Baby Steps Features Among the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've faced some difficult decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am accountable for countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments measure up to what now might be the toughest selection I've ever made in gaming — and it concerns a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all arises from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to others. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. 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 unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route named The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they turn away a map, 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 devilishly clever about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The environment includes planned obstacles that change a secure way into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps either. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call