The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some challenging decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. None of those moments compare to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. 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 confined in the cavity. 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

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself reaching a climax in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s insecure of his physical appearance and manhood. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth struggling just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as able as everyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he falls. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, opted for The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

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