Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've encountered some hard choices in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my options. I am the cause of so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what possibly is the toughest selection I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about creating doubt each time you see a simple solution. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated another time by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one results in a genuine moment of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps as well. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

My Choice

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