Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some challenging choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section led me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my options. I am accountable for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a selection-based adventure. At least not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all comes from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the reality that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a difficulty on a dime. Are the stairs one more trick? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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