Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've faced some challenging decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I weighed my options. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to walk around a expansive environment as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

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 fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all arises from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. 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 presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be filled with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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