alternative: Instead of forming Jelly Is Flag, form Jelly Is Win, or Baba Is Win.
9: Changeless
Introduces: Transformation Locking.
Rock Is Rock prevents transformation. But nothing prevents you removing it.
Disrupt Rock Is Rock to form Rock Is Flag then touch the flag. Note that if you form Rock Is Flag while Rock Is Rock still exists, nothing changes.
10: Two Doors
An Open and Shut case. Maybe be Door-ist.
Form Key Is Shut, causing the key to destroy itself because it is both Open and Shut. Form Flag Is Win, then form Door Is You and touch the flag with the door.
11: Jelly Throne
You can transform things into Baba, too.
Form Jelly Is Baba, and use the second Baba to disrupt Flag Is Stop and form Flag Is Win. Then touch the flag with either Baba.
12: Crab Storage
Baba is turning into things when you push things up? Well, you already know how to block transformations.
Move the Is Open from Baba Is Open over to form Flag Is Open (without disrupting Flag Is Push), then push the flag into the door. Then, form Baba Is Baba vertically downwards. Push Crab through toCrab Is Win (Baba Is Baba will prevent Baba being turned into a crab in the process) and touch the crab.
13: Burglary
Remember, you don’t open doors, you open Shut.
Form Star Is Open and Wall Is Shut, then push the star into the wall next to the door to break it down. Disrupt Key Is Defeat, then use the Key from inside the start area to form Key Is Win and touch the key.
X1: Submerged Ruins
If you have multiple Yous, at least they can work together.
Push the rock out of the way. Disrupt Rock Is Push to be able to move through the rock and thus push objects through the tunnel. Push the whole rule Rock Is Push through (bit by bit), and put Is Pushbelow Baba Is You and Rock above it. Then move down to form Rock Is You and Baba Is Push at the same time. As the rock, push Baba through the crabs onto the flag. Then, push the text in the top right to the right to form Flag Is Win, and finally push Baba Is You back into place.
X2: Sunken Temple
Rule words are pushable objects too, remember.
Push the rock and jellyfish out of the way, and as before, move the whole rule Rock Is Push through to the top left area (remembering that once it is disrupted you can pass through the rock). This time, move the extra Is downwards out of the way (but not against the left wall), and form Rock Is You As the rock, form Baba Is Push in a cross shape with Rock Is You, sharing the same Is. Push Baba onto the crab, then use the spare Is to push him through the crab into the flag area. Restore Baba Is You and touch the flag.
Solitary Island Walkthrough
0: Poem
Introduces: Rose, Violet, Red, Blue.
Sorry, but you have to comprehensively ruin the poem. The hole to the left of Violet is no accident.
Awww at how cute this level is! Push the column of Is down twice, then push Violet into the gap in the wall. Move Rose around to below Baba, then push the row of properties down to form Baba Is Win and Rose Is You. Touch Baba with one of the roses.
1: Float
Introduces: Float.
You should know another way to win this by now.
Note that you cannot touch the flag because Baba Is Float. Just form Baba Is Win.
2: Warm River
Contrary to what the birds say, flying isn’t always better.
Disrupt Baba Is You And Float to form Water Is Hot And Float. Then just walk under the floating skulls and water and touch the flag.
3: Bridge Building
Introduces: Text (as a noun)
If you had many copies of yourself, you could make a bridge from your own drowned selves.
Form Rock Is You. By moving carefully, have the three “you”s (two rocks and Baba) remove two squares of water and then touch the flag.
4: Bridge Building?
Another reminder: rule words are objects, too.
Push the words Is and Push into the water to remove two squares of water, then touch the flag.
5: Victory Spring
Introduces: Cog.
And rule words can’t just push; they can be pushed in chains.
Push a cog into the water to the right of Win to remove the water. Then move the other cog to the left of the rule Text Is Float and push the whole lot to the right until Is Float and Win are clear of the water. Push Float upwards. Text will sink, but you will then be free to form Baba Is Win.
6: Tiny Pond
You could sacrifice Yous to get through, but you’d need two..
Use a cross shape through the Is to form Flag Is Key. Then, form Key Is You And Open. Drop one of the keys into the water two squares to the right of the southern gap to open it, then use the other key to fetch Win from the pond area and use it to form Key Is You And Win.
7: Assembly Team
Introduces: Pipe, Robot.
You can change the relative positions of Your parts by blocked movement.
Push Baba against the left hand wall with one of the robots so that they are no longer in the same column. Walk one of them into the water to remove it. Then, move Is and You through the gap in the water to form Baba Is You, and collect the flag with Baba.
8: Catch the Thief!
Set a thief to catch a thief. Or maybe, be the thief.
Quickly move to push Baba Is You downwards and out of the way before the robot disrupts it. Wait for the robot to be inside the area of skulls, then disrupt Robot Is Move. Form Robot Is Baba and use the second Baba to push Win upwards and clear, then form Baba Is Win.
9: Wireless Connection
Introduces: Bog.
Use your moving friends to assemble a rule for you.
Push the robot level with the space between Rock and Win, then push it to the right so it faces right. Form Cog Is Push, then push the cog level with the space between Flag and Rock, and push it to the right one space. Push And to the right of the cog, and Is to the right of the robot. Form Cog Is Move, and let the cog push And until Flag And Rock is formed; then push Move to disrupt the rule and stop the cog (you may need to undo here if it goes further than you’re expecting). Do the same with Robot Is Move, disrupting ti when the robot forms Flag And Rock Is Win. Then touch the flag.
10: Evaporating River
X1: Boiling River
Separate Baba Is You from Baba’s other rules, and you can manipulate them more easily.
Push And Float to the right, then push And down next to Baba Is Melt. Then push Baba Is You down to form Baba Is Melt And You along the bottom. You can then form Baba Is Float and push it across the river; once safely across, disrupt it and walk under the skulls to touch the flag.
X2: …Bridges?
X3: Tiny Isle
X4: Dim Signal
Temple Ruins Walkthrough
1. Fragility
Introduces: Weak.
You can make anything breakable with Weak.
Form Skull Is Weak, then push the rock into the wall of skulls to break through it. Then, disrupt Skull Is Weak to form Rock Is Weak and push the second rock to the left against the wall to destroy it. Touch the flag.
2. Tunnel Vision
Introduces: Has.
Doesn’t Baba sound like a Russian doll? Albeit a strange one with a rock in it.
Let Baba hit the water and turn into a rock. Then, rearrange the upper rules to Rock Has Baba. Only after doing that, form Rock Is Move to have the rock remove another square of water and turn into Baba. Form Baba Is Move again to have Baba remove the final square. Touch the flag.
3: A Present For You
If you’re melting, be something that doesn’t melt.
Change Love Is You to Box Is You. As the box, cross the river and disrupt Love Is Melt, then restoreLove Is You. You can now cross the river yourself. Form, as angles, Box Is Melt / Is Push, then push the box into the river to reveal the flag and touch it.
4: Unreachable Shores
You don’t need the box. You can set up a loop to regenerate..
Form Box Is Keke. Ram the extra Keke into the single square of water towards the top of the screen to grant access to the small blocked area. Form Keke Has Box (giving a three way cross of Box Is Keke, Keke Has Box, and Keke Is You). Then just walk across the river and touch the flag.
5: But Where’s The Key
The moral: it was inside you all along. Like in Saw 2 or Alien, maybe.
Form the following crossing rules: Baba Has Box, Box Is You, Baba Is You And Weak. Then kill Baba (by crashing into the bricks, perhaps) to yield a box. As the box, rearrange the rules to Box Has Key And Box Is You (this is read as Box Has Key And Box and Box Is You), then add Box Is Weak crossing it. Crash into a wall to yield a key. Disrupt Box Is Weak to make getting around less of a pain, then formKey Is You, touch the door and then the flag.
6: Love Is Out There
Do we have ourselves? And what if we did?
Push Box Is Weak as far upward as you can, then form Box Has Key And Box crossing it. Step on the box to cause it to begin generating keys. Move Is Push upwards to form Key Is Push downwards fromKey. Then push the key (actually keys) through the two doors and touch the heart.
7: Perilous Gang
Remember the Wireless Connection? If only the skulls would Move..
Push the top ghost down to one square above the bottom one, then push it twice to the right.. PlaceGhost Is to the right of the bottom ghost, and Is to the right of the top ghost. Then, push Move to formGhost Is Move. The ghosts should move the rule to the right, for a moment creating Skull Is Move, causing the skulls to move and free you. Form Skull Is Ghost to remove the dangerous skulls, thenGhost Is Win and touch one.
8. Double Moat
X1. Further Fields
Forest of Fall Walkthrough
1: Hop
Introduces: Tele.
You can teleport anything. Anything.
Push Push onto the heart to teleport it, then follow yourself. Disrupt Love Is Tele to form Love Is Push, then push one of the hearts into the water surrounding the flag. Restore Love Is Tele to teleport the water back and forth, then disrupt Love Is Tele when the water is gone. Touch the flag.
2: Grand Stream
Leave the key be; let Keke fetch it for you.
Don’t move the key from its starting position. Move across to the other side of the river, and disruptKey Is Pull to form Keke Is Pull. Pull Keke so that he is level with the key and facing it, then restoreKey Is Pull and Keke Is Move. Let Keke move over and collect the key for you, then pull it onto the box and touch the flag.
3: Rocky Road
Teleporting part of a rule can give you the best of both worlds.
Push Rock Is Tele And Push two spaces to the right, so that the word Push is on top of the rock. This will cause rocks to become push only on even turns. Touch the rock to teleport across while Push is on the right. Then push the rock downwards on turns when Push is on the left, and wait when it is on the right. Push the rock to remove the water then collect the flag.
4: Telephone
If there’s several Babas, Baba can be a teleporter.
Form Ice Is Tele, and teleport the lower Baba next to the key by stepping on the ice. Carefully, disruptIce Is Tele and Key Is Push, then form Baba Is Tele. Step the lower Baba on the key to teleport it to the upper Baba (make sure it’s not against any of the walls), then disrupt Baba Is Tele while the key is with the upper Baba. Reform Key Is Push with the lower Baba, then push the key into the door and get the flag. (This may require some care, but nothing restricts you from doing it.)
5: Haunt
Rules against the walls can’t normally be moved around, but if you can teleport them..
Turn Ghost Is Tele into Ghost Is Push. Push one of the ghosts to the right of Leaf Is Defeat, and the other in between Love and Win. Restore Ghost Is Tele, then push the rule Leaf Is Defeat into the top ghost until Love Is Win is formed below. Disrupt Ghost Is Tele while Love Is Win is formed, then just walk through the leaf (since Leaf Is Defeat is disrupted) and touch the heart.
6: Crate Square
You can pull chains as well as pushing them. You can even push and pull at once.
By making very careful pull moves, move the four crates from a square into a line that touches the flag from the left and is level with Hot, Defeat, and Win. Standing on the left of this line, move left to push the three rules into place and at the same time pull the crates and flag out of the water. Remove one of the crates and then pull left again to pull the flag off the brick, then remove the And from Flag Is Win And Pull and touch the flag.
7: Ghost Friend
Do I have to drag you over there?
Pull the ghost to the right so it faces right, then disrupt Ghost Is Pull to make Baba Is Pull. Stand behind the ghost as it moves (if it’s already left, wait for it to return) and let it pull you over to Key, then push Key through to the left. Form Key Is Push, and push the key into the door to form Flag Is Win and win immediately.
8: Ghost Guard
9: Leaf Chamber
Introduces: Fungus.
10: Not There
Introduces: Not.
Remember that Not overrides all other rules.
Form Fence Is Not Stop. Move outside the fence and push Is Win in, and create Fence Is Win without disrupting Fence Is Not Stop, then touch the fence.
11: Catch
12: Dead End
Ever had one of those pedantic friends who uses double negatives?
Form Box Is Not Not Push, then push the two boxes into the water and touch the flag.
A: Literacy
Note that Wall is Defeat, not Stop.
Push the rock to the right, then walk around it and push it left into the main area. Move Text into the main area, and push it into the wall below the right hand Wall of Wall Is Wall. Use the rock to push Textthrough the wall to turn the rule into Wall Is Text, then walk through the text and touch the flag.
B: Broken Playground
C: Fetching
If you can’t reverse a rule, maybe you can make an equivalent? There’s a rule here that gives you superpowers. Note that Text Is Defeat has no effect and Text Is Push is redundant.
Form Keke Is Baba. Moving carefully to avoid the second Baba hitting the skull, form Text Is Weak. Push Defeat into the hedge to destroy it – the skull is now safe. Form Skull Is Push and push the skull over the ghost, then push Hot into Push from below to destroy it and form Skull Is Hot which will destroy the ghost. Use the second Baba to push down Flag Is Win and walk past the harmless skull onto the flag.
E: Skeletal Door
Deep Forest Walkthrough
1. Renovating
Introduces: Belt, Shift.
Note that Wall is Defeat, not Stop. Belts are still made of tiles.
Change Belt is Shift to Belt Is Push. Push the belt back up into the top left chamber and then push it apart (note it changes facing when you push it). Push two right-facing belt tiles under the blocking wall, then restore Belt Is Shift to move the wall out of the way. You may need to go back to Belt Is Push to push a belt under the wall again and then Shift once more. Touch the flag.
2. Toolshed
There’s an important rule missing. Spotting it will give you the answer.
Door is not Stop!. Just walk through the door, and form Wall Is Shut and Key Is Push / Is Open. Push the key through the door and open the wall surrounding Win from the top. Then disrupt the Key rules by removing an Is and use it to build Door Is Win, then touch the door.
3. Keep out!
4. Baba Doesn’t Respond
Rocket Trip Walkthrough
1. Empty
Introduces: Empty
Getting rid of things shouldn’t be difficult now.
Form Belt Is Empty then touch the flag.
2. Lonely Flag
The Flag might be lonely, but Baba certainly won’t be.
Form Door Is Empty to remove the doors. Then form Empty Is Baba to fill the map with Babas! Have one of them step onto the flag, taking care not to disrupt Baba Is You in the process.
3. Babas Are You
The most awkward teleporter ever made. Movement is the challenge here.
I don’t like to do this, but I kinda have to for this level. Left Down Down Down Left Left Left Left Left Up Left Down Right Down Left. This should form Rock Is Empty which makes a Baba appear outside the wall. Move right until the right hand end of the wall, then down, and collect “win”, then push it up to make Ice Is Win, then touch the ice with any Baba.
4. Please Hold my Key
Introduces: Fall.
This really should have been called Bridge Building. Or maybe Raft Building.
Use Key Is and Baba Is You to form a platform to the right of the key, and push the key to the right resting on it. Continue to push Baba Is You to the right with the key on top of it until it reaches the right hand side, then form Key Is Open, open the door and touch the flag.
5. Horror Story
Remember that “Welcome to Communism” FPS? Be careful with existentialism.
Form Empty Is You (by pushing Empty down from above), then move right and down. The rocket is now out of the way and Baba Is You is restored. Touch the flag.
6. Aiming High
7. Trio
8. Bottleneck