Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging decisions in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. None of those moments measure up to what could be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You simply have to explore a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that walking through it is a struggle, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous 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 one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. 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 just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and arrive at the peak in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Each instance 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 path is likely laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified struggling just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the contrary, 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 opt to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a real situation of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as able as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

During my game, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call