Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Impactful Choices I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've faced some challenging choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments made me set down my controller for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am responsible for numerous Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in a video game — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You only need to navigate a expansive environment as the main character Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It looks like a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will catch you off guard when it's most unexpected. There’s not a single instance that showcases that quality like one major choice that remains on my mind.

Alert: Spoilers

Some scene setting is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fantasy world. He quickly discovers that walking through it is a difficulty, as a long time spent as a sedentary person have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all stems from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to others. During his adventure, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker attempts to offer Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s funniest instant. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is presented with a ladder, he strives to appear nonchalant like he doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. During the narrative, you encounter plenty of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.

The Defining Decision

This culminates in Baby Steps’s single genuine instance of selection. As Nate gets close to finishing his quest, he finds that he must reach the summit of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to tell him that there are two routes to the top. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can opt for a particularly extended and hazardous route dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle 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 sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an difficult selection in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the truth that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of what he fails to be. Attempting The Obstacle could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth striving just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can choose to give Nate a break and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion each time you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to an odd character as Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as competent as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the steps either. To select that route is to at last permit Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The staircase is not a trick. They go on for a long time, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall all the way down if he falls. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, of course, selected The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the deal hardly seems so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this strange individual?

My Choice

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