Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've faced some hard choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the toughest selection I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, is not really a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a group of unusual individuals 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 best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s one true moment of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he realizes that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head 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. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be laden with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip all the way down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

During my game, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call