Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some hard 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 pause the game for several minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments measure up to what now might be the toughest selection I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it involves a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Definitely not in the conventional way. You only need to explore a vast game world as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has problems articulating that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to take support.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two ways up. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and risky path named The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a second option: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and arrive at the peak in a few minutes. The only caveat? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is revolves around the fact that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be laden with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth suffering just to make a statement?

The stairs, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in about they turn away a map, but they can decide to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a obstacle suddenly. Are the stairs yet another trap? Might Nate arrive at the peak just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a genuine moment of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he does, he finds that there’s no real catch waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he trips. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a conversation with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, 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 bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call