Technologies

Baby Steps Makes Walking a Hilariously Frustrating Journey

You’ll laugh and you’ll cry in this bizarrely engaging platformer.

Baby Steps has quickly become one of the funniest games I’ve ever played, but it’s also made me almost throw my controller against the wall. It’s the latest game from masochistic developer Bennett Foddy, known for extremely challenging games like Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy and QWOP, where simply moving becomes a Herculean task. He’s teamed up with Gabe Cuzzillo and Maxi Boch, developers of the frantic action game Ape Out, to make this unique and bizarre platformer.

In Baby Steps, you play as Nate, a man in his late twenties who still lives in his parents’ basement until he’s magically teleported into a strange, mostly empty wilderness. There’s only one real mechanic to the game — walking — but it’s nowhere near as simple as taking a leisurely stroll. You control each of Nate’s legs individually with your controller’s triggers. The left trigger lifts the left foot; the right trigger lifts the right, and you have to use the analog stick to lean Nate forward and plant a foot down to move. It takes a long time to feel comfortable moving like this.

I found myself constantly getting into a groove and making good progress before eventually thinking too much about my motor controls and completely losing rhythm. When (not if) that happened, I’d usually topple over in comical fashion, then have to slowly work my way back up to regain a good flow state.

If this wasn’t hard enough, as you move along, you’re tasked with harder and slipperier obstacles to painstakingly traverse. Walking was already a tall order; now try climbing a set of stairs, walking across a ladder or scaling a muddy slope. Time and again, I’d slowly climb a mountain only to reach a rushing river with slick rocks to cross — then slip and watch Nate tumble all the way back down. Baby Steps offers no sympathy.

All this awkward movement is made even funnier by your character’s goofy look: Nate wears a gray, pajama-like onesie that picks up odd stains and sweat marks as you tumble through the world. He also has no shoes and a sizable rear end that wobbles and sways as you attempt the difficult platforming sections. It’s funny and silly to see, and it helps soften some of the devastating setbacks you inevitably encounter on your climb.

The tough traversal is paired with some of the funniest writing and performances I’ve seen in a video game. Along the way, Nate occasionally runs into other people — or strange animal-human hybrids — scattered throughout the environment. They’re all quite friendly, but Nate suffers from crippling social anxiety and is incapable of asking for help, making for amusingly awkward chatter. The voice actors riff off each other so naturally that it feels like they must have recorded together in the booth. The humor has a Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job! vibe, with characters stuttering, mumbling and trading bizarre — yet hilarious — facial expressions.

These interactions aren’t required to progress through the game, but can be found hidden around the map. As you explore the world, slowly and step by step, it’s worth scanning the horizon for strange landmarks or structures. Reaching them often yields a reward — maybe a quirky hat for Nate (finish an area while wearing it and you’ll unlock a short playable section with backstory from his life), or a funny encounter with another character. Baby Steps encourages you to wander off the main path, but it makes you work for every discovery.

Developer Cuzzilo’s game Ape Out (which Bennett contributed to as an artist) was known for a frenetic, jazz-inspired soundtrack composed by Boch, and we see some of that inspiration with the team working on Baby Steps. Much of the game’s music is sparse and percussive. It includes a lot of nature effects, such as wind, dog barks and cricket chirps, to emphasize the lost-in-the-wilderness aspect to the game. It works very well to mimic the state of the character and the player. You’ll often find yourself carefully positioning your feet along a thin plank of wood overlooking a cliff while this jazz-like chirping soundscape surrounds you, which is surreal yet somehow fitting.

If you’ve played any of Foddy’s notoriously difficult past games (QWOP or Getting Over It, for example), you should know that Baby Steps is easier. There is a challenge, but you can choose how much you want to engage with it. Staying on the main path is much friendlier than attempting to climb a rope swing to get that odd, glowing fruit that might get you bonus dialogue. That’s to say that past experience with his games shouldn’t scare you away from trying out Baby Steps. The hilarious cutscenes are an absolute treat and made me want to risk all my progress in hopes of getting to watch another. There’s a lot of laughs and frustration to be had here, and the low $20 price makes it that much easier to recommend.

Baby Steps is out now for PC and PlayStation 5.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im