Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some hard decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the hardest choice I’ve had to make in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as years 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 prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate nears the end his journey, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail called The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps includes; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can prove that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be paved with more humiliating failures. Does it merit striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase too. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

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