Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some hard decisions in gaming. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange still haunt me. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section led me to put my controller down for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for countless Krogan fatalities in the Mass Effect series that I wish I could undo. None of those moments measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in interactive media — and it involves a massive stairway.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. At least not in the conventional way. You must walk around a sprawling open world as the main character Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that exemplifies that strength like a key selection that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all arises from players controlling Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. During his adventure, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who each propose to help him out. A cool, confident hiker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an trapping cavity and is presented with a ladder, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of annoying scenarios where Nate creates additional difficulties because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s one true moment of selection. As Nate approaches the conclusion his journey, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to inform him that there are two paths upward. If he’s ready for a test, he can choose a very lengthy and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps game includes; taking it seems inadvisable to any human.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs as an alternative and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to address the guardian “Lord” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Painful Choice

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the reality that he’s self-conscious of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be filled with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth suffering just to demonstrate something?

The stairs, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The user doesn't get to decide in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid each time you see a simple solution. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Either one results in a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Obstacle, it’s an existential win. Nate finally gets a moment to show that he’s as capable as others, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.

But there’s no disgrace in the stairs either. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall completely down if he trips. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, of course, opted for The Challenge. He attempts to act casual, but you can discern that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so unpleasant. Who has time to be embarrassed by this freak?

Personal Reflection

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