Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my choices. I am the cause of so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a struggle, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and risky path dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely filled with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a setback 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 concerning, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call