The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Faced in Gaming

I've dealt with some challenging choices in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to pause the game for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments hold a candle to what could be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it involves 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 any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all comes from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route named The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere 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 a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Does it merit struggling just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. 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 take the stairs. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback on a dime. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be fooled by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a authentic instance of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the steps either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

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