The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me set down my controller for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to walk around a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he discovers that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” 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 context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Challenge could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified struggling just to make a statement?

The steps, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call