The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in Video Games

I've encountered some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section led me to put my controller down for several minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for so many Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in interactive media — and it concerns a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a selection-based adventure. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all comes from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a cast of eccentric characters in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is offered 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 frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route named The Manbreaker. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a massive winding stairs in its place and reach the summit in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Each instance he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Obstacle could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his imagined opponent, but that route is sure to be laden with more humiliating failures. Does it merit struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one results in a real situation of character development and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps as well. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he won't slip completely down if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, of course, opted for The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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