Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Faced in Gaming

I've encountered some difficult decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to pause the game for several minutes while I thought through my options. I am the cause of numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the toughest selection 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 decision-focused experience. At least not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

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 immediately finds that moving around in it is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to assist him. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps includes; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Challenge could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by a final joke? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options results in a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through 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 disgrace in the staircase as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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