The Game Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is not really a selection-based adventure. At least not in the conventional way. You must walk around a expansive environment as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance 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 take the stairs. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Could the steps 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 prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options results in a real situation of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call