The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've encountered some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of numerous Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that demonstrates that power like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to others. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified striving just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path leads to a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

During my game, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call