Preemptive Retaliation

I’ve been playing Baby Steps here and there as of late, and I am not liking it. This is my first Bennett Foddy game, and first Bennett Foddy-like game and I am not liking it. It is difficult, and silly, and uncomfortable, and weird, and I am not liking it. The walking is tedious and anxiety inducing, and the simple geometry of some steps has me crying with frustration and I am not liking it. I tried navigating my way up some stairs, some simple stairs, and when I fumbled at the top I slid all the way back down and I am not liking it. I have been playing it in twenty minute spurts here and there, trying to navigate up this stupid fucking hill and getting distracted by pointless side quests and trying to get hats, and then chasing after my hats when they fall off my head and tumble back down said stupid fucking hill, and I am not liking it.

BUT. But but but but

I came across a series of rocks with bottles perched on them. It was simple enough to walk between them, and I made a game of stepping on each rock and kicking over a bottle. There were about ten of them. I stepped on a rock, kicked a bottle, stepped on another rock, and did the same all again. There was no in game reward for this. No achievement. I just saw some bottles on rocks and, like a child, I kicked them. Pure childish fun.

When I stepped on the last rock to kick the last bottle, the game did something unexpected. This rock, out of all the rocks, was a loose rock. I tumbled all the way down the fucking hill, landing in a slop of mud. And then the rock hit me on the head.

Fantastic game. Ten out of ten.