Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've faced some hard decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me put my controller down for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it concerns a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a sprawling open world as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It looks 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 showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate nears the end his journey, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Attempting The Challenge could be a time where he can show that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The game world contains design traps that turn a safe route into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one results in a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way 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 requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this odd character?

My Experience

When I played, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call