Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I considered my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what could be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his wobbly legs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like a key selection that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a difficulty, as years spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all comes from gamers directing 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. As he progresses, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he strives to appear nonchalant like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and reach the summit in just moments. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in about they decline guidance, but they can decide to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Could the steps one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be fooled by a final joke? And more troubling, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one leads to a real situation of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall completely 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, opted for The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call