Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've dealt with some hard decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for countless Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. None of those moments hold a candle to what possibly is the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it concerns a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is not really a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must navigate a sprawling open world as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a inactive individual have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all comes from gamers directing Nate one step at a time, trying to maintain his balance.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to help him out. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a map, but he clumsily declines in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) appears to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route named The Challenge. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and reach the summit in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

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 single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Taking on The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his imagined opponent, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about causing suspicion anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address an odd character as Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you decide to take on The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, consciously choosing a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s difficult, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no secret drawback in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall to the bottom if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so bad. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call