Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've faced some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section led me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the toughest selection I've faced in a video game — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must explore a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities 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 physique and male identity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in about they reject navigation help, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path results in a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as capable as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Experience

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call