The Game Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Gaming

I've faced some hard decisions in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me put my controller down for around ten minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I regret deeply. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what could be the most difficult decision I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in the conventional way. You simply have to explore a expansive environment as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his unsteady feet. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is necessary here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that moving around in it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to other characters. As he progresses, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to give him a hand. A composed outdoorsman seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is offered a ladder, he tries to play it off like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s one true moment of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route called The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game provides; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Attempting The Challenge could be a instance where he can show that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit struggling just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the contrary, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in about they reject navigation help, but they can choose to give Nate a break and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid whenever you encounter an easy option. The game world contains planned obstacles that change a secure way into a setback on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Either one results in a authentic instance of character development and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as able as others, willingly taking on a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps as well. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he falls. It’s a easy journey after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, selected The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, hailing his new Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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