Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy 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 other characters. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase instead and reach the summit in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in if they reject navigation help, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you find a gift horse. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated once 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. Either one brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, opted for The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

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