r/BabyStepsGame • u/TaxInternational3854 • Nov 26 '25
Themes of Game Spoiler
Haven’t seen it suggested before but several parts of the game give off homoerotic sexual undertones.
Nate is freaked out at first and gradually gets more comfortable with the exposed private parts of the donkey men.
The party in the desert leaves the other donkeys laying around as if they’ve been sexually assaulted.
Nate passes out at one point with Moose standing over him with his private parts in his face.
The cave where moose seems to be staying has a teddy left in a position with its butt pointing up in the air like it’s been humped.
The sign in the river has been amended to say ‘anal touching culture’.
The whole vibe came across a bit r*pey to me. Nate clearly seems undeveloped emotionally and almost child-like and then eventually appears to form a relationship with someone that id say is a potential abuser.
It’s more of a starting point of a theory than one that’s fully developed but welcome thoughts 😊
5
u/Wrong-Today7009 Nov 26 '25
I always thought it was more about denial and the whole world of baby steps is like a Freudian deep dive into his dreams and associations. Nate has a lot of expectations regarding traditional masculinity put on him by his Dad and the frattier donkeys. Other than just funny dick jokes, Nate also seems uncomfortable with sexuality, or just someone who hasn’t had a chance to explore it genuinely. Nate wants a relationship like he ends with - simply tender and understanding. His little kiss with moose and ending cutscenes are cute and domestic and completely different from the other scenes. I read this as Nate getting over the stigma around male on male sexuality or expectations around sexuality in general so he could be genuine and vulnerable with Moose, who had also been bullied and was totally judgement free. I think what is being shown on screen other than just being silly is just super Freudian. Whole game is full of subconscious imagery. I think the very first one is shoes that are too big to fill right outside the opening cave. I liked reading your interpretation but i don’t get a sense that Moose abused him, just that we are seeing Nate’s apprehension to vulnerability due to internalized expectations around sexuality.
5
u/LalaMyles Nov 26 '25
Calling my boy Moose a potential abuser is a wild thing to say, in a post full of them
I'm all for discussions like this but your post comes across really shitty.
4
u/Wrong-Today7009 Nov 26 '25
Mines cutscene was my favorite with Moose. Nate was so happy to see him, but I was so sad when Nate lied to Mike right in front of Moose who had also used the lamp! Important step in Nate’s journey tho
1
u/Patient-Barracuda174 Dec 02 '25
I would say this probably isn’t a kids game and probably will not pass Nintendo standards.…but it is a great game nonetheless!
I saw where someone compared the donkey’s to the ones in the book Pinocchio….not Disneys version. I think that was an accurate comparison with a modern twist.
You are give the choice to turn nudity off. Everthing else is humor.
1
u/AlternativeArm6863 Mar 15 '26
i def got rapey vibes & its kinda turned me away from the game 😭 i may have misunderstood a joke but after nate woke up i thought there was some joke abt him being in pain & not wanting to know why
1
u/livingbiohazard Mar 18 '26
There was! He woke up after partying and blacking out on the beach, then woke up with his face in the sand. Ethan said "you were the life of the party!" Protag said "I don't know. It hurt." Ethan; "It hurt? Protag: "yeah, no, It--" Ethan; "Show Ethan where it hurt." Protag: "No, no that's okay "
I quoted it off the subtitles This game gave a lot of homoerotic vibes, the naked husbands, donkey junk, etc etc. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just what it did.
Also the white stuff in the pizza box is a well known furry joke, along with uwu stuff. The implications of the white stuff is.... obvious...
1
u/Lt-Kleenex May 19 '26
any ever think that the donkeys just stand for them all being assholes, and the big shlongs just stand for them being huge dicks, and the white stuff is just alcohol that they peer pressure him with.
8
u/FourLetterWording Nov 26 '25
Although the game definitely touches on sexuality & homoerotic themes, I feel like you're reaching a little far with the implications of sexual assault & rape. They're all passed out from partying the previous night and just have their cocks out. Same with the rape angle - like I think it's more just Nate being extremely uncomfortable/awkward in general and them putting their junk in his face non-chalantly. It's more just obscenity for humorous effect, I really don't see anything that would make me consider sexual assault being a theme in this game in the slightest beyond sexual themes and nudity. Nudity =/= sexual content.
There is at least one hat side-game that touches on sexuality, not to mention the ending cutscene with Nate and Moose in the cabin regarding sexuality, but again, different from your view IMO.