Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some difficult decisions in video games. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, is hardly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to explore a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It seems like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a challenge, as a long time spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all comes from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to prevent him from falling over.

Nate requires assistance, but he has trouble voicing that to others. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects 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 experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps’s key situation of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Obstacle could be a moment where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the contrary, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to either accept or reject help. The user doesn't get to decide in about they decline guidance, but they can decide to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion whenever you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Might Nate arrive to the very summit just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Both options leads to a real situation of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an personal triumph. Nate eventually obtains a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as everyone else, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Challenge. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Choice

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