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

I've dealt with some challenging decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence made me put my controller down for several minutes while I considered my options. I am accountable for so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in a video game — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to explore a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can struggle to remain on his unsteady feet. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will surprise you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I can’t stop thinking about.

Spoiler Warning

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps begins as Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a difficulty, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all stems from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his quest, he discovers that he must ascend 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 ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Painful Choice

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the truth that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of all he lacks. Taking on The Obstacle could be a moment where he can show that he’s as capable as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, 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 opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid each time you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get at the peak just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated yet again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path results in a authentic instance of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase as well. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he does not fall all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Obstacle. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

During my game, I selected the steps. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call