Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Faced in Gaming

I've faced some difficult decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in any traditional sense. You simply have to explore a vast game world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all comes from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Are the stairs one more trick? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

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