The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've faced some difficult choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me pause the game for several minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. At least not in typical gaming terms. You must explore a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand 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 surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The slapstick elements of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to other characters. During his adventure, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of selection. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he finds that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two routes to the top. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs as an alternative and reach the summit in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to make a statement?

The steps, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can decide to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and therapeutic resolution 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 capable as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring 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 embarrassment in the stairs either. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Choice

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call