The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've dealt with some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments led me to set down my controller for around ten minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am accountable for countless Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all comes from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and genuinely desires to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too self-conscious to accept any assistance.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he realizes that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route dubbed The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a time where he can prove that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that change a secure way into a obstacle on a dime. Are the stairs one more trick? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being forced to call an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the steps as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call