The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've encountered some difficult decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I weighed my options. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the toughest selection I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You only need to explore a vast game world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all arises from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps’s key situation of choice. As Nate nears the end his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. 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 opt for a particularly extended and risky path called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth striving just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they turn away a map, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one leads to a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as competent as anyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call