The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Faced in a Game

I've faced some difficult choices in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail called The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps includes; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with design traps that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as everyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback awaiting him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip all the way down if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Experience

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