Baby Steps' level design inspired by Mirror's Edge map and skateboarder

Baby Steps often feels like you never really learned to walk, but much of that comes from the treacherous terrain Nate traverses. From bumbling through mud to toddling around waterfalls, the game presents a steady stream of small physical challenges. Developer Gabe Cuzzillo told a GDC audience that two things shaped the game's level design: a custom Mirror's Edge map called Sparrow Cumulus that pushed players to find their own routes, and Japanese skateboarder Gou Miyagi.

Sparrow Cumulus in particular inspired the idea of letting players chart their own path through a space. That approach means there is no single set route—there's a suggested path, but you are encouraged to explore, carve out solutions and puzzle over possibilities.

Part of the fun is experimenting, slipping, falling and then retracing your steps until a route clicks. During the development process, Cuzzillo shared that the team worked in a way that meant "one of us would do a chunk of level design and the other one would come to play.

Japan

baby steps, level design, mirror's edge, sparrow cumulus, gabe cuzzillo, gou miyagi, gdc, custom map, parkour, exploration