The Game Baby Steps Presents One of the Most Significant Decisions I Have Ever Experienced in a Game

I've dealt with some challenging choices in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima final sequence prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I thought through my options. I am responsible for so many Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. Not one of those instances compare to what now might be the most difficult decision I've ever made in gaming — and it has to do with a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the latest game from the makers of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. At least not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to walk around a vast game world as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his wobbly legs. It seems like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s appeal is in its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

Some scene setting is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He soon realizes that navigating this world is a struggle, as years spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The humorous physicality of it all comes from players controlling Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has trouble voicing that to others. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a collection of quirky personalities in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a guide, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he falls into an trapping cavity and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and actually wants to be trapped in the pit. Throughout the story, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to take support.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must ascend of a snow-capped peak. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) comes to tell him that there are two ways up. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and hazardous route called The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps has to offer; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to address the guardian “Master” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in context. It’s the totality of Nate's self-consciousness about himself culminating in one absurd moment. An element of Nate's story is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Every time he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Attempting The Challenge could be a moment where he can show that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that route is sure to be filled with more humiliating failures. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The gamer cannot choose in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and choose the staircase. It might seem like an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a obstacle instantly. Is the staircase yet another trap? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be disappointed by an ending prank? And even worse, is he ready to be diminished another time by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Perfect Choice

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Both options leads to a genuine moment of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an personal triumph. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the moment of strength that he requires.

But there’s no shame in the steps too. To opt for that way is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he does so, he finds that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall completely down if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Partway through, he even has a discussion with the hiker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate reaches the summit and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

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