Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some hard choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me pause the game for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am accountable for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what could be the hardest choice I've faced in gaming — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out, is not really a selection-based adventure. At least not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The physical comedy of it all arises from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. As he progresses, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is offered a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers that he must ascend of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper 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 up for a challenge, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

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. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Taking on The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more humiliating failures. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The steps, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs too. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, of course, opted for The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s fatigued, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Experience

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