I don't think it's a secret anymore as to why The Stanley Parable is special. The question you are probably asking yourself now if you haven't played it yet is the following: "Is it worth PLAYING rather than talking about it or watching a Let's Player?"

The short answer to that question is yes, but only if you know what you're getting yourself into and if you want to go the extra mile to discover all the easter-eggs/fail-states/endings. After the first hour of TSP, I wasn't convinced of the game's merits, but after the next two hours of exploration alone, I was sold on the game. (Not including the demo's time.)

And that's the keyword for what will ultimately make-it or break-it for you with TSP. Exploration.

Do you enjoy satiating that burning curiosity of "What if...?" Do you enjoy rebelling to whatever you're being told? Do you wonder if there's always another means to an otherwise forced situation? Do you enjoy wasting the narration's time with your own?

Then the Stanley Parable is for you.


No, really. The Demo is completely separate from the main-game. You won't find it anywhere in the final game. (No sir, not at all.) Not only will the demo set your expectations for what TSP will offer you, but there are several easter-eggs to be found that will help you discover the many routes of the full game.

Adding the free demo on top of the main-game will also extend your playtime for another hour. At the bare minimum. It all depends on how much you want to discover for yourself.


When you start up TSP, the first thing you will want to do is enable save-states (and achievements, if you care about them). A single playthrough isn't long--anywhere from under a minute to 20 mins--so the game doesn't waste your time by having to replay the game for a single variation. Enabling the save-states is more convinent for you.

(If you're worried you'll miss something by doing one thing, never restart unless the game does it for you.)

Even when you enable the save-states and see all that there is to see, you will still get two to three hours of exploration, which I think is fine by me since I bought this game for under $4. You might have a different opinion. (I hope the creator has a bundle for TSP and The Beginner's Guide in the future since I think buying both would justify the purchase price.)

Once you start playing the game, remember what the demo has taught you, and see just what there is in TSP to discover. You'll be geninuely surprised by what you'll find if you follow your curiousity and stay away from videos spoiling the surprise for you.

Thankfully, if you are worried you are missing out on any of the "endings", there is a helpful guide to keep as a checklist without spoilers.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=199001539

And if you're worried that there's some deeper meaning behind the game and story-bits withheld from you to make the narrative better, then you can relax. All the story bits are explained, and the message is very obvious without being forced down your throat while the game revels in its absurdity.


The Stanley Parable is definitely a game you will probably hear/talk about more about what it is about rather than playing the game. But playing the game is something you should experience as the questions it raises are a nice food for thought.

Is the game pretentious? Absolutely, and the game is well-aware of itself. More so than other games that think they are self-aware, which might make TSP feel like the butt of its own joke. Yet it still feels worthwhile for what it offers.

Is the game (or gameplay) lacking? Possibly. I know personally that when I play a walking simulator game, I want to look at the environment for subtle clues and anything hidden on the walls. Unfortunately, this is the only criticism I have for TSP. The board-room is the only area really worth looking into for that kind of content, which I think this game could've benefit from with a little more environment humor.

(I also think if the game had Earthbound-like interactions with everything it could've artifically extended the gameplay for a few Earthbound fans with OCD. [Relax, I love Undertale and LISA.] But I don't think the game really needs this fluff.)

Do I want to play the game again? No. Once you have seen all that there is to experience in TSP, you might bring it up for conversation about what the game is about. Or you might let a friend experience it for him/herself. But you dont' really want to play it again because you know everything.

This game reminds me an awful lot of Jazzpunk, which I'm well aware that game came after TSP. I say this because that is how I experienced this game, and your experiences with other walking simulators (any Chinese Room game, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, etc.) will probably be shaped by TSP. If you have never played a game like that before, then you might not have the same impression.

But I bring up Jazzpunk for a good reason. I didn't like Jazzpunk because the content it provided was superfulous, nonsensical and felt unnecessary for the few laughs that I did get out of that game.

But isn't TSP also a game of superffulous, nonsensical and uncessary gimmicks and choices? Yes, it certainly is a similar game in its design/mechanics.

So what's the difference? The absurd humor of TSP feels more well-thoughout as the game's design actually accounts for all the choices you can make--which is a part of the game's message.

The interesting aspect of TSP is how subtle those choices become from starting with two doors to... well, some of those choices would actually be spoilers. Just know that the game accounts for whatever you do, and as a result the game feels smarter than it first appears. And the writing quality matches the game perfectly.


No, really, the game wants you to not play this game for five years and then come back to TSP. Perhaps there is a secret waiting for you to make the wait worthwhile. A life-lesson you'll cherish as a reward for all the patience you gave the game.

Or maybe, instead of coming back to the game, you'll remember the fun times you had with TSP. You'll have a laugh, a smile, maybe even cry a little out of joy. But you know you shouldn't return--you learned to move on with your life, and you know that TSP is happy for you. You don't need to play the game; you don't need its validation for your life. You are happy with the life you live...

Or you can just mess around with your clock and see what it is like some people have already done.

I don't think it's a secret anymore as to why The Stanley Parable is special. The question you are probably asking yourself now if you haven't played it yet is the following: "Is it worth [b]PLAYING[/b] rather than talking about it or watching a Let's Player?" The short answer to that question is yes, but only if you know what you're getting yourself into and if you want to go the extra mile to discover all the easter-eggs/fail-states/endings. After the first hour of TSP, I wasn't convinced of the game's merits, but after the next two hours of exploration alone, I was sold on the game. (Not including the demo's time.) And that's the keyword for what will ultimately make-it or break-it for you with TSP. Exploration. Do you enjoy satiating that burning curiosity of "What if...?" Do you enjoy rebelling to whatever you're being told? Do you wonder if there's always another means to an otherwise forced situation? Do you enjoy wasting the narration's time with your own? Then the Stanley Parable is for you. [h1]The First Step: Try the Demo[/h1] No, really. The Demo is completely separate from the main-game. You won't find it anywhere in the final game. (No sir, not at all.) Not only will the demo set your expectations for what TSP will offer you, but there are several easter-eggs to be found that will help you discover the many routes of the full game. Adding the free demo on top of the main-game will also extend your playtime for another hour. At the bare minimum. It all depends on how much you want to discover for yourself. [h1]Second Step: Play the Game[/h1] When you start up TSP, the first thing you will want to do is enable save-states (and achievements, if you care about them). A single playthrough isn't long--anywhere from under a minute to 20 mins--so the game doesn't waste your time by having to replay the game for a single variation. Enabling the save-states is more convinent for you. (If you're worried you'll miss something by doing one thing, never restart unless the game does it for you.) Even when you enable the save-states and see all that there is to see, you will still get two to three hours of exploration, which I think is fine by me since I bought this game for under $4. You might have a different opinion. (I hope the creator has a bundle for TSP and The Beginner's Guide in the future since I think buying both would justify the purchase price.) Once you start playing the game, remember what the demo has taught you, and see just what there is in TSP to discover. You'll be geninuely surprised by what you'll find if you follow your curiousity and stay away from videos spoiling the surprise for you. Thankfully, if you are worried you are missing out on any of the "endings", there is a helpful guide to keep as a checklist without spoilers. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=199001539 And if you're worried that there's some deeper meaning behind the game and story-bits withheld from you to make the narrative better, then you can relax. All the story bits are explained, and the message is very obvious without being forced down your throat while the game revels in its absurdity. [h1]Step Three: Go Grab Lunch and Reflect on What You've Experienced (30 mins minimum)[/h1] The Stanley Parable is definitely a game you will probably hear/talk about more about what it is about rather than playing the game. But playing the game is something you should experience as the questions it raises are a nice food for thought. Is the game pretentious? Absolutely, and the game is well-aware of itself. More so than other games that think they are self-aware, which might make TSP feel like the butt of its own joke. Yet it still feels worthwhile for what it offers. Is the game (or gameplay) lacking? Possibly. I know personally that when I play a walking simulator game, I want to look at the environment for subtle clues and anything hidden on the walls. Unfortunately, this is the only criticism I have for TSP. The board-room is the only area really worth looking into for that kind of content, which I think this game could've benefit from with a little more environment humor. (I also think if the game had Earthbound-like interactions with everything it could've artifically extended the gameplay for a few Earthbound fans with OCD. [Relax, I love Undertale and LISA.] But I don't think the game really needs this fluff.) Do I want to play the game again? No. Once you have seen all that there is to experience in TSP, you might bring it up for conversation about what the game is about. Or you might let a friend experience it for him/herself. But you dont' really want to play it again because you know everything. This game reminds me an awful lot of Jazzpunk, which I'm well aware that game came after TSP. I say this because that is how I experienced this game, and your experiences with other walking simulators (any Chinese Room game, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, etc.) will probably be shaped by TSP. If you have never played a game like that before, then you might not have the same impression. But I bring up Jazzpunk for a good reason. I didn't like Jazzpunk because the content it provided was superfulous, nonsensical and felt unnecessary for the few laughs that I did get out of that game. But isn't TSP also a game of superffulous, nonsensical and uncessary gimmicks and choices? Yes, it certainly is a similar game in its design/mechanics. So what's the difference? The absurd humor of TSP feels more well-thoughout as the game's design actually accounts for all the choices you can make--which is a part of the game's message. The interesting aspect of TSP is how subtle those choices become from starting with two doors to... well, some of those choices would actually be spoilers. Just know that the game accounts for whatever you do, and as a result the game feels smarter than it first appears. And the writing quality matches the game perfectly. [h1]Step Four: Come Back Five Years Later[/h1] No, really, the game wants you to not play this game for five years and then come back to TSP. Perhaps there is a secret waiting for you to make the wait worthwhile. A life-lesson you'll cherish as a reward for all the patience you gave the game. Or maybe, instead of coming back to the game, you'll remember the fun times you had with TSP. You'll have a laugh, a smile, maybe even cry a little out of joy. But you know you shouldn't return--you learned to move on with your life, and you know that TSP is happy for you. You don't need to play the game; you don't need its validation for your life. You are happy with the life you live... Or you can just mess around with your clock and see what it is like some people have already done.