Baby Steps Features Among the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Encountered in a Game

I've dealt with some difficult decisions in gaming. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations hold a candle to what possibly is the toughest selection I've ever made in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. Definitely not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that exemplifies that strength like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that moving around in it is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all stems from gamers directing Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s funniest instant. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he can manage alone and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate gets close to finishing his journey, he discovers that he must reach the summit 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 up for a challenge, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Challenge. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and get to the top in a short time. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the truth that he’s insecure of his physique and male identity. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a difficult memory of what he fails to be. Undertaking The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely laden with more humiliating failures. Is it justified struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the flip side, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in whether or not they reject navigation help, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and take the stairs. It should be an easy choice, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about making you feel paranoid anytime you find a gift horse. The game world contains design traps that change a secure way into a obstacle suddenly. Could the steps an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be disappointed by a final joke? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished another time by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path brings about a real situation of personal growth and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the steps too. To choose that path is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no hidden trick awaiting him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, naturally, opted for The Challenge. He tries to play it cool, but you can see that he’s exhausted, subtly ruing the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to pay his debt, calling the character Lord, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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