Baby Steps Features Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've encountered some challenging decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am accountable for so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You must explore a vast game world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all arises from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes 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 dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs as an alternative and arrive at the peak in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

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 culminating in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a time where he can prove that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be filled with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with design traps that turn a safe route into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a authentic instance of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as competent as others, consciously choosing a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, of course, selected The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call