The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Faced in Video Games

I've encountered some difficult choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section made me pause the game for around ten minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You must navigate a vast game world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, 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) shows up to let him know that there are two ways up. 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 game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and reach the summit in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the fact that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified struggling just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can decide to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The game world contains design traps that change a secure way into a obstacle suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a genuine moment of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as others, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs either. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he does, he finds that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call