Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations compare to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in gaming — and it involves a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, is not really a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You must navigate a vast game world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears 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 called The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps provides; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a time where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they reject navigation help, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that turn a safe route into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis 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 competent as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps too. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he falls. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call