Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Choices I Have Ever Encountered in a Game

I've encountered some difficult choices in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the hardest choice I've ever made in a video game — and it involves a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You only need to walk around a vast game world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a long time spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps’s one true moment of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he realizes that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more humiliating failures. Is it worth suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It ought to be an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about causing suspicion each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The excellence of that situation is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as everyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the stairs as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does, he realizes that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip completely down if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so nasty. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Choice

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call