The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Choices I've Ever Faced in Gaming

I've faced some hard decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s one true moment of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he discovers that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps in its place and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as everyone else, willingly taking on a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call