Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some hard choices in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route called The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the truth that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be let down by a final joke? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the stairs either. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he falls. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, selected The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, 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 bad. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call