Baby Steps Features One of the Most Meaningful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some hard choices in interactive entertainment. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 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 possibly is the most difficult decision I've ever made in a video game — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a selection-based adventure. Definitely not in any traditional sense. You simply have to explore a sprawling open world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It appears to be an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. 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 Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that walking through it is a struggle, as a long time spent as a couch potato have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all comes from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to others. Throughout his hero’s journey, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he discovers that he must reach the summit of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail called The Obstacle. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps game has to offer; choosing it looks risky to any human.

But there’s a second option: He can just walk up a gigantic spiral staircase in its place and reach the summit in just moments. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is centered around the fact that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of all he lacks. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as capable as his one-sided rival, but that path is likely paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth striving just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the other hand, offer Nate an additional crucial instance to choose whether to take assistance or not. The user doesn't get to decide in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is remarkably shrewd about making you feel paranoid whenever you see a simple solution. The world is filled with planned obstacles that transform an easy path into a difficulty suddenly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Perfect Choice

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options results in a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, willingly taking on a difficult route rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no real catch in store for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he doesn’t slide completely down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after hours of struggle. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, silently lamenting 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 concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

Personal Reflection

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