Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some difficult decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to explore a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps’s one true moment of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he finds that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that turn a safe route into a setback instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options results in a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps as well. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call