The Stanley Parable is a darkly comedic philosophical story game in which you guide a character named Stanley through an abandoned office building.
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Story & Themes
In The Stanley Parable, the player controls an office worker named Stanley. One day, Stanley is working his boring (but much-loved) desk job when he realizes that all of his coworkers have gone missing. All of Stanley's actions are narrated before they happen, and very soon the player has the choice to either listen to the narrator and follow along with the main path, or to ignore the narrator and go places they're not meant to be. The narrator quickly becomes antagonistic once you ignore his directions.
Each play of The Stanley Parable is quite brief, averaging about twenty minutes, but there are numerous endings and options to discover, depending on the story choices you make. The narrator is aware that you are playing a game, and in several instances it becomes clear that the only way to win is to physically turn off the game. This acute self-awareness raises many questions for the player about the nature of reality and what freedom can really mean within the limits of somebody else's design.
Difficulty
The gameplay is quite simple, but many of its themes are quite difficult to parse.
Heads Up!
Violence There are a few scenes with violence. On one path, Stanley is crushed by a giant machine. There is little to no blood, however since the game is from a first-person perspective, it can be a little disturbing.
Scary Imagery The Stanley Parable asks a lot of big questions about the meaning of free will. Sometimes, it can get a little disturbing. The narrator has a great sense of humor, but it still would probably be a hard game for anyone under 15 to really appreciate or handle.
Conversation Starters
- Did you feel inclined to resist the narrator? Why?
- What do you think is the significance of Stanley's job? Would the story have been less impactful if he had been in an exciting job?
- Do you think The Stanley Parable was making a commentary on the physical world? What does this game imply about our society?
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