Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to 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. None of those moments compare to what could be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to walk around a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, 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 showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, 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 one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant 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 makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game includes; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely filled with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion each time you see a simple solution. The world is filled with design traps that turn a safe route into a setback on a dime. Are the stairs yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be let down by a final joke? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate 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 difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Choice

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