The Game Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Impactful Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've dealt with some hard decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to set down my controller for several minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a challenge, as a lifetime 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 maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he realizes that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

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 one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be laden with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The steps, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in if they turn away a map, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about creating doubt anytime you see a simple solution. The world is filled with planned obstacles that change a secure way into a obstacle on a dime. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by a final joke? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options results in a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as competent as anyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, opted for 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 fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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