The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've encountered some difficult choices in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations compare to what could be the most difficult decision I've ever made in gaming — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant 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 makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail called The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and get to the top in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection 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 embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Could the steps an additional deception? Will Nate get 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 Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one leads to a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Experience

When I played, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call