Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Faced in a Game

I've encountered some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and risky path dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is focused on the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely filled with more humiliating failures. Is it justified striving just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with design traps that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To choose that path is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall all the way down if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Partway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, chosen to take The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

My Choice

During my game, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call