Irascibubble

Baby Steps is a fantastic game developed by Gabe Cuzzilo, Maxi Boch, and Bennet Foddy. It follows the journey of a man named Nate, who is thrust out of his comfortable way of living and forced to take agency over his life by less than orthodox means—by climbing to the top of an absurdly large mountain without using his hands.

In his struggle, Nate continually pushes away those trying to help him, preferring instead to act as a lone wolf. This preference for self-isolation inevitably leads Nate into a downward spiral (sometimes literally,) until he decides he no longer wishes to live at all. Somehow though, the magic of the mountain refuses to let Nate die—despite promising whatever it is he could possibly desire. And yet, when forced to face a future he never wanted, Nate learns to accept the help of one singular character; Moose.

Throughout the narrative, Nate and Moose have the most amicable out of Nate’s exceedingly frayed relationships. Moose serves as a foil to Nate, being isolated in much the same way but always yearning for connection on his sleeve. In this way, when Nate reaches the peak of the Mountain and is forced to face his fear of connection, of course he chooses to trust Moose.

In the post credits scene, Nate and Moose can be found living happily in a cottage atop the mountain’s peak. After hours of suffering over Baby Steps’ rage mechanics, and finally reaching the top, I and many other players felt a sense of utter relief and satisfaction. In many ways that satisfaction was as much in my own accomplishment as it was in pride for Nate, having opened up to another person.

So I was quite excited, when in this scene Nate and Moose kissed. Beyond being a compelling and beautiful love story, the act of vulnerability and self acceptance required to form a bond like that for Nate felt like the perfect apotheosis for Nate’s development over the course of the story.

For the first few hours, the game presents Nate as a jester of sorts: his failures and suffering caused solely by his inability to change. And yet, rather than ending with that comical premise intact, Baby Steps instead chooses to show redemption. Actively presenting to the player a means by which they too can learn to grow and accept oneself.

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