Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've faced some hard decisions in gaming. Several of my selections in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what now might be the hardest choice I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that walking through it is a difficulty, 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 requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to assist him. A composed outdoorsman attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s key situation of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

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 a particularly bizarre situation. Part of Nate’s journey is centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Taking on The Obstacle could be a instance where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely filled with more humiliating failures. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to either accept or reject help. The gamer cannot choose in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid anytime you find a gift horse. The environment includes planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a setback suddenly. Are the stairs one more trick? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path leads to a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as capable as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no embarrassment in the steps too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re simple to climb and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, naturally, selected The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call