Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some challenging choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me pause the game for several minutes while I considered my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. During his adventure, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he discovers that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The world is filled with design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options results in a real situation of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

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