The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Meaningful Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've encountered some challenging decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me put my controller down for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it involves a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in the conventional way. You must navigate a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all arises from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to assist him. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps includes; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and arrive at the peak in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere 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 focused on the reality that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it justified striving just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in about they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion anytime you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Choice

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call