The Game Baby Steps Presents Among the Most Significant Decisions I've Ever Experienced in Gaming

I've encountered some hard decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments prompted me to pause the game for several minutes while I thought through my choices. I am responsible for numerous Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the hardest choice I’ve had to make in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out game, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You simply have to navigate a expansive environment as the protagonist Nate, a adult in a onesie who can struggle to remain 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 surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no situation that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I keep reflecting on.

Alert: Spoilers

Some background information is necessary here. Baby Steps game starts when Nate is transported from the basement of his home and into a fantasy world. He immediately finds that navigating this world is a challenge, as years spent as a couch potato have weakened his muscles. The physical comedy of it all arises from users guiding Nate one step at a time, trying to keep his ragdoll body standing.

Nate requires assistance, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a group of unusual individuals in the world who everyone tries to give him a hand. A self-assured trekker tries to give Nate a map, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he falls into an inescapable pit and is given a way out, he attempts to act casual like he requires no assistance and truly prefers to be stuck in the hole. As the plot unfolds, you encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too self-conscious to receive help.

The Defining Decision

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of decision. As Nate nears the end his journey, he discovers that he must ascend of a frosty elevation. The de facto groundskeeper of the world (who Nate has consistently evaded up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two routes to the top. 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 includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a other possibility: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs in its place and reach the summit in a short time. The single stipulation? He’ll have to refer to the caretaker “Master” from now on if he takes the easy route.

An Agonizing Decision

I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in this situation. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself culminating in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his body and his masculinity. Every time he sees that handsome trekker, it’s a hard reminder of all he lacks. Taking on The Challenge could be a moment where he can prove that he’s as able as his unilateral competitor, but that road is bound to be filled with more humiliating failures. Does it merit suffering just to prove a point?

The stairs, on the flip side, provide Nate with another significant opportunity to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in whether or not they turn away a map, but they can opt to give Nate a break and take the stairs. It might seem like an easy choice, but Baby Steps is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you encounter an easy option. The world is filled with design traps that transform an easy path into a difficulty instantly. Are the stairs an additional deception? Will Nate get to the very summit just to be let down by a final joke? And more concerning, is he prepared to be humiliated another time by being forced to call a strange individual as Master?

No Right or Wrong

The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Either one leads to a authentic instance of protagonist evolution and emotional release for Nate. If you choose to tackle The Manbreaker, it’s an philosophical victory. Nate finally gets a opportunity to demonstrate that he’s as capable as others, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no choice but to follow. It’s challenging, and possibly risky, but it’s the bit of empowerment that he requires.

But there’s no embarrassment in the staircase as well. To opt for that way is to at last permit Nate to receive assistance. And when he accomplishes that, he realizes that there’s no hidden trick in store for him. The staircase is not a trick. They continue for a while, but they’re straightforward to ascend and he doesn’t slide to the bottom if he trips. It’s a straightforward ascent after lengthy difficulty. Midway through, he even has a conversation with the trekker who has, naturally, opted for The Obstacle. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s worn out, silently lamenting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate gets to the top and has to pay his debt, addressing his new Master, the agreement barely appears so bad. Who has time to be embarrassed by this odd character?

My Experience

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