The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to pause the game for around ten minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all arises from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified striving just to demonstrate something?

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 whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you see a simple solution. The world is filled with planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one leads to a real situation of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Experience

During my game, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call