Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've faced some difficult decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You must explore a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all comes from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Challenge could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you see a simple solution. The game world contains design traps that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as capable as everyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, opted for The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call