The Game Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some difficult decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my choices. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've faced in gaming — and it involves a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to navigate a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls 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 stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Defining Decision

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named 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 simply ascend a enormous coiled steps in its place and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Is the staircase one more trick? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished once again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one results in a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis 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 capable as others, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top 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 Choice

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