The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Faced in Video Games

I've faced some challenging decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to pause the game for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses 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 actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains design traps that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path leads to a real situation of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

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