The Stanley Parable

A Game Review, by Dune Jumper

The Stanley Parable is an experimental narrative-driven first person exploration game designed by Davey Wreden. Based on the award-winning 2011 Half-Life 2 mod of the same name, The Stanley Parable has returned as a stand-alone remake with new content and high-definition graphics. The remake was again designed by Davey Wreden together with Source engine modeler William Pugh, under the Galactic Cafe studio name.

It’s actually best if you don’t know too much about this game beforehand, so you can discover everything for yourself. But basically it’s an interactive choose-your-own-adventure story. After the initial prologue in which you are introduced to Stanley (the character you play), the journey begins with the classic puzzle of finding two doors, and you have to decide which one to go through. From then on, there are many directions you can take, each leading to a different ending before the game restarts (including ridiculous and nonsense endings).

The witty commentary of British actor Kevan Brighting (he also did voiceovers for Ray Comfort’s Noah and Evolution vs. God) keeps you company and adds interest. But the choices are all yours to make. So even when the narrator gives you advice, you don’t have to take it, which often causes interesting things to happen. The game is relatively short so players can experience all the endings without having to spend an excessive amount of time replaying it.

The Stanley Parable is only available for purchase on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/221910/

A free demo for the game can also be downloaded from the Steam page.