Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. As he progresses, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be paved with more humiliating failures. Is it justified struggling just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, 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 causing suspicion each time you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps either. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback 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 doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, 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 chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call