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

I've encountered some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima ending section made me set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances measure up to what could be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality 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 others. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the truth that he’s insecure of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be filled with more humiliating failures. Does it merit striving just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to either accept or reject help. The player has no choice in if they reject navigation help, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback instantly. Could the steps yet another trap? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a genuine moment of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a moment to show that he’s as capable as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a chat with the outdoorsman who has, naturally, selected The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

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