‘It’s a loving mockery, because it’s also who I am’: the making of gaming’s most pathetic character

January 16, 2026

TL;DR

Baby Steps features Nate, a socially awkward and incompetent manbaby protagonist, whose journey up a mountain is the core of the game.
Developers Gabe Cuzzillo and Bennett Foddy aimed to create a game that starts arduous and annoying but evolves into something players find pleasure in.
Nate's character is partly inspired by Cuzzillo's own personality, embodying a refusal of help and social awkwardness.
The game uses frustrating mechanics and an unusual character design to challenge players' expectations of streamlined gaming experiences.
Baby Steps explores themes of masculinity, pride, and the importance of asking for help, with playable flashbacks revealing Nate's past.
The game's rewarding mechanics, like collecting fruit, are designed to be vicarious rewards for Nate, not direct player rewards.
The developers were inspired by trainspotter Francis Bourgeois for the game's camera angle and by cultural trends emerging during Covid-19.
The game's ending offers a message about finding meaning in the journey and the act of asking for help, even when the path forward seems pointless.

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