The Stanley Parable

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2315 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,756 out of 2315
  2. Mixed: 323 out of 2315
  3. Negative: 236 out of 2315

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. AlFredo2
    Oct 18, 2013
    3
    Not a particularly brilliant game. Some jokes were amusing, but quickly became old and boring with each "replay". Easy to get all endings within a few hours, and game quickly becomes pointless and worthless thereafter. Definitely not worth its overinflated reviews or price. Wait for a sale.
  2. Avadon
    Oct 21, 2013
    4
    This is unfortunately a bad videogame, with very little gameplay and level design that consists of a couple of corridors, a few big rooms and some random references to other videogames. Its "oh-so-clever" commentary on choice is something I've discussed before with friends within about 5 minutes while sipping on some coffee, for free, without having to waste 15$ and 2 hours of my lifeThis is unfortunately a bad videogame, with very little gameplay and level design that consists of a couple of corridors, a few big rooms and some random references to other videogames. Its "oh-so-clever" commentary on choice is something I've discussed before with friends within about 5 minutes while sipping on some coffee, for free, without having to waste 15$ and 2 hours of my life playing something boring to reach the same conclusion. If this was free, I'd be kinder to it as an invitation to a discussion using the gaming medium as language, but it is not worth paying for.… Expand
  3. jakubro
    Oct 20, 2013
    0
    Everybody who play games and think about them at least a little knows that the player is more or less directed by game developers. Analogy with real life does not make this obvious topic interesting, and creating whole "game" based on this idea is a little insulting to gamers intellect. Stanley Parabel tries to communicate this painfully obvious message in very boring manner. ThisEverybody who play games and think about them at least a little knows that the player is more or less directed by game developers. Analogy with real life does not make this obvious topic interesting, and creating whole "game" based on this idea is a little insulting to gamers intellect. Stanley Parabel tries to communicate this painfully obvious message in very boring manner. This pseudo-intellectual "game" is IMHO waste of money and I would say it wouldn't even worth your time if it was free.… Expand
  4. Dcruize
    Oct 18, 2013
    0
    I'm very disappointed, how did this score so highly?? According to Steam it kept me interested for 67minutes, until I realised I had in fact played through almost every ending available and there was literally nothing left to do. I feel completely ripped off as there is ZERO re-playability. You choose a path and listen to the narrator for 5-10 minutes...
  5. Brosman
    Oct 18, 2013
    1
    The game confuses mind numbingly annoying for wit. I don't understand the humor or appeal of this game, or even the fact of how this "game" is even a game. It also baffles me how this game can have such a high score. 91 really? I counted at least half a dozen games it outscored that deserved better than it.
  6. Rcj8993
    Mar 12, 2014
    0
    I really really really tried to like this game, but sadly I couldnt
    Basically a walking simulator,
    with a story that literally makes almost no sense
    zero replayability after all the endings
    no clue how it got so many good scores other than making fake accounts, fooling the masses and paying companies to give good reviews on the game
    waste of money, don't buy it.
  7. strav
    Nov 20, 2013
    2
    Now that the "artsy game" genre is beginning to spread, it seems that it was inevitable that a game such as The Stanley Parable would someday come out. While I'm certainly not against games that will abstract themselves from the traditional gaming paradigms, I demand that they remain GAMES, NOT STATEMENTS ABOUT GAMES. And so, don't be fooled by that pseudo-wisecrack-british-accent narratorNow that the "artsy game" genre is beginning to spread, it seems that it was inevitable that a game such as The Stanley Parable would someday come out. While I'm certainly not against games that will abstract themselves from the traditional gaming paradigms, I demand that they remain GAMES, NOT STATEMENTS ABOUT GAMES. And so, don't be fooled by that pseudo-wisecrack-british-accent narrator that'll accompany you all along the way: The Stanly Parable is a statement about games that, in itself, is a poor game.

    In the end, it's really no wonder that this title has received such a high critical acclaim; it's indie, it's unconventional, it's a game about games, it's pure critic's dog food. Let me hammer it again: it's not enough to step out of the traditional gaming paradigms just for the sake of it, you still have to make a game. This is what Anti-Chamber did, this is what Telltale did with (love it or not) with Walking Dead, this is what Miasmata did; those game stepped out of the conventional path and yet, they stand by themselves.

    And then you have your Andy Warhol games: The Stanley Parable, Gone Home (a very bland experiment in cheap empathy) and Dear Esther (that thing is so pompous I tried 3 times to spend more than an hour in front of it without feeling like I'm watching the English Patient).    … Expand
  8. SickRamen
    Jan 18, 2014
    4
    Overhyped "work of art".
    Have you seen the painting of a pipe by Rene Magritte, where on top of the pipe it is written "This is not a pipe" ?
    Well, Stanley's Parable does the same thing to a game. It combines absurd logic and writing, with mockery, self-depreciation, and an overuse of repetition. Ok... but the problem is that it's just simply not fun to play. You are just walking in a    Overhyped "work of art".
    Have you seen the painting of a pipe by Rene Magritte, where on top of the pipe it is written "This is not a pipe" ?
    Well, Stanley's Parable does the same thing to a game. It combines absurd logic and writing, with mockery, self-depreciation, and an overuse of repetition.

    Ok... but the problem is that it's just simply not fun to play. You are just walking in a big museum of absurd comedy. At times, it can be brilliant and make you laugh, but also repetitive, annoying, and not really revolutionary. Since there is no real gameplay involved, you might as well save yourself the 10 bucks and just watch someone play it on youtube. Because for only 2 hours of content, the price of the game is even more absurd than it's art.    … Expand
  9. J4MESOX4D
    Dec 3, 2013
    3
    I picked this up on Steam cheap after reading rave reviews about the game and despite this being half price; it is not worth the money. This is an extremely overrated title that shouldn't warrant any cost. The concept is quirky and the narrative amusing but it feels as if these are factored in to cover up the sheer linearity of the game. You basically play an office worker called StanleyI picked this up on Steam cheap after reading rave reviews about the game and despite this being half price; it is not worth the money. This is an extremely overrated title that shouldn't warrant any cost. The concept is quirky and the narrative amusing but it feels as if these are factored in to cover up the sheer linearity of the game. You basically play an office worker called Stanley and the voice-over story depicts his life and job. You can either follow the story how it is told or go your own way which impacts the person telling the story. This can be humorous but it's hardly up there with Steven Merchant from Portal 2. You can complete the game in many different ways and even in under 5 minutes. There is bascially nothing to this 'game' apart from the narrative and a few corridors. There is no depth or ingenious moments that really stand out like we have seen in many other budget games or mods.

    The Stanley Parable has joined the growing list of indie/arcade titles that cost money and are give huge plaudits from the media but are actually poor attempts at conveying a game. Developers should be judged on their product solely and not taking into account factors surrounding development or the budget it cost to make the game. This is a poor, pricey and tedious attempt of a mod and the fact the game has a price-tag is shocking. The narrative saves it in some way but if you want to experience this title; just watch a few YouTube videos of the game in action.    … Expand
  10. SciBoy
    Nov 20, 2013
    3
    The premise is not as interesting as others might lead you to believe. It is pretty meta and very well made, but the game is waaaaay too short for the cost (I literally payed the exact same amount for Amalur: Reckoning, which I played for 100 hours at least, whereas I've already seen almost all of TSP after 1 hour or so of playing it).
    If it was priced at $2 or so, it would get a great    The premise is not as interesting as others might lead you to believe. It is pretty meta and very well made, but the game is waaaaay too short for the cost (I literally payed the exact same amount for Amalur: Reckoning, which I played for 100 hours at least, whereas I've already seen almost all of TSP after 1 hour or so of playing it).
    If it was priced at $2 or so, it would get a great score. As it is, I was expecting sooo much more.    … Expand
  11. jeremiahVI
    Dec 3, 2013
    0
    I bought this game on steam and had the day off to play it... but I feel a bit ripped off as this game cost me 10 Euro and after an hour I had found all the endings... pity
  12. BenJones
    Feb 8, 2014
    0
    I played this game for about two and a half hours, to see how deep the rabbit hole goes and, ok the first hour is funny, but there's really no depth here.

    Don't be fooled, this emperor hasn't a stitch on!
  13. Mike-Messiah
    Mar 18, 2014
    0
    This game is so friggin overrated. Indie **** hyped by wannabe hipster gamers who find it cool to like "off-beaten" games. This game tries to use humor and witty narrative to appear cool, mocking modern gaming practices,storytelling,mechanics,scripting etc etc. Guess what, we DONT NEED A REMINDER. We have been gaming for decades,and we don't NEED a satire to remind what we are experiencingThis game is so friggin overrated. Indie **** hyped by wannabe hipster gamers who find it cool to like "off-beaten" games. This game tries to use humor and witty narrative to appear cool, mocking modern gaming practices,storytelling,mechanics,scripting etc etc. Guess what, we DONT NEED A REMINDER. We have been gaming for decades,and we don't NEED a satire to remind what we are experiencing all these years.
    Its a friggin walking simulator. And thats it.
    There are 18 possible endings, but they are pretty similar apart from 4-5 of them. Wont spoil it for you guys. My first 2-3 runs were entertaining, the narrator did a great job with the voice overs. But after 1 hour of playing.... the game became a chore. Its extremely repetitive, hearing the same long ass dialogus over and over JUST TO DISCOVER the alternate endings.
    Apart from like 5 endings, the remaining 13 endings are bland and repetitive. in fact they shouldn't even be counted as proper endings.
    i'm giving it a ZERO not to offset the biased overall score, bt because this game ACTUALLY deserves a ZERO for charging me $15 for 0.99cent gameplay    … Expand
  14. leaveit
    Oct 24, 2013
    1
    Now that the corporate game producers have mastered the art of marketing to ignorant tasteless masses, indie developers are starting to catch on. Wreden's inability to craft a branching yet cohesive story is called upon ironically when the game is less interactive and more linear than titles from the early 90s, and excused by apologist fans as being intentional. Essentially what theNow that the corporate game producers have mastered the art of marketing to ignorant tasteless masses, indie developers are starting to catch on. Wreden's inability to craft a branching yet cohesive story is called upon ironically when the game is less interactive and more linear than titles from the early 90s, and excused by apologist fans as being intentional. Essentially what the Stanley Parable is is a software allegory for the hot new annoyance in the video game industry: that a game can be almost entirely empty, uninteractive, $5 or more per hour of gameplay (as high or higher than the favored "movie ticket" that fanboys usually mention), and can, in fact, be nothing more than a map pack for a first person shooter that would have been a free download back in the Quake days, and yet make at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. The "game" earns one point for the delivery of the narrator, who sounds like the male voice from Xtranormal, which almost makes me laugh.… Expand
  15. Dygar
    Dec 12, 2013
    0
    Not worth paying for. This is a fun diversion for an hour. Good voice acting. That's it. I feel duped for having paid for it based on the positive reviews and nondescript game description. If I could complain and return it I would.

    You could watch a video on youtube covering the complete game play in about 30 minutes and save yourself the cash for an actual game. How this got    Not worth paying for. This is a fun diversion for an hour. Good voice acting. That's it. I feel duped for having paid for it based on the positive reviews and nondescript game description. If I could complain and return it I would.

    You could watch a video on youtube covering the complete game play in about 30 minutes and save yourself the cash for an actual game.

    How this got rated so well I'll never know. Maybe I'm just still bitter about having spent money on it.    … Expand
  16. pirate108
    Nov 7, 2013
    0
    0 because this is not a game. Sorry, but why would anyone buy this? I refuse to accept this as the future of gaming, because games should be games. Skyrim is a game, Democracy 3 is a game, Minesweeper is a game, this is not. It would be ok if it's 1 or 2$ but 15? Seriously? For this? It's fun for 10 minutes, after that it's annoying as hell.
  17. Jonni_g_n
    Nov 4, 2013
    1
    Complete garbage...The voice acting is quite nice, but maybe after 30 seconds you realise its not very well written. Maybe if you like surrealism this would be fun..I'm glad I didnt buy it. I played it for about an hour and a bit and it gave me a headache
  18. BraveSam
    Jan 3, 2014
    1
    There are a few hints of originality here. But it is so poorly executed, it isn't even worth mentioning. This game simply isn't as smart as it attempts to portray itself.
    The graphics are terrible, like something from the late 1990's. I would have been able to get past that fact if there were a great game were lurking under its ugly shell. But this game is boring all the way down to its    There are a few hints of originality here. But it is so poorly executed, it isn't even worth mentioning. This game simply isn't as smart as it attempts to portray itself.
    The graphics are terrible, like something from the late 1990's. I would have been able to get past that fact if there were a great game were lurking under its ugly shell. But this game is boring all the way down to its core.
    I would be embarrassed if I had anything to do with the making of this game. And I'm shocked that some critics decided that this is somehow a good game. It is not good by any measure.    … Expand
  19. iseeall
    Mar 30, 2014
    4
    This is of course not a game, yet it's fun for a while (maybe 1-2 hours, until you've seen a dozen of the endings). The narrator is good but the text he reads is not always really funny. Somehow, such humor (about office workers) works better in Dilbert comics - there I laugh quite frequently. There the complex, intellectual-style language feels somehow appropriate, but here - not really.This is of course not a game, yet it's fun for a while (maybe 1-2 hours, until you've seen a dozen of the endings). The narrator is good but the text he reads is not always really funny. Somehow, such humor (about office workers) works better in Dilbert comics - there I laugh quite frequently. There the complex, intellectual-style language feels somehow appropriate, but here - not really. I still have to say that this game surely has many small great details. E.g. the whole Power Point slides sequence in the meeting room is just amazing. And the whiteboards. And the rooms where they tell which pieces of the game looked how before the release. But certainly this game isn't worth its price or any price at all, or maybe something like $1. Since it isn't a game at all, it shouldn't have been created or sold as a game - instead it could be a cartoon or maybe a movie.
    I still give it a rather high score (4) and not 1 or 0 because it does give some fun, even if it's not a lasting one. This product still offers a bit of gameplay - and strangely this kind of gameplay reminds me a typical RPG where you would explore every branch of dialogs with NPCs. Here you explore corridors and doors instead.
    The closest game to this one that comes to mind is Antichamber. However, Antichamber is way way better, there you have diverse puzzles, each with an unexpected solution. Here it's just talking and talking, like in a book/radio/TV show. This game doesn't really feel as if it were made for players and to entertain players but instead to entertain the developers - much like 2010's "Rubber" movie was fun to the director but boring to the audience.
    This app certainly is a fresh innovative attempt, but it's not really a successful attempt. Frankly, I'm not sure that the whole idea for such a game could have resulted into anything playable. Strange that they actually decided to spend effort into developing this stuff.    … Expand
  20. Aeruja
    Jan 3, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have not bought this game, nor will I ever consider buying this game for the price listed during this Christmas sale (9.99). It is not worth it.

    Originally, the mystery behind all the narration and ambiguous description captured my interest as I tend to attempt to unravel the truths from the untruths via internet browsing and reviews. I like to know what my game is like especially when I'm spending this amount of money to buy a game with steam engine graphics..

    ..it was a disappointment. The game's air of enigma was easily blown away with Youtube videos about 6 particular endings and a very short storyline, and even when I tried to dig deeper, there were other endings, but sadly, not enough. And certainly not worth the price tag, when you try to compare to other games with vastly superior and unique graphics and gameplay also at the same price or lower.

    Sure, it might seem new and interesting the first few runs, but really, it's not really so much of a game than it is just a couple of seemingly clever plot twists and mind games. And we're not talking about the deep philosophical and psychological games..just a couple of basic ones, which may have appealed to some of the mainstream critics as a masterpiece at first, and is probably all that was needed to spark their overhyped reviews.    … Expand
  21. Anglave
    Nov 8, 2013
    2
    I laughed for about 15 minutes. On the surface, the game is amusing and the concept is interesting. Unfortunately, it only takes an hour or two to grow stale. Nowhere near worth my $15

    Parable: A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. The story in this parable is about a man named Stanley, whose job is to push certain keys on his keyboard in response to    I laughed for about 15 minutes. On the surface, the game is amusing and the concept is interesting. Unfortunately, it only takes an hour or two to grow stale. Nowhere near worth my $15

    Parable: A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

    The story in this parable is about a man named Stanley, whose job is to push certain keys on his keyboard in response to prompts on his monitor, and the lesson is "Don't play The Stanley Parable."    … Expand
  22. Gigatless
    Nov 23, 2013
    4
    I know this game is made from HL mod, but I didn't really enjoy the game.
    There are a lot of reasons why I gave it 4:
    Zero: its probably made on portal engine and its possible to make this if you are a modder with a team. Nothing special about it yet. - First: You don't know where it ends. - Second: a lot of nonsense here and there. - Third: You don't have any aim in the game    I know this game is made from HL mod, but I didn't really enjoy the game.
    There are a lot of reasons why I gave it 4:

    Zero: its probably made on portal engine and its possible to make this if you are a modder with a team. Nothing special about it yet.

    - First: You don't know where it ends.
    - Second: a lot of nonsense here and there.
    - Third: You don't have any aim in the game including the thing "Maybe you would like to know more about it". Well, I don't want to explore empty offices over and over again just to find new nonsense ****.
    - Fourth: I don't like this kind of voice acting. It Too polite. I don't enjoy overplaying. I don't enjoy being treaten with respect in game. Im completely tired of this. Some character in game should tell me that Im an idiotic player and that nobody cares if I would ever complete the game. That would motivate me these days way more than usual.
    - Fifth: you just wonder and push the buttons and get entertain. Thats pretty much all about this game.    … Expand
  23. altruista
    Dec 17, 2013
    1
    Watching walk-through videos on Youtube will give you more joy than playing actual game. To be honest this would be great youtube game, where you need to click a link to choose a path.
  24. Postmodernist
    Dec 12, 2013
    1
    There're some critics over there who like to speculate about games as an art form argument. This game is for them. You can easily extend it by thinking about it, and there's a lot of room for getting philosophical. That what journalists and critics look for. Boring as hell for actual player.
  25. MorgathNZ
    Dec 15, 2013
    2
    I haven't played the real game, just the demo. I was not impressed. I've seen so many positive evaluations of the game i played the demo hoping to see a hint of what people like about it. I saw nothing. Got to be the most boring thing i've ever seen. Sorry. I give it 2 points for originality.
  26. VeggyZ
    Feb 23, 2014
    4
    Now, I have not given this game as much time as some, but I have given it a good handful of hours and I did find it quite enjoyable and humorous. However, the narration being good and clever, and the branching "stories" that you cause lose some appeal when one considers that he must replay a lot of the same things to find the alternate branches. Within my first 2 hours I had literallyNow, I have not given this game as much time as some, but I have given it a good handful of hours and I did find it quite enjoyable and humorous. However, the narration being good and clever, and the branching "stories" that you cause lose some appeal when one considers that he must replay a lot of the same things to find the alternate branches. Within my first 2 hours I had literally found roughly 30 percent of what the game had to offer, and after playing a few more hours I was certainly getting tired of reliving the first moments of the game (...or the later moments) to try and discover more twists and outcomes.

    The game is truly unique and the narration is well done, and it is quite funny. So why did I give this a lowish score? It is what it is, and it isn't much more than that. There's a very clear limit to what can be done and this limit can be reached very quickly in comparison with many, or most, other games. The developers clearly knew this as one of the achievements is to not play the game for 5 years. Perhaps, for a lower price, I would have a more favorable review but I do believe it was a little too high to warrant the amount of content and the repetitive nature of the game.

    It was a fun ride, but a little short and I'm unfortunately left with little desire to seek out the rest of the meat. Which is a reasonable portion of the game, but still not enough content in the mean-time to warrant the play time you invest to find the rest.

    I think, the reason that this game has such high scores overall is because those reviews are being made by less hardcore gamers whose expectations may not be as lofty as my own. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, but I didn't know it would be as short lived as it is. For a casual gamer who doesn't mind spending just an hour or two playing a game (most likely, those who have the game purchased for them by their parents) I'm sure the game is a delightful departure from the norm, but for those like me, we expect more in the way of content.

    What it does, it does do well. But it doesn't do all that much and that's the most glaring problem I have with it - and this is a big problem for a video game, casual or not.

    My rating is a 4. It's a fun concept and decent entertainment, but not for nearly long enough at the price and the concept isn't exactly revolutionary - it's been done in most open ended games - the only difference is here we have a narrator who comments on what we choose to do, or to ignore. I guess I thought I'd get a little bit more playtime out of it.    … Expand
  27. MrZero
    Oct 28, 2013
    1
    So, I bought this "game" for $15 during a Steam sale I regretted my decision almost immediately.

    This game has a great user rating (which means far more to me than any critic rating) and after watching the trailers and reading some reviews, I decided to take a chance. Now to be fair, I knew this wasn't your typical game, but touted as rather a "movie-type" game that you really    So, I bought this "game" for $15 during a Steam sale I regretted my decision almost immediately.

    This game has a great user rating (which means far more to me than any critic rating) and after watching the trailers and reading some reviews, I decided to take a chance.

    Now to be fair, I knew this wasn't your typical game, but touted as rather a "movie-type" game that you really navigated through; however, the payoff was to be amusing, twisted, deep, though-provoking and every other type of adjective your typical hipster would throw at a game like this.

    I found this game to be none of that, albeit slightly amusing at moments. The narration is awesome; however, it, along with the games "jokes" wear thin pretty quick and make the game tedious and boring.

    After about three hours of playing and approximately 2.5 hours of boredom and disinterest, I finally shut the game off and watched the walk-thru on You Tube. It was literally the same experience as "playing" the game, only more convenient and free. After watching all the possible endings I just shrugged my shoulders and immediately uninstalled.

    Now quick disclaimer: I love developers who take chances with games, and on that note, I totally give these guys props; however, taking chances does not a good game make and this game, on any level, is not good. Save your money and just watch the walk-thru on You Tube.    … Expand
  28. Traingineer
    Nov 8, 2013
    1
    This isn't really a game. All you do is either listen to a narrator and go through a passage or don't listen to him and go through the other passage, that's it. Unless you like going through doors in a game and listening to a person telling you to go through a bunch of specific doors, this game isn't really worth it.
  29. VisceralVIcar
    Oct 21, 2013
    2
    Whenever I complete a game, I ask myself "would I have been content watching someone else play this game?" The Stanley Parable is one of those few games along side with Gone Home, Dear Esther, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs that I have answered "Yes" to that question. In the barest form, the Stanley Parable is a walking simulator with an interactive choice driven audio book attached toWhenever I complete a game, I ask myself "would I have been content watching someone else play this game?" The Stanley Parable is one of those few games along side with Gone Home, Dear Esther, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs that I have answered "Yes" to that question. In the barest form, the Stanley Parable is a walking simulator with an interactive choice driven audio book attached to it. Whenever I started watching YouTube videos on the first Batman Arkham game to decide if I wanted to buy it or not, I had to desire to play the game. I wanted to overcome the challenges myself and after getting 100% on Asylum and City, I can say that I achieved that. I beat the Joker, Penguin, Bane, Thug #427, and the Riddler. I stopped Hugo Strange! I overcame those challenges not someone else. I had to deal with the consequences of failing a particular section. The Stanley Parable presents no challenges, no reason to play the game after you have experienced every ending, and no way to fail the game besides not at least getting one ending. The only reason I can see why you would want to play the game versus watching someone else play is the inquisitive thought you will have when the person takes one choice over the other. You will ask yourself what would happen. However, I did not feel any sort of accomplishment playing this game. I felt the same hollow feeling when I played Dear Esther, Gone Home, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs as I asked the game as if It would talk back "is this it? Is this all you have to offer?". I felt like I had wasted money, that I had fallen into the trap of my friends proclaiming the game's greatness and brilliance, that I had given into the hype of the game.… Expand
  30. PonyDoctor
    Dec 3, 2013
    1
    Unblvbly overrated. Humans just forgot how really free games looks like. Unblvbly overrated. ZERO re-playability. ZERO creativity. ZERO fun. ZERO smarts. Pffff hate it.
  31. areviewer
    Oct 22, 2013
    3
    First off. This is not a game, it is a walking simulator that contains very little actual gameplay and is focused on story and narrative which is delivered by your standard British holier than thou voice which very quickly becomes annoying. The message that the game is trying to convey is admittedly interesting but nowhere near the thought provoking masterpiece that reviewers would haveFirst off. This is not a game, it is a walking simulator that contains very little actual gameplay and is focused on story and narrative which is delivered by your standard British holier than thou voice which very quickly becomes annoying. The message that the game is trying to convey is admittedly interesting but nowhere near the thought provoking masterpiece that reviewers would have you believe. Overall it has its merits and if you enjoy games such as gone home or dear esther it could be worth a purchase but as of now asking $15 for this is simply insulting. Highly recommend either getting it in a steam sale or the inevitable indie bundle that will contain it… Expand
  32. Diablo92
    Oct 30, 2013
    1
    You'll only like this game if you like running in circles or like to see the same stuff you just past but then come across it a hundred more times.. I don't understand one bit of it, is no storyline at all to it and i don't think its really all that fun(making circles), however the puzzling is pretty fun. All i have left to say is, i am 100% happy that i did'nt pay for this peace of crap.You'll only like this game if you like running in circles or like to see the same stuff you just past but then come across it a hundred more times.. I don't understand one bit of it, is no storyline at all to it and i don't think its really all that fun(making circles), however the puzzling is pretty fun. All i have left to say is, i am 100% happy that i did'nt pay for this peace of crap. $15 to watch yourself make all kinds of loops, just like listening to a broken record player. You can get to outside less than half an hour but then if you choose next time to go a totally different route then the game lasts much longer, i dont understand that at all. Would NOT recommend.… Expand
  33. Basinas1313
    Dec 19, 2013
    0
    I believe that whoever rated the game so highly is because either he's afraid of being called "dump" and criticized for not understanding a so-called "smart" game (similarly to the trailer of the game where the narrator faces a supposable critic called raphael with irony and derision) or his lack of intelligence makes him consider this game as ****

    You expect it to be all complexed    I believe that whoever rated the game so highly is because either he's afraid of being called "dump" and criticized for not understanding a so-called "smart" game (similarly to the trailer of the game where the narrator faces a supposable critic called raphael with irony and derision) or his lack of intelligence makes him consider this game as ****

    You expect it to be all complexed and clever but in fact is boring and makes you wonder why are you still playing. It's so unintereresting and a total waste of time.    … Expand
  34. harviolo
    Dec 31, 2013
    0
    Even though I bought this in the sale I have to admit it's not even worth the sale price. This should be about £1.99 at most. Buying this was my second biggest mistake of 2013 that stinking pile of crap 'Takedown: Red Sabre', being the first.

    At best this 'game', if you can call it that, is patronising and boring. There is no original, high brow, intellectual message within and I am    Even though I bought this in the sale I have to admit it's not even worth the sale price. This should be about £1.99 at most. Buying this was my second biggest mistake of 2013 that stinking pile of crap 'Takedown: Red Sabre', being the first.

    At best this 'game', if you can call it that, is patronising and boring. There is no original, high brow, intellectual message within and I am baffled as to how it scored so highly. Steam really needs to implement some form of refund system.    … Expand
  35. timmytime
    Oct 22, 2013
    2
    An absolutely piece of game. It claims to be a parable, and while it is insultingly stupid there's no profound lesson here for you to learn. Other than a series of arbitrary choices. Ultimately you'll only enjoy this if you want to play a comedy game with dull oh-so-witty humour from the British narrator. Don't play this. Also it pisses me off that this doesn't get the same "Is it reallyAn absolutely piece of game. It claims to be a parable, and while it is insultingly stupid there's no profound lesson here for you to learn. Other than a series of arbitrary choices. Ultimately you'll only enjoy this if you want to play a comedy game with dull oh-so-witty humour from the British narrator. Don't play this. Also it pisses me off that this doesn't get the same "Is it really a GAME?" criticism that Gone Home did when this is much worse and insultingly shallow.… Expand
  36. Cam1010
    Oct 30, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave this game a zero to help bring the score down (really deserves a 7 imho) Listen carefully fellow gamers when all these other reviewers tell you its 2-3 hours long at best. What breaks the game for me is there is nothing in the game to actually figure out. Each ending is discovered by exploration only, never by interacting with the world and solving any kind of puzzle or dilemma. REALLY was enjoying the game until the point I was "stuck" couldn't figure out what to do next to advance the story. Went online for a hint only to discover Id already discovered about 90% of the game and there wasn't anything more to the game. Bottom line is I too fell ripped off for listening to all the high reviews that just said AWESOME trust me buy it! Its a $2-3 experience. I bought Bioshock Infinite on Steam recently for $13..bought this for $15. Lesson learned about wise allocation of limiting gaming funds.… Expand
  37. MayhemMike83
    Oct 19, 2013
    3
    Well I'm sorry but this isn't a game. You basically run around trying to find the story of the game with a narrator helping you do so. The point of it is to show you the limitations of gaming, maybe even of your life but in all honesty, ppl who think about "life" or "games" know that already and don't need this software.

    So, if you want a real game a piece of entertainment then avoid    Well I'm sorry but this isn't a game. You basically run around trying to find the story of the game with a narrator helping you do so. The point of it is to show you the limitations of gaming, maybe even of your life but in all honesty, ppl who think about "life" or "games" know that already and don't need this software.

    So, if you want a real game a piece of entertainment then avoid this title but if you want to experience what game design is all about then feel free to buy this and run around in circles for an hour.    … Expand
  38. Draculamarth
    Nov 7, 2013
    1
    Why is this game on Steam? It is literally a Half-Life mod that isn't funny. Why pay money for it? It's not even a good mod. All it is is lame jokes, 100 endings that all run together and walking forward. There's no game here.
  39. Wuji
    Dec 29, 2014
    0
    I can see that this game is a clever piece of art however, it is not a game at all. It is more of a statement of someone who thinks they are more clever and witty than everyone else. I tried hard to like this but, instead I just felt really bad for anyone who actually paid money to play it for an hour.
  40. Zen-Zinxe
    Mar 11, 2014
    4
    This game genuinely made me feel like I was wasting my life. I actually felt suicidal while playing, wishing I could somehow cause the game to end entirely by having my character kill himself. Going through this game is tedious and somewhat torturous. I wasn't entirely bored by it, it was interesting enough and amusing enough to keep me playing for a few hours. But make no mistake, this isThis game genuinely made me feel like I was wasting my life. I actually felt suicidal while playing, wishing I could somehow cause the game to end entirely by having my character kill himself. Going through this game is tedious and somewhat torturous. I wasn't entirely bored by it, it was interesting enough and amusing enough to keep me playing for a few hours. But make no mistake, this is a legitimate walking simulator with less gameplay functions than the new Amnesia. It's a game for people with limited perspective. If you're impressed by psuedo-intellectual ramblings you'll enjoy this far more than me. This was nothing new, nothing groundbreaking, nothing smart, nothing innovative. It was none of these things to me.

    If I had to describe it in one sentence it would be this: It's like portal except there's no challenge and you wonder when your character will fall down and expire so you can move on with your life.

    Also the broom closet ending was f**king cash.    … Expand
  41. hapklaar
    Nov 9, 2013
    4
    The game is interesting for about an hour, after that repetition, repetition with minor twists. Not enough to keep me satisfied in any case.

    With all the good reviews here I really expected more.
  42. noelhuxley
    Dec 2, 2013
    3
    Bought this "game" in a sale... and glad I didn't pay full price.

    Played for a total of 52 minutes, completed the game and quit... found myself yawning throughout.

    Like many people I really don't know how the hell this got such a high score.

    Really disappointing!
  43. Reviewer3342
    Dec 24, 2013
    1
    The Stanley Parable. This will resonate in my head for a very long time. I'm not a difficult customer demanding something special. But this... I don't understand why the 'game' has been rated so high. After 10th restart of a story I gave up. I can strongly recommend to watch a bit of the game on youtube and then decide, if you'll spend your money on this 'product'. I'm actually upset IThe Stanley Parable. This will resonate in my head for a very long time. I'm not a difficult customer demanding something special. But this... I don't understand why the 'game' has been rated so high. After 10th restart of a story I gave up. I can strongly recommend to watch a bit of the game on youtube and then decide, if you'll spend your money on this 'product'. I'm actually upset I spent any money on this game. I'm giving it one point, because the game actually starts up without crashing. Everything beyond this point is a rubbish.… Expand
  44. bigpmpnick06
    Jan 1, 2014
    3
    The game was semi-interesting for about 45 minutes. At that point I had about a third of the endings and was left with no desire to experience the others. No replayability to it at all.
  45. mtRoom
    Aug 22, 2014
    4
    Not a terrible game, just quite frankly... boring. If you want a game that gives you a good feeling each time you accomplish a task, defeat a difficult enemy, or solve a challenging puzzle, look elsewhere. This is more of an interactive comedy movie, albeit a comedy movie where the the comedy is thin and where the movie has no plot.

    The entertainment value of the game relies solely on    Not a terrible game, just quite frankly... boring. If you want a game that gives you a good feeling each time you accomplish a task, defeat a difficult enemy, or solve a challenging puzzle, look elsewhere. This is more of an interactive comedy movie, albeit a comedy movie where the the comedy is thin and where the movie has no plot.

    The entertainment value of the game relies solely on its ability to generate humour through a cheery-voiced Brit making observations about Stanley's directions and though I had a few chuckles at the beginning, it got tedious fairly quickly. In fact, I imagine the people who were mostly amused were the developer's themselves.

    The overriding feeling of pointlessness becomes evident the moment you realise there's no actual story; just a series of introductions and endings. If the humour was clever and witty, I could appreciate it. More often though, I'm sitting waiting for the narrator to hurry up and finish his next rant or remark so we can move on, despite knowing full well the game isn't go to go anywhere.

    In the end, I came to realise that the game had never really left where it started, only it's the player sitting there pushing the buttons as the computer spits out orders. It's just a pity I coudn't find the 'refund' button anywhere..    … Expand
  46. tazhda24
    Jun 25, 2014
    3
    Bought game on sale for ~$8. Thought I was getting a bargain. Was expecting hours of gameplay, dozens of endings and a well thought out ending to tie the game together.....if you have similar expectations, I want to warn you in advance.
    The game can be played through most endings (without being too pedantic) in an hour or so. There are no puzzles to solve here. The game is very linear in    Bought game on sale for ~$8. Thought I was getting a bargain. Was expecting hours of gameplay, dozens of endings and a well thought out ending to tie the game together.....if you have similar expectations, I want to warn you in advance.
    The game can be played through most endings (without being too pedantic) in an hour or so. There are no puzzles to solve here. The game is very linear in that there aren't really that many endings and 99% of objects aren't interactable.
    Only time I smiled was when I wondered if it was possible to fall onto something and found out I could, and the narrator reacted to my action. But that one moment was pretty much the only good moment in the game. I thought the game would be clever and make me think. I think what the game tries to do is criticise the linearity of certain games. But I am a GTA / Just Cause fan, where the worlds are 100x more open world than the Stanley Parable, so from my point of view it didnt really make me think.
    This game is marketed as a mystery. What is the Stanley Parable you might ask? It is a mystery people are buying into..thats pretty much it    … Expand
  47. Nightveil
    May 31, 2016
    0
    The thing about The Stanley Parable is that it is, after all, a parable. It's preaching about a thing in the form of a story designed to illustrate its point.

    And that's fine as far as it goes. The problem lies in the fact that the thing the game preaches about is how bad games are for people and wouldn't it be better if we all went outside. There is a wry humor to the game,    The thing about The Stanley Parable is that it is, after all, a parable. It's preaching about a thing in the form of a story designed to illustrate its point.

    And that's fine as far as it goes. The problem lies in the fact that the thing the game preaches about is how bad games are for people and wouldn't it be better if we all went outside.

    There is a wry humor to the game, certainly and the weird feeling you get as you try to find out how the game works is certainly effective, but it becomes obvious to anyone who's been gaming for decades that the story is all about the idea that gaming on the whole is bad and somehow stifles human creativity.

    And that's all there is.

    Don't waste your money or your time with this. There are better pieces of interactive fiction available.    … Expand
  48. rabbit368
    Oct 31, 2016
    0
    Like an artsy movie the game tries to make a statement about other games and their lack of choice. In the end it succeeds quite well at this, but spending 3 hours wandering around an office to have pointed out to me all the ways games are flawed is not really my idea of fun. I got the joke, such that it was, after the first 30 mins.
  49. fcon
    Apr 30, 2017
    0
    An evil game that uses subliminal messages in the demo to convince you to buy the game. AVOID THE GAME. THIS ALONE SHOULD CONVINCE YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THESE MANIPULATIVE PEOPLE'S HORRID GAME.
  50. AsboXFlemzo
    Oct 20, 2013
    1
    In not trolling and ive never given 1 out of 10 to any game in my life. Im serious at how much a waste of money this game is. Game incorrect- interactive narrative. Therefore it shouldn't even be in this section. The gameplay is 3 thing walk, click maybe 5 buttons, listen to the narrator and endings. No matter which way you go that's all you get. Gameplay 1 out of 10. Sound 2-3 tracks ofIn not trolling and ive never given 1 out of 10 to any game in my life. Im serious at how much a waste of money this game is. Game incorrect- interactive narrative. Therefore it shouldn't even be in this section. The gameplay is 3 thing walk, click maybe 5 buttons, listen to the narrator and endings. No matter which way you go that's all you get. Gameplay 1 out of 10. Sound 2-3 tracks of music and then rest is the narrators rants reused sound effects 2 out of 10. Graphics are terrible texture are blank and bad 1 out of 10.
    Story their is no story, its just like listening to a man ranting about life and everything about gameplay. Honestly its boring beyond its meaning 1 out of 10. This comes to an average of 1/10 If you include the time played and complete an average ending is 15mins. Replay ability you wish it wasn't. Buy heavy rain thats how you make a interactive narrative into a game. Demo was better than the game.    … Expand
  51. Chamberland
    Oct 21, 2013
    1
    Not a perfect game. This site deserves to at least be broken or realize that it is broken. Rant rant rant rant ran....................................
  52. maerean
    Dec 15, 2013
    0
    Do not buy it.

    The demo (that is free) is awesome.

    The game itself is not a game, is extremely mean and pointless. I feel sorry for the money I spent on it.

    Do not make the same mistake.
  53. SammiXero
    Mar 4, 2014
    0
    considering how good the reviews are for this game, i got easily bored and felt cheated even though i got it on a steam sale. yes it was fun hearing the 'witty' things the narrator said. at first. then i did all the endings and figured out that it is boring and generic and mundane.
  54. MigRib
    Apr 16, 2014
    0
    First of all this is not a game, so I shouldn't even be trying to review it in this section. What is it? It's a kind of a pedantic, arrogant, self-inflated bag of air done by would-be artists. It's provokes the same revulsion in my stomach that modern art which consists in a stroke of black paint on white canvas. It shouldn't be sold. As a free product I would review it negatively becauseFirst of all this is not a game, so I shouldn't even be trying to review it in this section. What is it? It's a kind of a pedantic, arrogant, self-inflated bag of air done by would-be artists. It's provokes the same revulsion in my stomach that modern art which consists in a stroke of black paint on white canvas. It shouldn't be sold. As a free product I would review it negatively because I know that ignorant hipsters love to highlight the marvelous qualities that this vacuum does not contain. But, as it does not contain anything (quite the same as the modern art painting) you can put there whatever a tortuous mind of a pseudo-intellectual wants to.… Expand
  55. GAMEGUIDE
    Oct 30, 2013
    1
    you have to be joking this is a pile of crap don,t wast your money

    and why the hell have people been scoring hi :O the content lasts for 10 min
    yes it dose change a bit when you do different things but bottom line rubbish
    i can,t think of anything good to say at all so i will say no more
  56. Sabatasso
    Dec 28, 2013
    0
    This is not a game, and shouldn't be rated as one. This is a graphic novel with poor graphics and an OK story. Nothing to go all excited about at all in my opinion. I'm not joining the bandwagon because I'm not a sheep. I'm not warning others away from this product though, you might quite possibly like it. But it's very short.
  57. NewtSoup
    Jan 5, 2014
    0
    How this pile of rubbish rates an 8 is beyond me. Apparently the game is about freedom and choice. I found myself frequently wandering an utterly linear path, unable it interact with anything in particular listening to the (well spoken) narrator droning on about how I was wandering down a path. The truth is, there are very few choices to make in this "software" (I refuse to call it aHow this pile of rubbish rates an 8 is beyond me. Apparently the game is about freedom and choice. I found myself frequently wandering an utterly linear path, unable it interact with anything in particular listening to the (well spoken) narrator droning on about how I was wandering down a path. The truth is, there are very few choices to make in this "software" (I refuse to call it a game). Lacklustre graphics (even for the source engine) reduce this to a full on 0 for me. A total waste of money and time..… Expand
  58. Estranged
    Oct 22, 2013
    0
    This is an interactive branching "story" written by an infantile person. It's a parody that breaks the fourth wall and basically says "You want to do this or that? But you can't, you are in a game! Take this random nonsense instead!" Apparently the critics think this is very deep and smart for some reason. It staggers the mind how this atrocity can have such a high score. Maybe theThis is an interactive branching "story" written by an infantile person. It's a parody that breaks the fourth wall and basically says "You want to do this or that? But you can't, you are in a game! Take this random nonsense instead!" Apparently the critics think this is very deep and smart for some reason. It staggers the mind how this atrocity can have such a high score. Maybe the professional reviewers were afraid to give it a low score, because they didn't want to have fingers pointed at them and people saying "Ha, ha, they didn't get it". Or maybe the professional reviewers have no experience with good books, because breaking the 4th wall is nothing new, and random infantile events and parody in a story is something kids aged 8 are able to do. I regret the time wasted on this, I felt the need to take a bath after touching this pile of dirt.… Expand
  59. hootis
    Feb 7, 2018
    0
    To explain this game, I'm going to compare it to other popular and good games, I hope you've played them.

    This game is like Half-life 1 if it stopped at the end of the tram ride. This game is like half-life 2 if it was only playing around with the gravity gun inbetween the first two acts. This game is like rocket league, but single player and no ball. This game is like Pubg but    To explain this game, I'm going to compare it to other popular and good games, I hope you've played them.

    This game is like Half-life 1 if it stopped at the end of the tram ride.
    This game is like half-life 2 if it was only playing around with the gravity gun inbetween the first two acts.
    This game is like rocket league, but single player and no ball.
    This game is like Pubg but everyone starts with the same weapons on an even map.
    This game is like tf2, if there was only one class.
    This game is like counter-strike but with horrible lag.
    This game is like starcraft, but you can only play against the AI & no storyline.

    This game is the shell of a game, is the idea of a game. It's a mod. IT IS A MOD. Don't pay 20$.    … Expand
  60. 01100001q
    Oct 20, 2013
    4
    The pretense is strong in this one.

    A User Score of 8.2 and a Metascore of 92 are too high for this game. Very overrated. It's interesting... not necessarily good, but definitely interesting.
  61. Metalmaster91
    Jul 2, 2015
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I understood the meaning of the game and almost the 80% of the secrets and clues on the museum. I am a gamer, and I like to play videogames, not a paranoid reasoning about videogames or the development of them. This game it’s simply boring, not intractable (you can transmit the same idea, letting the player interact more with the context), or even making a book to transmit your thinking. It’s made for people that needs to get unique experience to get realized. And what means the museum? It’s like: “Oh, see!! What a huge d*** I got!! I have made this for this reason, u see?” It’s really not a good game…… Expand
  62. mattco
    Dec 26, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had to create an account on Metacritic just to review this game. After all the high scores, it sounded promising even though I couldn't really tell what the game was about. Well, don't waste your time. The entire game is wandering around like one of those old "create your own story" books where you kept flipping to different pages depending on your choices. The reload wait times and the slow, boring narrator made this game the biggest waste of money I've ever spent on a "game."… Expand
  63. BoneAnza
    Oct 24, 2013
    0
    My 14 y/o son downloaded this game for me and asked me to play it because he loved it. I played the demo for about 30 minutes and I couldn't stand it. Sorry...not my style for a game. I must be an old fart.
  64. chedRvendetR
    Oct 30, 2013
    0
    This game is too damn short. If it weren't just 10 minutes of gameplay I would have given this a good review, but no. This game has some definite good moments but they don't raise the bar.
  65. Avidean
    May 20, 2014
    0
    Clearly we have all been coned by the developer in of The Stanley Parable and as usual by the so called expert reviewers and of course the 1000+ fake positive reviews. This game is joke! It is mind numbingly repetitive and utterly pointless. And if the point is that they are trying to make some artsy fartsy philosophical revelation they utterly fail. This game ruined my weekend! I haven'tClearly we have all been coned by the developer in of The Stanley Parable and as usual by the so called expert reviewers and of course the 1000+ fake positive reviews. This game is joke! It is mind numbingly repetitive and utterly pointless. And if the point is that they are trying to make some artsy fartsy philosophical revelation they utterly fail. This game ruined my weekend! I haven't bought a Computer game in a couple of years and after this I doubt if I will again for a long time. Don't get sucked in by the demo either. You feel like the demo is leading you somewhere! Challenging you to solve some subtle and challenging puzzle but there is nothing; And you feel drawn in, you need to get the full game to go on to solve the mystery but the game ends in nothing too! That's what this game is nothing. Dull and boring beyond belief. Zero out of 10 Don't buy it!… Expand
  66. squarepower
    Oct 18, 2013
    0
    All these 10 reviews must be written by kids who have never read sci-fi or seen any good movies. This game I bite my tongue as I refer to this time-sink as a game is so overhyped. There is some humor in it, but nothing funny enough to pass the "I blew some air out of my nose" level. I've unlocked 9 out of 10 achievements and found most of the endings and find the whole experience toAll these 10 reviews must be written by kids who have never read sci-fi or seen any good movies. This game I bite my tongue as I refer to this time-sink as a game is so overhyped. There is some humor in it, but nothing funny enough to pass the "I blew some air out of my nose" level. I've unlocked 9 out of 10 achievements and found most of the endings and find the whole experience to be largely unmemorable. I feel no desire to launch the game again to explore any further.… Expand
  67. Blinkrieg
    Dec 1, 2013
    0
    As stated by my fellow reviewers, this is more of a walking simulator than a game. I purchased this expecting a videogame that would show a new face of the industry, a true experiencie that could match its appealing and daring title. But none of it had a solid reason The Stanley Parable's joke doesn't lie in its narrator's annoying voice, but in the fact itself of the customers spendingAs stated by my fellow reviewers, this is more of a walking simulator than a game. I purchased this expecting a videogame that would show a new face of the industry, a true experiencie that could match its appealing and daring title. But none of it had a solid reason The Stanley Parable's joke doesn't lie in its narrator's annoying voice, but in the fact itself of the customers spending up to 15 in an experience that can last some ridiculous 4 minutes.

    There is no plot whatsoever. There is no gameplay. There is no replayability. The developers thought they had discovered the ultimate, true meaning of life and tried to make the statement in the shape of a videogame they could, why noy, charge an abusive price for.

    Truth be told, if you are slightly intelligent and have spent some hours along your life wondering about existence, its meaning and the approach our society has taken to it, this "game" turns bold and useless. Doing some research on YouTube's walkthroughs will try to teach you the same obvious facts while being free of charge; thus I encourage you to disregard this piece of software.

    Play the mod if you can't help it, but don't support this degree of laziness which I fear could easily extend to future games. And maybe that way we will prevent developers from taking themselves as the new men of Renaissance, something they are clearly not.

    Uninstalled.    … Expand
  68. MontyForester
    Mar 23, 2014
    0
    Original crap is still the crap. No game world, no game-play, no story, nothing... The whole application is not a game but a lie, and it does even try to hide it.
    Unfortunately (for our civilization) most people are willing to be deceived...
  69. the_nugget
    Oct 22, 2013
    1
    i was disappointed when playing the new Stanley parable as i believe that they have really just taken money off of the people who by the game when it isn't really any different to the original version which was free. and this was disappointing due to the cost of it. The free version was fun and entertaining to play, however playing the new remake was poorly interactive and i didn't feeli was disappointed when playing the new Stanley parable as i believe that they have really just taken money off of the people who by the game when it isn't really any different to the original version which was free. and this was disappointing due to the cost of it. The free version was fun and entertaining to play, however playing the new remake was poorly interactive and i didn't feel involved or interested in the story because i had played it before for free. if you want to try this game don't buy it play the free version don't waste your time or money.… Expand
  70. Sh4rkill3r
    Oct 19, 2013
    0
    This game dont deserve to be selled. Is a bad bad remade mod, with and ultra lineal finals.
    Play the mod instead to pay for this... Played all the finals and the game is ultra boring. A waste of money.
  71. GoodReview
    Oct 23, 2013
    2
    this game is just like the mod. do not waste your money on this game. do you think you should buy a game that you can beat in 4 minute 22 second? I don't think so.
  72. toxicmoron
    Jan 14, 2015
    0
    This is my first review on metacritic and will probably be my one and only one, but I really felt I had to share this. I have a deep hunch that this game is all about how FAKE RATINGS can make a person like myself buy a totally crap game. I cannot believe how ridiculous this "game" is: totally linear, no empathic connection whatsoever to the character or the environment, and no directionThis is my first review on metacritic and will probably be my one and only one, but I really felt I had to share this. I have a deep hunch that this game is all about how FAKE RATINGS can make a person like myself buy a totally crap game. I cannot believe how ridiculous this "game" is: totally linear, no empathic connection whatsoever to the character or the environment, and no direction at all. This game is a proof of how low the gaming industry can go. I'm "glad" I bought this game for about 3 euros, but knowing what I know now, I would want to be paid a LOT of money to spend even five more minutes on it. A total market scam (check all those 10/10 marks and read the text, they're quite implausible. Stay miles away and don't even spend one cent on this one.… Expand
  73. Muskie
    Mar 22, 2014
    0
    I just created an account because I think this game....game?...not sure it is the right definition ...it is more an April fool than a game. Forget all the positives reviews here. Young people think they discovered the true by trying to play this but in fact it is just what most of us already know and don't want to ear again and think again. Get the cash, do your best and pay your bill. WeI just created an account because I think this game....game?...not sure it is the right definition ...it is more an April fool than a game. Forget all the positives reviews here. Young people think they discovered the true by trying to play this but in fact it is just what most of us already know and don't want to ear again and think again. Get the cash, do your best and pay your bill. We bought games to relax and forget about the job not to remain us how our life can suck or how to see the life in a way that is total negativity. It is a good way to become tired of everything and start to forget how life can be great Just compare us to the rest of the planet. People are so whimsical and selfish ..please don't feed the moron's brain with that kind of stuff. LoL
    In short ... Download the demo.. play it.. If you can't catch the joke you not gonna like the game and even if you catch it and find it funny you're not gonna have a game if you buy the full release just the repetition of what you have found in the demo. Don't worth a penny to me since you gonna waste your precious time and money at thinking how your life can suck without doing anything constructive. It is a game killer. If you want to stop playing games ..good for you    … Expand
  74. Deathspitter40K
    Oct 18, 2013
    0
    pretty poor game really. i know i only spent £8 on it but in 16 and i could have spent it on vanity items for a game i dont even play and still have more use than this game. from the way everyone was hiding its story i thought the game would have been more in depth and longer. i played 84 mins most of which was trying to understand what i had spent my money on. i dont like to criticizepretty poor game really. i know i only spent £8 on it but in 16 and i could have spent it on vanity items for a game i dont even play and still have more use than this game. from the way everyone was hiding its story i thought the game would have been more in depth and longer. i played 84 mins most of which was trying to understand what i had spent my money on. i dont like to criticize indie games and i try to appreciate them for what they are. but i just cant appreciate some thing that i could put together in a weekend.… Expand
  75. I7aTP0H
    Oct 20, 2013
    0
    I really don't get this game. It was quite entertaining when I first played it, but it got boring very soon. It's just missing the core element games must have FUN. I don't care if there's interesting story, or good voice acting of narrator as long this game is no fun. Replaying same bits over and over just to find different solution is annoying and boring. So, don't believe them critics,I really don't get this game. It was quite entertaining when I first played it, but it got boring very soon. It's just missing the core element games must have FUN. I don't care if there's interesting story, or good voice acting of narrator as long this game is no fun. Replaying same bits over and over just to find different solution is annoying and boring. So, don't believe them critics, who see masterpiece in this beautifully crafted but utterly boring creation.… Expand
  76. Raynnon
    Jan 6, 2014
    0
    This is not a game. This is a just a voice which says what you have to do. Finally you do not have a lot of possibilities in this "game". It is just like somebody who tell you a story...
  77. Cioby
    Apr 1, 2016
    0
    Buying this game is like buying Flappy Bird or any other **** game. Spoilers? Nothing to spoil, the game is crap. Basically all you do is walk around and you see crazy **** crap as you do or don't listen to the voice narrating where you go. I guess people have no real will in real life and think that "hay, if I can go against my story, my will, my repetitive life, in this game, I won atBuying this game is like buying Flappy Bird or any other **** game. Spoilers? Nothing to spoil, the game is crap. Basically all you do is walk around and you see crazy **** crap as you do or don't listen to the voice narrating where you go. I guess people have no real will in real life and think that "hay, if I can go against my story, my will, my repetitive life, in this game, I won at life! Yay!".
    No. The game is **** and unworthy of purchase at above 1$    … Expand
  78. Pelu
    Jan 23, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Indie trash without a real game. It's wannabe philosophical, lasts as long as a movie, but is an order of magnitude less interesting than most movies. There were a couple of good jokes that made me smile but it lacks content. The choices you had could have been made so much more interesting than just "go left, go right", replicated 8 times.… Expand
  79. diehard-gamer
    Dec 30, 2014
    2
    Disappointing. Just purchased this for £3 on steam. Completed it in two attempts and under 15 minutes. By 'completed' I mean I reached the end/credits zone. Not impressed. It's a mildly interesting diversion - but £3 for less than 15 minutes makes it very expensive (not to mention linier and simplistic) entertainment compared to say £40 for 100+ hours on Dragon Age 3. I'm sure there areDisappointing. Just purchased this for £3 on steam. Completed it in two attempts and under 15 minutes. By 'completed' I mean I reached the end/credits zone. Not impressed. It's a mildly interesting diversion - but £3 for less than 15 minutes makes it very expensive (not to mention linier and simplistic) entertainment compared to say £40 for 100+ hours on Dragon Age 3. I'm sure there are alternate looping paths through the game, but knowing the ending I'm really not that interested.… Expand
  80. Scerion
    Aug 31, 2014
    1
    I'm not sure why this game ever got such good reviews really. It's mostly a passive experience, listening to some guy droning on and on forever as you just walk about. It has very simplistic graphics, built on the old Half Life source engine. It's been cut down though, so you can't jump, open doors, or do anything much, apart from interact with about 1 item in every 10 rooms. I was boredI'm not sure why this game ever got such good reviews really. It's mostly a passive experience, listening to some guy droning on and on forever as you just walk about. It has very simplistic graphics, built on the old Half Life source engine. It's been cut down though, so you can't jump, open doors, or do anything much, apart from interact with about 1 item in every 10 rooms. I was bored of wandering around the same office after about 20 minutes - there's really only a handful of rooms, and most are totally non-interactive. I don't think the author should be encouraged to make anything else like this, it's just terrible.

    I don't recommend it to anyone, unless they have trouble sleeping, and want to nod off with this droning in their ears!    … Expand
  81. thiagoFerreiraL
    Jun 29, 2014
    3
    I bought this game on a sale and I thank god for that, for if I didn't, I would feel ripped off badly.
    Some people call "Artsy Games" games that have little to no gameplay and focuses on story alone. The Stanley Parable doesn't have a gameplay nor a story. So what is it? Just a walking simulation about breaking the 4th wall. It's not a game, it's basically a lecture.
    I played for about 1    I bought this game on a sale and I thank god for that, for if I didn't, I would feel ripped off badly.
    Some people call "Artsy Games" games that have little to no gameplay and focuses on story alone. The Stanley Parable doesn't have a gameplay nor a story. So what is it? Just a walking simulation about breaking the 4th wall. It's not a game, it's basically a lecture.
    I played for about 1 hour and I had laughs here and there but that's it. There's no nothing more to the game, which boggles my mind seeing so much good reviews, I don't even know if I played the same game as those.
    And don't get me wrong, I love "Artsy games", like To The Moon, but I wouldn't call The Stanley Parable "Art" whatsoever.    … Expand
  82. rsrocha
    Jul 22, 2014
    3
    A walking simulator to the core, this game utterly lacks ANY player interaction whatsoever, being an on-rails experience where you just move from point A to point B as soon as the game's narrator allows you to after a random rant. The scenery is incredibly bland and really shows the game's roots as a mod. While it's an interesting experience for the way it mocks videogames as a medium,A walking simulator to the core, this game utterly lacks ANY player interaction whatsoever, being an on-rails experience where you just move from point A to point B as soon as the game's narrator allows you to after a random rant. The scenery is incredibly bland and really shows the game's roots as a mod. While it's an interesting experience for the way it mocks videogames as a medium, it's not something that deserved the money i spent on it. Its theme is not even original, having been tackled years prior by MGS2.… Expand
  83. Ergenus
    Sep 3, 2014
    4
    Idea is original, game is interesting, but paying 15 bucks for a "1 Hour to Complete" game is bad. Moreover, that 1 hour was actually boring. Most of that 1 hour passes by listening the narrator. Even 5 $ seems a lot for this game.
  84. deepskydiver
    Sep 18, 2014
    1
    Warning: it's not a game. It's not even a story.
    You wander around what is intended to be a humorously narrated but bland world with occasional decision points which at best result in .. more wandering around with no payoff.
    No game mechanic, no skill, no test, no interest and ultimately no satisfaction. I was ultimately left feeling cheated out of a game as I waited for something which    Warning: it's not a game. It's not even a story.
    You wander around what is intended to be a humorously narrated but bland world with occasional decision points which at best result in .. more wandering around with no payoff.
    No game mechanic, no skill, no test, no interest and ultimately no satisfaction. I was ultimately left feeling cheated out of a game as I waited for something which never happened.
    Very disappointed.    … Expand
  85. skulltulainahat
    Dec 20, 2014
    3
    Even though The Stanley Parable is a game priced at $14.99, it still is not worth it. There really isn't much going for it except the charm, which wears off quickly. Sure, some of the jokes are mildly amusing, but most of the narration is bland. I forced myself to play an hour of it, and I will not be returning. This game lacks gameplay, which is not an issue with certain games, but in TheEven though The Stanley Parable is a game priced at $14.99, it still is not worth it. There really isn't much going for it except the charm, which wears off quickly. Sure, some of the jokes are mildly amusing, but most of the narration is bland. I forced myself to play an hour of it, and I will not be returning. This game lacks gameplay, which is not an issue with certain games, but in The Stanley Parable it is. When all I am doing in a game is walking through bland environments and listening to a bland narrator, I will surely want my fourteen dollars and ninety nine cents back. I don't understand the praise for this game. It is simply dull.… Expand
  86. k9wazere
    Dec 13, 2015
    2
    Firstly, you need to understand the "gameplay" available in TSP. You walk down branching corridors, and you choose whether to go left or right, through door A or door B. This leads to another corridor, etc. Imagine a tree, with numerous branches. The "game" lets you walk to the end of each branch, then locks you in a room, and gives you 10 mins of "funny" (not really) narrative. Then itFirstly, you need to understand the "gameplay" available in TSP. You walk down branching corridors, and you choose whether to go left or right, through door A or door B. This leads to another corridor, etc. Imagine a tree, with numerous branches. The "game" lets you walk to the end of each branch, then locks you in a room, and gives you 10 mins of "funny" (not really) narrative. Then it restarts you at the beginning. *This is the game*. If, as was the case for me, you don't find the narrative amusing, then this game has *nothing* for you. Not even a single puzzle. It's the "game" equivalent of those "make your own adventure" books, that I hated as a kid. I was too busy reading real novels to be interested in that gimmicky rubbish. Same deal here. Get yourself a good book, or play a real game. This is a waste of time.… Expand
  87. RealLeather
    Dec 23, 2015
    3
    A game about how/why we play games but without any engaging gameplay and plenty of meandering one-sided dialogue to sit through instead. I read a while back before I ever played The Stanley Parable that it breaks the fourth wall continuously but it unfortunately doesn't... It would be more accurate to say that it BREACHES the fourth wall and it does so with all the subtlety of a CoD spA game about how/why we play games but without any engaging gameplay and plenty of meandering one-sided dialogue to sit through instead. I read a while back before I ever played The Stanley Parable that it breaks the fourth wall continuously but it unfortunately doesn't... It would be more accurate to say that it BREACHES the fourth wall and it does so with all the subtlety of a CoD sp campaign setpiece.

    The writing is so on the nose and lacks any nuance, this is the kind of dialogue you would expect to hear at a children's pantomime show though I doubt musings on the perils of a virtual reality existentialist crisis would make for great entertainment in practice, especially for them chilluns. I respect the fact that the team tried to do something different but Christ alive this is some weapons-grade pretentiousness. I love games and gaming and you probably do too but if you want to discuss these facets of gaming then make a goddamned documentary not a mod with a bizarre voiceover harping on at you.    … Expand
  88. Broyax
    Apr 5, 2020
    1
    L'indé du dimanche pourrait avoir été démoulé durant un mercredi, puis avoir été invité pour en parler au dîner en compagnie d'une brochette de champions du monde, car après tout il peut se faire demander en effet : qu'est-ce que la création ?...

    Non, non, cette question est vraiment trop grandiloquente... on n'est certainement pa à ce niveau-là mais plutôt à des niveaux et des niveaux    L'indé du dimanche pourrait avoir été démoulé durant un mercredi, puis avoir été invité pour en parler au dîner en compagnie d'une brochette de champions du monde, car après tout il peut se faire demander en effet : qu'est-ce que la création ?...

    Non, non, cette question est vraiment trop grandiloquente... on n'est certainement pa à ce niveau-là mais plutôt à des niveaux et des niveaux plus bas, ceux du simple remplissage de quelques stagiaires à court d'idées et qui ne savent donc... plus quoi faire. Et qui font n'importe quoi.

    Et nous, on tente de jouer à ce "n'importe quoi"... pour s'y ennuyer plus ou moins rapidement mais inéluctablement. Cela peut faire sourire éventuellement en tout cas... avant de tomber dans la répétition, l'ennui et le simple ridicule.

    Pour un étron indé à l'insu de son plein gré, il est assez joli néanmoins ! et il peut se jouer à la manette, y compris sur PC. Un point pour l'effort.    … Expand
  89. voltaguy
    Apr 4, 2017
    2
    "I just told you a joke, now I will tell a hundred variations for it".

    At the beginning of the game, you are given a choice. The choice is, two doors. The narrator tells you to take the door on left, but the obvious choice is taking the door on right. Because you know that you are playing a game, and whatever happens, it won't have major consequences because it is just at the beginning    "I just told you a joke, now I will tell a hundred variations for it".

    At the beginning of the game, you are given a choice. The choice is, two doors. The narrator tells you to take the door on left, but the obvious choice is taking the door on right. Because you know that you are playing a game, and whatever happens, it won't have major consequences because it is just at the beginning and you can just restart the game. I'm just guessing, 95% of you took the door on right, yeah? Whatever, I went right, then the game started to feel obnoxious. Throwing me the same sarcastic jokes over and over again. OK dude, I get it, it is because I "broke" the rule how this is meant to be played, and I'm getting punished by dumb restarts and jokes. I tried some variations but they were all pretty disappointing. Then I said, **** it, then I did everything the narrator wanted. The game finished in like a minute. Nothing was explained, bad ending. Then I said to myself, "this doesn't feel right, there must be something in this game". I went to the console at the end, pressed ON. I did that probably about 10 times. If you haven't played the game, the facility enters a self detonation state after you press the button. Then in a nearby room, everything gets intractable, and you have 2 minutes before everything explodes and then you die and restart the game. I thought this was a puzzle, but narrator clearly said there was nothing I could do, but he is full of **** so I tried and tried again until I "solved" the puzzle. But just like narrator said in that segment, "you will die, again and again, happily ever aft-", so I did ****ing die, every ****ing time. I got super frustrated and did some online research. After learning there was nothing I could do, I learnt that there were around 20 endings. I did some of them, not really enjoying my time, then I quieted the game entirely.

    I mean, who would've thought attempting suicide had the best ending? "Are you sick of this game?", **** yeah I'm sick of this **** Then there is this, when I was pressing F5 to quicksave the game, the game was freezing a bit like it was saving. The game has no save, I was like, "what?". Then I looked at the controls, guess what, F5 stands for screenshot. OK, that was a pretty good 9gag le trolled xd moment. Then there is that broom closet which is funny. Other than those, nothing really stands out.

    You may argue that this game is not about jokes or fun, that it is breaking the 4th wall and it is a masterpiece. You mister, are ****ing retarded and probably should kill yourself. See what I did there? That was the game, and not the game. I just broke that 4th wall, now choke on my dick you nerd. No, I'm not serious, at all.

    If you haven't played this game yet, you don't have to play it because I just spoiled the best parts of it, and the game itself just makes as sense as my last paragraph. If you like to play tech demos or you're a sucker of bland English humor, go ahead and torrent it. No, I'm not checking the spoiler box, the game itself gives you spoilers if you go right. Yeah, that was a spoiler too. **** this game.    … Expand
  90. 4ya5h1
    Nov 9, 2022
    4
    idea of this game is really interesting, but the realisation, imo is bad. there is a tv show "Severance", and its awesome, really awesome, but this game is just... iunno its really boring just to walk and do nothing, also its too short
  91. super_absorber
    Jan 7, 2021
    0
    One of the worst games I have played.....0 gameplay at all and very boring story..
  92. BeeSting1
    Jan 1, 2021
    3
    Decent for an interactive short. Bad for a game.

    Good - Having the narrator converse directly to the protagonist (Stanley) is an interesting perspective. It breaks the fourth wall in a way that you don't see in any other game. - The narrator had some clever, interesting, and funny things to say about game design, and choices. - Spurs some deep thoughts about the relationship    Decent for an interactive short. Bad for a game.

    Good

    - Having the narrator converse directly to the protagonist (Stanley) is an interesting perspective. It breaks the fourth wall in a way that you don't see in any other game.

    - The narrator had some clever, interesting, and funny things to say about game design, and choices.

    - Spurs some deep thoughts about the relationship and thought process between how the developer and player both experience a game.

    - Narrator's voice sounded good.

    Bad

    - The game is too short. Even after completing and restarting to experience every path, it gave me less than 3 hours of play time.

    - The game is way too shallow. I couldn't interact with many objects, and ones that I could interact with didn't do anything.

    - The premise was too simple. The office is empty because the narrator removed them. Disobey Narrator, and he'll do some stuff to you, then restarts the game. This basically summarizes what happens on every path. There is very little depth to be found after the game has made its point.    … Expand
  93. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    3
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 3.
  94. TheLinkgirl
    Apr 24, 2022
    1
    It's difficult to rate a game so poorly when you love what it tries to achieve. There's this sense that you should just go back and play it one more time to see if you're in the wrong, or you played it at a bad time, or should try another play through. Sadly after 6 attempts, I'm pretty sure that The Stanley Parable just doesn't work for me.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2013
17
#17 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
49
#49 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    84
    The Stanley Parable is many things. It's an interactive comedy, an existential riddle and an experiment in storytelling. Most importantly, it's pretty good. [Nov 2013]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Jan 23, 2014
    100
    It's one of those games that tries and succeeds in making a bold statement. Be prepared for something really special.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 25, 2013
    90
    Step away from this review and play it now. Or don't. Whatever you do is already ordained. OR IS IT?! [Jan 2014, p.83]
See all critic reviews »