The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. At least not in the conventional way. You must walk around a vast game world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

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 coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the reality that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The game world contains design traps that turn a safe route into a setback on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path results in a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip to the bottom if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Choice

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