Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what possibly is the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all arises from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. As he progresses, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he discovers that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion anytime you see a simple solution. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished once again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as competent as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the steps as well. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall all the way down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

My Choice

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