Silksong's Shadow Play: Indie Devs Are Doing a Tactical Retreat (Even Baby Steps!)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
The highly anticipated release of *Hollow Knight: Silksong* is causing a ripple effect across the indie gaming scene, with even charming titles like *Baby Steps* wisely postponing their launches to avoid the immense 'attention vacuum' it's creating.
Right, so apparently the gaming world is about to experience something akin to a digital supernova, and a whole bunch of smaller celestial bodies are wisely veering off course. I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared, especially when you dig into the 'why.' According to a recent report by Polygon, a delightful little physics-based walking simulator called *Baby Steps* is the latest game to perform a tactical retreat, adjusting its release date to avoid the colossal gravitational pull of *Hollow Knight: Silksong*.
You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well, accidentally summoning a storm of hype that reshapes the very fabric of the gaming release calendar? That's precisely what Team Cherry just did with *Silksong*. After years – and I mean *years* – of us all collectively staring at the horizon like lost sailors searching for a mythical sea monster, *Silksong*'s release date has finally materialised, settling on September 19th. And like a particularly potent tremor, it's sending ripples, or more accurately, shockwaves, through the indie scene.
*Baby Steps*, which hails from the brilliant minds of Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and the viral hitmaker Bennett Foddy (you know, the *Getting Over It* chap), was originally slated for September 8th. But that’s a mere four days before *Silksong* decides to grace our screens. Devolver Digital, the ever-savvy publisher behind *Baby Steps*, has clearly read the tea leaves, or perhaps just seen the colossal meteor heading straight for the early September release window. So, they’ve smartly bumped *Baby Steps* to September 23rd for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.
Now, let's be fair dinkum here. *Silksong* and *Baby Steps* aren't exactly going head-to-head in a gladiatorial arena. One's a sprawling, exquisitely crafted Metroidvania-style action platformer that's been on every 'most anticipated' list since the dawn of time (or at least since 2019). The other is a wonderfully peculiar, comedic walking sim starring an 'unemployed sedentary schlub' – and, crucially, it boasts a 'fully dynamic onesie soilage system.' I mean, you can’t make this stuff up, mate. It’s got charm in spades, but it's not exactly vying for the same kind of frenzied attention as the long-awaited sequel to a beloved classic.
So, what's really going on here? It’s not about direct competition; it’s about the brutal reality of the 'attention economy' in gaming. When a game like *Silksong* finally drops, it doesn't just suck up review slots and Twitch streams; it consumes the very oxygen in the digital room. Every podcast, every YouTube channel, every gaming site (yours truly included!) will be dissecting, praising, or perhaps even gently critiquing *Silksong*. And for a smaller, quirkier indie like *Baby Steps*, trying to launch just before that tsunami of content is like trying to light a match in a hurricane. You just won't be seen.
Devolver Digital, along with the *Baby Steps* devs, are following a trend. Polygon’s report highlights other indies like *Demonschool*, *CloverPit*, and *Aeterna Lucis* that have already shifted their dates, all to dodge this 'attention vacuum.' It's a clever, if slightly disheartening, strategy. On the one hand, it's a shame to see games pushed back. As one commenter on the original Polygon article, 'jennwick,' put it rather succinctly: "This makes me really sad. I have no interest in Hollow Knight but I have been looking forward to Baby Steps for literally years." It’s a valid point – not everyone is riding the *Silksong* hype train, and a delay means a longer wait for those who are genuinely keen on the alternative.
But on the other hand, it's also an incredibly smart business move. Why launch your passion project into an echo chamber when you can wait a few weeks for the noise to subside and then, hopefully, get the spotlight you deserve? It's like letting the main act finish their encore before you take the stage yourself. Plus, as Polygon cheekily points out, *delaying your game* often generates its own media coverage! We're talking about it right now, aren't we? It's a meta-level play – leveraging the very news cycle that *Silksong* dominates to get a second bite at the apple.
Of course, not every game is hightailing it. Polygon mentioned some 'heavy hitters' sticking to their guns around the same period, like *Star Wars Outlaws* (on the mythical 'Nintendo Switch 2,' no less – a nod to the future, perhaps?), Bloober Team's *Cronos: The New Dawn*, and *NBA 2K26*. These are games with built-in audiences and marketing budgets that can probably weather any storm. But for the smaller, more vulnerable indie titles, this tactical retreat makes absolute sense.
Ultimately, what does this mean for us, the players? It could mean a more focused experience. Instead of being overwhelmed by a deluge of new releases all vying for our attention in one week, we might get a more staggered, digestible release schedule. It's a cautious optimism, mind you. No one *wants* delays, but if it means a game gets the attention it deserves and isn't just lost in the shuffle, then perhaps these 'baby steps' (pun absolutely intended) toward a smarter release strategy are actually a good thing. It’s a testament to *Silksong*'s almost mythological status, sure, but also a clever adaptation by indie developers trying to navigate an increasingly crowded digital landscape. Here's hoping *Baby Steps* finds its stride when it eventually launches, away from the roaring torrent of Hornet's next big adventure.
Tags: indie games, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Baby Steps, game delays, gaming industry
Original article: Polygon