Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my options. I am accountable for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he realizes that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they reject navigation help, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

During my game, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call