The Game Baby Steps Features One of the Most Meaningful Decisions I've Ever Experienced in a Game

I've encountered some difficult decisions in video games. Several of my selections 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 considered my alternatives. I am responsible for countless Krogan deaths in the Mass Effect series that I would love to reverse. Not one of those instances measure up to what possibly is the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a giant staircase.

Baby Steps, the recent title from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You only need to navigate a sprawling open world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can hardly stay upright on his unsteady feet. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s strength comes from its deceptively impactful story that will catch you off guard when you least anticipate it. There’s not a single instance that exemplifies that strength like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Spoiler Warning

Some scene setting is required here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is magically whisked away from the basement of his home and into a fictional universe. He quickly discovers that navigating this world is a struggle, as a lifetime spent as a sedentary person have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all stems from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to other characters. Throughout his hero’s journey, he comes in contact with a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to assist him. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an unavoidable hole and is given a way out, he tries to play it off like he can manage alone and truly prefers to be trapped in the pit. As the plot unfolds, you experience no shortage of irritating episodes 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 selection. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top 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 paths upward. If he’s prepared for difficulty, he can take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail named The Manbreaker. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps includes; taking it seems inadvisable to anyone.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and reach the summit in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Lord” from now on if he takes the easy route.

A Difficult Selection

I am very serious when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a single ridiculous instant. An element of Nate's story is centered around the truth that he’s self-conscious of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a time where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that route is sure to be paved with more embarrassing pratfalls. Is it worth struggling just to prove a point?

The staircase, on the contrary, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in if they decline guidance, but they can opt to provide Nate with respite and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps is exceptionally cunning about causing suspicion anytime you encounter an easy option. The environment includes intentional pitfalls that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Could the steps yet another trap? Will Nate get all the way to the top just to be fooled by an ending prank? And more concerning, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being compelled to refer to some weirdo Lord?

No Correct Answer

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no perfect selection. Each path brings about a genuine moment of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you opt to attempt The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a chance to prove that he’s as capable as others, voluntarily accepting a tough path rather than enduring one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the dose of confidence that he needs.

But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to take support. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re easy to walk up and he won't slip to the bottom if he stumbles. It’s a straightforward ascent after extended challenges. Partway through, he even has a chat with the hiker who has, of course, opted for The Manbreaker. He tries to play it cool, but you can tell that he’s exhausted, quietly regretting the pointless struggle. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to meet his agreement, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so nasty. Who has energy for shame by this odd character?

Personal Reflection

In my playthrough, I opted for the stairs. Part of me just {wanted to call