The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some hard choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section prompted me to put my controller down for around ten minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a choice-driven game. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to navigate a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to others. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give 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 attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion each time you find a gift horse. The game world contains design traps that turn a safe route into a obstacle on a dime. Could the steps one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be fooled 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 brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one brings about a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the steps either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip all the way down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, naturally, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

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