Baby Steps Includes Among the Most Meaningful Choices I Have Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've dealt with some challenging choices in interactive entertainment. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima concluding moments led me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my alternatives. I am the cause of so many Krogan fatalities in Mass Effect that I regret deeply. Not one of those instances hold a candle to what possibly is the toughest selection I’ve had to make in interactive media — and it concerns a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the makers of Ape Out game, is hardly a choice-driven game. At least not in the conventional way. You only need to walk around a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his shaky limbs. It looks like one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when it's most unexpected. There’s no moment that showcases that quality like a key selection that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is required here. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from the basement of his home and into a magical realm. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have atrophied his limbs. The slapstick elements of it all arises from players controlling Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate needs help, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. As he progresses, he encounters a group of unusual individuals in the world who all offer to help him out. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects 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 doesn’t need the help and actually wants to be confined in the cavity. As the plot unfolds, you see numerous frustrating vignettes where Nate makes life harder for himself because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Pivotal Moment

Everything builds up in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate nears the end his adventure, he finds that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The default guardian of the world (who Nate has desperately tried to duck up to this point) shows up to let him know that there are two paths upward. If he’s up for a challenge, he can opt for a particularly extended and risky path dubbed The Manbreaker. It is the most formidable barrier Baby Steps provides; attempting it appears unwise to anyone.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a enormous coiled steps as an alternative and reach the summit in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he chooses the simple path.

An Agonizing Decision

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s every one of Nate's doubts about himself culminating in a single ridiculous instant. A portion of Nate's adventure is centered around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physique and male identity. Whenever he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a painful recollection of everything he’s not. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Does it merit striving just to demonstrate something?

The staircase, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they decline guidance, but they can decide to provide Nate with respite and take the stairs. It should be an simple decision, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about creating doubt whenever you find a gift horse. The world is filled with planned obstacles that turn a safe route into a difficulty on a dime. Is the staircase an additional deception? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more troubling, is he prepared to be humiliated yet again by being compelled to refer to a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a authentic instance of personal growth and emotional release 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 able as anyone else, willingly taking on a challenging way rather than enduring one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no disgrace in the staircase either. To select that route is to finally allow Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he finds that there’s no hidden trick waiting for him. The stairs aren’t a prank. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he does not fall all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a discussion with the trekker who has, of course, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He attempts to act casual, but you can see that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the unnecessary challenge. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to fulfill his obligation, calling the character Lord, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

When I played, I chose the staircase. Part of me just {wanted to call