Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I've ever made in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in the conventional way. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to assist him. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path called The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and get to the top in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The gamer cannot choose in if they turn away a map, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be let down by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path brings about a real situation of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as capable as everyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the staircase either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, chosen to take The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

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