Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some hard choices in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must navigate a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Obstacle 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 humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can decide to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options brings about a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as competent as everyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call