Baby Steps Includes One of the Most Significant Choices I Have Ever Encountered in Video Games

I've faced some difficult choices in video games. Certain choices I made in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's ending section led me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my alternatives. I am the cause of countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not a single one of those situations measure up to what could be the hardest choice I've ever made in gaming — and it involves a enormous set of steps.

The Game Baby Steps, the recent title from the creators of Ape Out, is hardly a selection-based adventure. Certainly not in the conventional way. You simply have to navigate a expansive environment as Nate, a adult in a onesie who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It appears to be a setup for annoyance, but Baby Steps’s strength comes from its unexpectedly meaningful plot that will sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is required here. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his parents’ basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that walking through it is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The humorous physicality of it all stems from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has trouble voicing that to anyone. As he progresses, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who each propose to help him out. A self-assured trekker seeks to provide Nate a guide, but he clumsily declines in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he drops into an inescapable pit and is offered a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and genuinely desires to be stuck in the hole. Throughout the story, you experience no shortage of frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s not confident enough to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

This culminates in Baby Steps game’s key situation of choice. As Nate approaches the conclusion his adventure, he finds that he must reach the summit of a snowy mountain. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) shows up to tell him that there are two paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can choose a very lengthy and hazardous route called The Challenge. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps has to offer; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can simply ascend a enormous coiled steps instead and arrive at the peak in just moments. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an difficult selection in the game's narrative. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself coming to a head in one absurd moment. A portion of Nate's adventure is focused on the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Each instance he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of everything he’s not. Taking on The Manbreaker could be a time where he can demonstrate that he’s as competent as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the other hand, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in whether or not they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It might seem like an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about causing suspicion whenever you see a simple solution. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that change a secure way into a setback suddenly. Is the staircase an additional deception? Could Nate reach at the peak just to be let down by some last-second gag? And more concerning, is he ready to be diminished yet again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Each path leads to a genuine moment of personal growth and catharsis for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Challenge, it’s an existential win. Nate eventually obtains a chance to prove that he’s as competent as everyone else, willingly taking on a tough path rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s challenging, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the moment of strength that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To select that route is to eventually enable Nate to accept help. And when he accomplishes that, he discovers that there’s no secret drawback waiting for him. The steps are not a joke. They go on for a long time, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip all the way down if he falls. It’s a straightforward ascent after hours of struggle. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can see that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to meet his agreement, hailing his new Lord, the arrangement scarcely looks so unpleasant. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

My Choice

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