The Special Edition changed the game dramatically. Here is a breakdown of the v1.0 SE patch notes (reconstructed from a 2015 archive):
Critics have dismissed Step Bi Step as “tortureware” or “a tax on patience.” But to dismiss it is to miss the point. Dumb Koala Games has created a parody of the productivity-obsessed gaming culture. In most games, walking is a means to an end—a boring segment between explosions. Here, the step is the end. By forcing the player to concentrate on the absolute foundation of human movement, the game induces a state of hyperawareness similar to meditation. Step Bi Step -v1.0 SE- -Dumb Koala Games-