Exploring the Unconventional Narrative of The Stanley Parable Video Game
The Stanley Parable is an award-winning video game that has an unconventional narrative. It was developed by Galactic Café, released on the 17th of October 2013 and received considerable critical acclaim. This game gives the player the opportunity to make their own choices this leads to multiple endings with different storylines.
The game tells the story of Stanley, an office worker in a building who finds his environment abandoned. Shortly after his discovery, he is greeted by a narrator who proceeds to give him instructions and choices for how to proceed.
The narrative of The Stanley Parable is unconventional in that it does not offer the player many choices and those choices are not causally related. The narrator is often times vague, misleading and contradicting himself. The game also heavily relies on narrativity in the form of a voiceover in order to tell the story. Throughout the game, the narrator offers limited choices, which are often between two meaningless arguments. The Stanley Parable is unique in that it is an interactive narrative game where the story is told through the player’s choices. It is up to the player to make sense of the various choices and consequences in order to get the most out of the game.
The Stanley Parable is highly abstract and philosophical in nature, dealing with themes of free will, the complexities of decision-making, and how we relate to authority figures. It is on the player to make sense of the limited choices given and to discern their individual paths to the various endings. It is also up to the player to decide if their choices have ultimately been meaningful.
The Stanley Parable has multiple potential endings, depending on which choices the player takes. It is also possible for the player to choose not to participate and simply to watch the story unfold before them. This passive role allows the player to take stock of all the choices within the game and reach independent conclusions about the meanings of the choices and the stories each one of them tells.
The Stanley Parable gives the player a unique experience and taps into a range of emotions, from frustration to amusement. By presenting the player with seemingly random options, the game encourages the player to formulate their own theories and draw their own conclusions.
In terms of narrative design, the game is divided into three sections: the tutorial, main game, and alternate endings. At the start of the game, the player is given a tutorial in which they must make a choice as to whether they listen to the narrator’s commands or not. If they choose to do so, they get to the main game in which they are presented with a series of choices. The choices range from deciding whether to follow the instructions of the narrator or to ignore them. If the player chooses to disobey the narrator, the game takes them on an alternate path, the consequences of which lead the player to one of the various endings.
The Stanley Parable's innovative narrative design, challenging player choices, and unique style makes this game a unique experience. It offers a commentary on the power of choice in our lives, the challenges facing decision making, and how we respond to authority figures. It encourages players to think for themselves and draws on themes of morality, free will, and existentialism. It challenges the player to take stock of their choices, consider the different possible outcomes, and make up their own mind about which is the ‘right’ ending. While there are many potential outcomes, the game ultimately gives the player the freedom to explore the different narratives and to draw their own conclusions about the meaning of the choices within the game.
