Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've faced some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section led me to pause the game for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what possibly is the toughest selection I've faced in gaming — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must walk around a vast game world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his journey, he finds that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and get to the top in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around 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. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you find a gift horse. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit 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 Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options results in a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip to the bottom if he trips. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call