Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Faced in Gaming

I've encountered some hard choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my options. I am the cause of countless Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must navigate a vast game world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all arises from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to others. As he progresses, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs as an alternative and arrive at the peak in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be disappointed 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 correct or incorrect choice. Each path brings about a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

When I played, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call