The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've dealt with some hard choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section prompted me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the hardest choice I've ever made in gaming — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You must walk around a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options leads to a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as others, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase as well. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing 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 bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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