Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've encountered some challenging decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I considered my options. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to assist him. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route called The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder 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 path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Are the stairs one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps as well. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Choice

When I played, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call