Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've encountered some hard decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section prompted me to put my controller down for around ten minutes while I thought through my options. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in any traditional sense. You simply have to walk around a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he realizes that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be filled with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback on a dime. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one brings about a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as competent as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase either. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call