The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've encountered some hard choices in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section made me put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what possibly is the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You only need to explore a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, 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 exemplifies that strength like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps 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 chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit struggling just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

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