The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've encountered some challenging choices in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I considered my options. I am the cause of countless Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the hardest choice I've faced in a video game — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when the protagonist is suddenly taken from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a difficulty, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to others. During his adventure, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; attempting it appears unwise to any human.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs in its place and arrive at the peak in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. 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 centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a time where he can show that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a difficulty instantly. Is the staircase one more trick? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be disappointed by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the steps too. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. 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 easy journey after extended challenges. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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