The Game Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've faced some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me pause the game for several minutes while I weighed my options. I am accountable for countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in the conventional way. You must explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s one true moment of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he finds that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and arrive at the peak in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a real situation of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call