Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some challenging decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the makers of Ape Out game, is not really a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route called The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a obstacle on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, consciously choosing a difficult route rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide completely down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

During my game, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call