The Game Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've faced some difficult decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to put my controller down for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations compare to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and get to the top in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

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 coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty instantly. Could the steps one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Choice

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