Babies without words do not thrive. This is a stark observation about early human development: infants who lack consistent verbal interaction—spoken language, cooing, naming, narration from caregivers—fail to flourish emotionally, socially, and even physically. Physical presence, touch, feeding, and non-verbal cues are essential, yet they are not enough on their own. Without the scaffolding of words, the baby’s inner world remains impoverished; attachment falters, and thriving stalls.

More broadly, this pattern raises questions about whether purely non-verbal forms of deep communication can ever be fully equivalent. I'm beginning to believe that Game mechanics alone cannot tell stories.