Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've faced some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima ending section led me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all stems from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers 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 routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path called The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” 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 this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you see a simple solution. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated 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 correct or incorrect choice. Each path leads to a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs as well. 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 waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call