Critical Play: The Stanley Parable

As a walking simulator game, the Stanley Parable is pretty unique in its self-awareness and fun absurdism. The game allows the player to walk through an empty office building as the titular character Stanley, a corporate office worker whose job involves pushing buttons based on commands from his computer monitor.

When Stanley’s monitor stops giving instructions one day, and he realizes that everyone has left the office, we follow Stanley on a surreal journey around his building in search of some explanation. A critical part of the game is the voiceover narration, which provides instructions, encouragements, and commentary often verging on mockery, all in an expressive tone.

As Stanley walks through the deserted corridors and rooms of the building, accompanied only by the sassy narration, the player is forced to contemplate the meaning of some fundamental elements of video games such as story and the freedom of choose.

Choice is a a critical mechanic in many games. Players derive a sense of control and accomplishment from being able to choose in-game elements. The Stanley Parable unabashedly questions and even makes fun of the idea of choice, seeing as the player is only able to take one of a few actions such as walking around and pushing buttons.

The narrator often mocks Stanley’s decisions even as he is following instructions given by the narrator, giving the game an overall surreal and joke-like quality. The player is motivated to continue playing by both the uncertainty that their decision matters and the certainty that the game has some absurd and hilarious twists ahead.