Last updated: 7/24/21
Rules you should know
If you’re reading this, I will assume you’ve cleared the first three worlds for sure, and that you’ve done enough of the Forest of Fall to know the following rules:
Tele (Fall 01, 03, 04, 05)
Pull (Fall 02, 06, 07)
How to use Text is [X] rules (Fall A-E)
Not (Fall 10-12)
Deep Forest
The Forest is the one with the Tree.
Initial Forest Map.
You have to finish 9 of the 21 levels to clear the Deep Forest. Make sure you clear a few levels from each little section, blue and green. The blue levels teach about Shift. The green levels to the left teach directional properties, and the green ones to the right teach Swap. While the directional properties only find occasional use, both Shift and Swap appear over and over from here on out.
So, here are the required levels I recommend: 01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 08, A, B, and C. This will give you the basics of the new materials. Beyond that I suggest 04, 05, 10, and 11, which aren’t too terrible. The general consensus I get from other Baba players is that this world has a couple of really, really difficult puzzles in it and if that’s your opinion feel free to return later. If you only want the regular ending you never have to learn the crazy techniques in Extra 2 or Level 12.
Remember that hints are invisible until the text is highlighted. Bold text discusses the rules. Italic text discusses all objects of the named type. Regular text discusses the actual instances. Text “in quotes” refers to the actual text in the level.
Stuck elsewhere? Navigate using the following pictures:
Forest 01: Renovating
Difficulty: *
About the Level
New material: noun Belt, the gray tiles with the arrows pointing down. The arrows can be pointing in any direction, depending on the object’s facing. This is supposed to look like a conveyor belt. Also new property Shift.
Belt and Shift seem to work together very logically. What happens when Keke moves onto a Belt? If Keke stands still on the Belt, how does Shift work? How about if you try to move Keke while on the Belt?
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Wall isn't Stop.
Forest 02: Toolshed
Difficulty: **
Hints
Gentle Nudge: What is stopping you from getting through the Door?
Bigger Nudge: How are you going to get access to "Win"?
Forest 03: Keep Out!
Difficulty: ****
About the Level
New material: nouns Tree and Bug. The Tree always looks like a pine tree. The Bug looks like a beetle, sort of, but cuter.
This level has a reputation for being tricky. Its solution is really simple, but it requires a bit of lateral thinking and understanding of the relationship between Pull and Shift that you probably have not considered. But with so few objects you have access to, it shouldn’t take too long to try everything. No idea is too stupid.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Work your way backwards. What is the final thing you will do in this level? In order to make that happen, what is the primary obstacle?
Bigger Nudge: That belt sure starts in a really inconvenient spot. Is there a way to make it more convenient?
Specific Hint: From the start, try pulling that Tree across the Belt. As soon you step on the Belt, move up. What happens? Does this perhaps tell you how to solve the level?
Forest 04: Baba Doesn’t Respond
Difficulty: **
About the Level
New material: noun Reed
This level teaches a trick with Move that forms the basis of some more complicated tricks required in the late game. Don’t overcomplicate things! You do have to plan ahead with Move, but not that much.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: What rules need to exist in order to finish this level? Why does it not work for Keke to form those rules?
Bigger Nudge: Where exactly does Keke need to be standing when those rules are formed?
Forest 05: Patrol
Difficulty: *
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Do you remember Ruins 04? What did you do to solve that level? What can you do here that is similar?
Forest 06: Canyon
Difficulty: **
About the Level
New material: noun Flower, actually three little flowers. You’ll see them a lot but you don’t often get access to the noun. Also new property Up.
Pay special attention to Up as a property. There are some things you might expect it to do that it does not. Make sure you try out a few possibilities in this level so you don’t get any wrong ideas.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: What is preventing you from pushing the Ghost out of the lower hallway? Is there any object you can use to get around that?
Bigger Nudge: If you've figured out which object will be used, you'll notice there's something wrong with this object. What is it? How can that be changed?
Forest 07: Concrete Goals
Difficulty: **
Hints
Gentle Nudge: If something is both Push and Stop, which takes precedence when you try to collide with it?
Specific Hint: Baba is not Stop.
Forest 08: Victory in the Open
Difficulty: *
About the Level
“New” material: property Right.
Right is technically new but it functions in the same vein as Up. Also, I really do think this level is a one-star difficulty level. It’s just tedious.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: You can only manipulate something to be either Right or Up. How can you get all four directions out of this?
Forest 09: Moving Floor
Difficulty: ***
Hints
Gentle Nudge: You seem to have an extra "Is." What could that be for?
Bigger Nudge: Is it really necessary to do all of your setup first and then send Keke through the belts?
Specific Hint: The Flags can block the dead ends for you only so long as Flag is Push. Since you will have to break up that rule, what does that tell you about where you have to put the Flags and when?
Forest 10: Lovely House
Difficulty: ****
About the Level
This is a newer addition to the game, replacing what used to be Forest 12, which became an extra level. This was probably done because the trick in that level was so difficult that many people complained. Now this level is basically teaching you what to do in Forest Extra 2.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: How many items do you need in order to get onto the Flag? How many do you have at the start? What does that mean you are going to have to do?
Bigger Nudge: You will need at least one Key and one Baba. What will the third object be? Will it be something new?
Specific Hint: When you perform a transformation, does it help to think of it as one object turning into another, or as the subject of the sentence being destroyed and replaced by everything that comes after it?
Forest 11: Supermarket
Difficulty: **
Hints
Gentle Nudge: You will have to create both rules Belt is Wall and Flag is Win. Where does Baba need to be when that happens?
Bigger Nudge: Remember that Belt remains Right or Up even after you disconnect the rule.
Forest 12: Lock the Door
Difficulty: *****
About the Level
This is one of the hardest levels in the main game. You’ll need to know the trick for the endgame, but otherwise you can skip it.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Do you remember how you got the Ghost out of the hallway in Forest 06? What rule can you have here to do a similar thing with the Bug?
Bigger Nudge: Do you remember Forest 04? What about that solution needs to be replicated here? What rule did you have there that is missing here?
Specific Hint: You do not have "Move," but you do have another property that allows for motion. What needs to happen for this other property to take effect? Can you set up something that allows for this property to trigger every turn?
Forest 13: Factory
Difficulty: ***
Hints
Gentle Nudge: You will need to destroy at least one of the bugs. What rule change do you need to make this happen?
Bigger Nudge: Do the boxes need to be in a 3x3 shape? Doesn't that get in the way?
Specific Hint: You can make Keys out of Boxes. You only need five Keys, yet somehow you have exactly the number of Boxes you need...
Forest 14: Tiny Pasture
Difficulty: ***
Hints
Gentle Nudge: How can you push "Win" around the corner? Have you solved two other levels in this world that may give you a hint on how you do that?
Bigger Nudge: Is it possible to put Keke up into the top-right corner while she's facing downward?
Forest A: Nearly
Difficulty: *
About the Level
New material: property Swap
Oh boy, Swap. This property confuses a lot of players, myself included, simply because it requires you to think a step or two (or several) ahead. Please do not move on until you feel at least semi-confident you know about Swap. What happens when Baba moves onto the Flag? How about the Grass? Or the Text?
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Not sure how to give a hint without giving away the answer. Thank your lucky stars you have an easy puzzle right now.
Forest B: Not Quite
Difficulty: **
About the Level
There are actually two solutions to this level. One of them has you doing the same as the previous level, but with an additional step at the beginning. But I recommend you figure out the other solution if you can. That’s the one I will provide hints for.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Which objects will the Flag swap with?
Bigger Nudge: How many swaps can occur at once?
Specific Hint: If you can't move Baba onto the Flag, is there a way to get the Flag onto Baba?
Forest C: Passing Through
Difficulty: *
About the Level
This is another case where the solution is incredibly easy to come up with, but working it out can be tedious, if not tricky. Break this one down step by step.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Why doesn't it work to just have Keke walk back and forth through the Grass?
Bigger Nudge: Why do you have accesss to "Skull"?
Forest D: Salvage
Difficulty: ****
About the Level
I will repeat this as many times as necessary: do not move on from levels you solve until you are sure you know why the solution worked. Swap can be a tricky rule to wrap your head around and you will need to understand what is happening here.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: How many pieces of Text do you have access to in the pen? How many spaces away are both the "Swap" and "Win" tiles?
Bigger Nudge: What exactly triggers a swap event? Does Baba have to be directly involved in the swap?
Specific Hint: Pushing something onto the Skulls to start a swap will bring them inward. You want to move them outward.
Forest E: Insulation
Difficulty: *****
About the Level
This one used to have many unintended solutions. They have all since been patched out, I think. If you find an alternate, let me know. I’m curious.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: Are you able to change the rule Keke is Push? How? What does this mean about all the rules you can make in this level?
Bigger Nudge: For each rule you make, you will make quick use of it, throw it away, and never use it again. What are the rules you will make and in what order?
Specific Hint: Does Swap follow the rules Push or Stop or does it override them?
Forest Extra 1: Crumbling Floor
Difficulty: ****
Hints
Gentle Nudge: You likely noticed that you have lost the extra "Is" from Forest 09. What else has changed?
Bigger Nudge: Something about the arrangement of the belts in Forest 09 requires extra text. What is it?
Specific Hint: You have three rows of Belts. Do you really need all of them?
Forest Extra 2: Skull House
Difficulty: *****
About the Level
I remember trying to solve this level without the benefit of Lovely House. It’s much easier now, but it’s still pretty difficult. If you’re unable to solve, don’t worry - this trick is never used again, not even in the endgame.
Hints
Gentle Nudge: What exactly is happening in a [X] is [Y] and [Z] sentence?
Bigger Nudge: How familiar are you with algebra? Are there ways you can express statements in this game mathematically?
Specific Hint: What is the Distributive Property? How is the solution to this level going to be a distribution of the solution to Forest 10?
World Complete
Clearing the Deep Forest unlocks the path to the Chasm, but I recommend doing worlds roughly in order, so you should head to the Rocket Ship next. If this is the fifth world you’ve cleared, you’ll now have access to the Volcano too, which you should also avoid for now. Or if you really want, you can head to the normal ending - it’s the level at the bottom center of the island. It will be very tricky, but you only really need to know the rules through world five (there are some later rules but they don’t really come into play).
In the meantime, do these hints work? Anything spoil too much? Do the hints actually help or are they too vague? Maybe you thought of a really good hint yourself? Send them to me. (Don’t comment them below.) You can find me @keyofw on Twitter or keyofw on Reddit. DM me anytime.