I've dealt with some hard choices in interactive entertainment. Several of my selections in Life is Strange series remain on my mind. Ghost of Tsushima's final sequence prompted me to pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I considered my choices. I am the cause of numerous Krogan deaths in Mass Effect that I wish I could undo. None of those moments compare to what possibly is the hardest choice I've ever made in gaming — and it involves a massive stairway.
The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the creators of Ape Out game, is not really a choice-driven game. Certainly not in any traditional sense. You must navigate a vast game world as Nate, a grown-up in childish attire who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It appears to be one big ragebait joke, but Baby Steps’s power lies in its deceptively impactful story that will surprise you when you’re least expecting it. There’s no moment that demonstrates that power like one major choice that I can’t stop thinking about.
A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as Nate is transported from his family's basement and into a fictional universe. He soon realizes that moving around in it is a difficulty, as years spent as a couch potato have atrophied his limbs. The physical comedy of it all comes from gamers directing Nate step by step, trying to prevent him from falling over.
The protagonist needs aid, but he has difficulty expressing that to anyone. As he progresses, he meets a cast of eccentric characters in the world who all offer to help him out. A cool, confident hiker seeks to provide Nate a map, but he uncomfortably rejects in the game’s most hilarious scene. When he plunges into an trapping cavity 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 encounter plenty of irritating episodes where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s not confident enough to accept any assistance.
That comes to a head in Baby Steps’s key situation of choice. As Nate nears the end his quest, he finds that he must climb to the top of a snowy mountain. 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 take an extremely long and dangerous hiking trail dubbed The Obstacle. It is the most daunting obstacle Baby Steps provides; taking it seems inadvisable to any person.
But there’s a alternative choice: He can just walk up a massive winding stairs instead and arrive at the peak in a short time. The only caveat? He’ll have to address the guardian “Sir” from now on if he chooses the simple path.
I am completely earnest when I say that this is an agonizing choice in the game's narrative. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself coming to a head in a single ridiculous instant. Part of Nate’s journey is revolves around the fact that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that impressive outdoorsman, it’s a difficult memory of everything he’s not. Undertaking The Manbreaker could be a instance where he can prove that he’s as competent as his unilateral competitor, but that path is likely paved with more awkward mishaps. Is it worth striving just to make a statement?
The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to decide between receiving aid or refusing it. The player has no choice in about they turn away a map, but they can opt to allow Nate some relief and opt for the steps. It should be an straightforward selection, but Baby Steps game is devilishly clever about making you feel paranoid anytime you find a gift horse. The world is filled with design traps that turn a safe route into a setback instantly. Could the steps one more trick? Could Nate reach all the way to the top just to be let down by an ending prank? And even worse, is he prepared to be humiliated once again by being made to address some weirdo Lord?
The brilliance of that instant is that there’s no correct or incorrect choice. Each path leads to a authentic instance of character development and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a chance to prove that he’s as capable as anyone else, voluntarily accepting a challenging way rather than suffering through one that he has no alternative but to take. It’s difficult, and maybe ill-advised, but it’s the dose of confidence that he requires.
But there’s no shame in the staircase too. To choose that path is to finally allow Nate to accept help. And when he does so, he discovers that there’s no real catch awaiting him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re simple to climb and he does not fall to the bottom if he falls. It’s a easy journey after lengthy difficulty. Halfway up, he even has a chat with the trekker who has, unsurprisingly, chosen to take The Manbreaker. He strives to appear composed, but you can tell that he’s fatigued, quietly regretting 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 freak?
When I played, I opted for the stairs. Some part of my reasoning just {wanted to call
A seasoned software engineer with a passion for open-source projects and tech education.
