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

I've dealt with some hard decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to assist him. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his journey, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to inform him 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 Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and arrive at the peak in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely filled with more humiliating failures. Is it justified suffering just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that transform an easy path into a setback instantly. Are the stairs one more trick? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a real situation of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the stairs too. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call