Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've encountered some difficult choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section prompted me to pause the game for around ten minutes while I considered my choices. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations compare to what now might be the most difficult decision 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 game, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a difficulty, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, 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) appears to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and get to the top in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely paved with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a real situation of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip to the bottom if he trips. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Experience

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