An ordinary office space in The Stanley Parable, but what’s in that box?

Gaming has been coming to terms with how to tell a story in a number of different ways, and now the independently produced game The Stanley Parable is taking a jab at how they present  the concept of choice.

What’s interesting about The Stanley Parable is that it’s barely a game at all. There’s no real objectives or action, just the player character Stanley and a disembodied narrator.

Stanley has been working at the same boring desk job for his entire life, punching whatever keys he is told to for no purpose. Only one day there is no one in the office — no one tell Stanley what to punch in — and he and the player are left to explore.

The crux of the game is carried by the narrator, who reacts to everything that Stanley does — even being aware that the player is sitting at a computer controlling Stanley.

If you just progress through the game as if it were any other you’ll find the narrator weaving the story of Stanley searching for his workmates. That is, until you walk into an empty room with two open doors, one on your right and one on your left. The narrator still tells his tale, saying that you walked through the left door, but the game makes it strikingly clear that walking through the right door is very much an option.

This is the moment where the game opens up with diverging paths, weaving stories, multiple endings and possibly no ending at all. What’s really behind the fun of The Stanley Parable is the player trying to test the game’s limits, only to find that the narrator always knows exactly what you’re doing.

Humour plays a big part in this abstract game and is what makes it so enjoyable. It’s not just that the narrator is observing what you are doing, he is doing so with a dry wit that will make you laugh and search for some way to catch him off guard.

Beyond his humor, however, lies a sense that there is something sinister to the narrator — as if he is doing anything to make sure Stanley does not reach an ending or at least not one he wants.

There is a clear commentary about the way popular game narratives have a tendency of giving the player moral choices. Often they aren’t really choices because all of the aspects are chosen by the developer; it’s a predetermined path.

The narrator of The Stanley Parable exemplifies this in every respect, as he finds  ways to weave every dimwitted move that you make to foil him seamlessly into the story. He even goes as far as to make you laugh at how ridiculous you look while trying to do so.

One instance finds Stanley in a broom closet, a place you entered for no reason than to foil the narrator’s plan. While desperately searching for the secret that is clearly hidden within the closet, with the narrator’s words poking and prodding you to exit, you realize that it is indeed just a closet and you have just played into his hands yet again.

The gameplay feels unparalled and it’s difficult to do it justice without playing the game yourself. The Stanley Parable is a game that demands to be played with an open mind and, with a trim $15 price tag, there’s no reason to miss out.

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Photo: Screenshot