I really love the Stanley Parable. This first-person, interactive fiction game published by Galactic Cafe first has the appearance of a simple story: a man, Stanley, leads a simple, uneventful life pushing buttons on a computer according to what it says on the screen. He does this at work all day, every day, until one morning he sits down at his desk to find there are no commands or instructions for him, and the office is completely empty. Stanley then resolves to find out what has happened to everyone. There is, however, another main character: the Narrator, who—as his name implies—guides Stanley through his journey. You can choose to either listen to the Narrator telling the story and do as he says, or defy him and choose your own paths to follow, many of which branch from a single choice in where you can walk through a door on the left or the right. Although it may seem lackluster and pointless to some, it’s brilliantly narrated and humorous, and makes you want to keep going back so you can see just how many ways Stanley’s story can come to an end. And of those endings, I love them all, but these are some of my favorites, in no particular order (Note: numerous spoilers follow):
1. Work. I have a lot to say about this one, as this was the very first ending I ever experienced, and it was frustrating beyond reason for me by the time I reached the end. Since first stepping out of the Stanley’s office, curiosity took over and rather than following the Narrator’s instructions, I did as I pleased. I looked around the office trying to interact with everything while the narrator commented on the pointlessness of my doing so, turning off computers and trying and failing to jump on desks.
Naturally as I came to the first choice, I ignored the Narrator’s words and walked through a different door than he said I would. I continued to ignore his instructions until I reach a strange maintenance looking area with a cargo lift. I climb on, and it takes me across to a separate platform as the Narrator quips about us getting off on the wrong foot. He’s only trying to help me, he says; to show me something important. With seemingly no options left, I am forced to continue on as he tells me, until I eventually find myself locked in an apartment. The Narrator laughs, and as I stand helpless, he goes on a rant about how oblivious and pathetic Stanley is, how he lives his life doing utterly nothing but what he’s told and is so used to it, that he creates scenarios in which he gets to make his own choices, rather than actually making them. He even provides minor spoilers for a couple other endings by way of saying they’re just more of what Stanley imagines. And as he gloats and degrades our protagonist, instructions come up on the screen for you to press buttons to do more menial everyday tasks, just like Stanley does at work. He continues to submit to a slave-like existence even though the Narrator is trying to tell him not to.
The Narrator challenges you: “Stanley, the next time the screen asks you to push a button, do not do it.” And by all means, you can refuse to press it. You can accept his challenge, sit there for as long as you wish, resolve unwavering as you laugh in gleeful triumph that you’ve beaten him. But the story will not progress until you do, and once you do, you prove him right. Stanley continues to do this for the rest of his miserable life. Stanley dies. This ending is a favorite of mine because of how meta it becomes, and how it mocks you once you fall into its trap. You can only get this ending by defying the Narrator in the first minute or so of the game, and if you aren’t paying enough attention, he traps you, tricks you into following his orders, and goes off about how Stanley can’t make his own decisions. He can’t see choices outside of his own imagination, because they’re too hard for him to confront. He can’t disobey orders, no matter how hard he tries. So he accepts his life and his fate, and dies doing so. And you, the player, are at fault for being just like Stanley in the end: you tried to form your own path and failed, and chose to continue doing as you’re told.
2.Broom Closet. This one is rather simple, and requires you to do very little to get it, but there’s something just so satisfying about taking the time out of your busy work day to sit in the corner of a tiny broom closet and do absolutely nothing. Listening to the Narrator talk to you with swelling disdain is a side benefit.
3. Space/Suicide. Yes, it sounds morbid. But don’t worry; it’s only slightly depressing and far more funny than anything else. After refusing to follow the Narrator’s directions for a while, there’s a point where you can risk falling to your death to get away from him, at which point he is so appalled that he tries very hard to find a way for him and Stanley to get along. He puts you in front of yet another two-door choice, and if you listen to him and enter the door he asks, the two of you can enjoy a blissful coexistence for the rest of eternity. Or, and this is far more likely, you’ll run and find a staircase to continually throw yourself off of until you die, only to be sent back to the start of the game to begin again. But hey, it’s up to you.
4. Insanity. Stanley will almost make it to his boss’s office before losing the nerve, taking an altogether different route, and wandering a bit as he contemplates his life and job. He will eventually become aware of a few things he certainly should not. Like how the rooms he’s walking through are repeating, and how there’s a man’s voice in his head narrating everything he is doing and thinking. Needless to say it doesn’t end well for him, and it makes the player question briefly what exactly is this game and what was that and is this even real?
5. Reluctant. Short, easy, and ultimately painless for you and Stanley both. Screw it. Why bother looking for anyone? Who cares if they went missing, right? I’ll just sit at my desk and wait. The utter refusal alone is somehow hilarious to me. You’re a little rebel, aren’t you Stanley?
6. Choice. If you’re paying enough attention, you can outright refuse to do what the Narrator says in a situation where there is literally no choice presented to you: he sets something in front of you, waits for you to use it as he says, and you can outright nope yourself out of that situation, surprising the Narrator and disrupting the story in such an impossible way that you break it. Yup, you broke his story. Good job, you jerk. Now help him piece it back together. The wrath of the Narrator is all too funny.
7. Disco.There are a few times where you get a chance to backtrack a little before progressing the story in this game, and the one where Stanley’s curiosity gets the better of him and he walks back across the mysterious catwalk to press the light switch a second time, only to find a secret disco, is surprising and amusing. It really feels like a party. Enjoy the flashing lights.
8. Confusion. Avoid heading towards both the room with the cargo lift and the meeting room and you find yourself near an elevator, one that you are absolutely not supposed to even acknowledge, much less use, and once you do, you end up in an area even the Narrator doesn’t recognize. Now you must work together to find the story, and get back on track. From the numerous resets, to listening to the Narrator fumble over himself, to the notorious Stanley Parable Adventure Line with its appropriate music, there isn’t a single thing about this ending that I don’t love.
9. Games. Reaching the Baby Game (which is a whole separate ending by itself) is a fun ride, but after the Narrator becomes angry at your lack of interest in his story, an then in his game, he rage quits, shuts off all the lights, and irritably quips that if you don’t like his game, then he’ll put you in someone else’s. And much to your delight, he will.
10. Museum. Heading into the secret elevator in Stanley’s boss’s office will take you down in front of the entrance to an eerie, sinister looking facility that may unlock some haunting secrets about what has really been going on in Stanley’s life thus far; perhaps even bring him some clarity and peace of mind. But why head inside when you can ignore it completely and take a separate route down an even eerier looking hallway with the word escape written on it in all caps? Take that route, and you’ll eventually find yourself in a pretty cool museum full of info on the development process of the game, and even a look at some stuff that was cut.
11. Bomb. Find the Facility, and Stanley will be given the choice of what to do with it. If you choose incorrectly, however, you will meet a horrible end completely by the decision of the Narrator that you are awful and deserve what’s coming. He’ll turn sadistic and watch you scramble to find a way to get out. By all means, do try. If you fail, go back and try again. Do it as many times as you need. The Narrator will keep watching, keep laughing, and keep mocking. But maybe, just maybe, next time you’ll get it right.
12. Death/Powerful. This one doesn’t need much explaining. Do whatever you need to do to stay in control. You’ll impress everyone, I promise. We all appreciate your dedication to making yourself feel powerful.
There are quite a bit more and in my opinion, playing through them all is so, so worth it. There are many different paths to walk down, a lot to explore, and you should definitely give it a try.
