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

I've faced some hard decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me pause the game for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges 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 trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase as an alternative 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 agonizing choice in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in about they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid each time you find a gift horse. The game world contains design traps that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a real situation of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call