Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Faced in Gaming

I've faced some difficult decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am accountable for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to navigate a vast game world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, 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 one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he realizes 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 paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

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