Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some difficult decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision 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 newest release from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail named The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps instead and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

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. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can show that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified struggling just to prove a point?

The steps, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive all the way to the top just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished once again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path brings about a real situation of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

My Choice

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