Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some difficult choices in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am the cause of countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all comes from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate nears the end his journey, he realizes that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to inform 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 dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the truth that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase one more trick? 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 made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path leads to a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call