Designer Gabe Cuzzillo's reflections on the literal and meditative walking simulator Baby Steps were a highlight of GDC. In his panel, Cuzzillo discussed how the game's mountainous open world was curated, made, and tested – and, in some cases, not tested. A moment that stood out to me was a comparison made to Valve's Half-Life, or rather, comments from designer Greg Coomer in the developer commentary of Half-Life 2: Episode 2.
In a section highlighted by Cuzzillo, Coomer examines a section of tunnels: "Before we simplified the path through the Guardian's Lair, we allowed a right turn at this junction, leading the player right back to where they began. One of our playtesters continued to repeatedly turn right here for half an hour. That was a compelling argument for removing the mazelike elements." (You can watch this bit around 20:40 here.)
