The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in any traditional sense. You must navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies 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 key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole 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 encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate nears the end his journey, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; choosing it looks risky to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a gigantic spiral staircase instead and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in about they turn away a map, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Could the steps one more trick? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a real situation of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as capable as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

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 so, he discovers that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this freak?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call