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

I've faced some challenging decisions in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence led me to set down my controller for several minutes while I considered my options. I am the cause of numerous Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it involves a giant staircase.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You must explore a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his wobbly legs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The slapstick elements of it all stems from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he meets a collection of quirky personalities in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. During the narrative, you see numerous irritating episodes where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too self-conscious to take support.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he discovers that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Attempting The Obstacle could be a moment where he can show that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to prove a point?

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 if they decline guidance, but they can choose to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt whenever you encounter an easy option. The environment includes planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs one more trick? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one brings about a genuine moment of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as able as others, consciously choosing a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall to the bottom if he trips. It’s a easy journey after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, chosen to take The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

My Experience

In my playthrough, I chose the staircase. A portion of my thinking just {wanted to call