Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some difficult decisions in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what now might be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a difficulty, as years spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all comes from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative and get to the top in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely filled with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid each time you encounter an easy option. The environment includes design traps that turn a safe route into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, consciously choosing a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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