Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my choices. I am the cause of so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. None of those moments compare to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must explore a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps’s one true moment of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest 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 revolves around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt 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 yet another trap? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

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 therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the stairs too. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall all the way down if he falls. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, chosen to take The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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