the stanley parable

The Stanley Parable is actually one of very few PC games I’ve completed. Certainly before I got my Steam Deck, anyway. It was funny, silly, and I enjoyed it very much. The “don’t play for five years” achievement was also a bit of a struggle because I did want to play it again in that time, but had to wait. I did though, then played it some more. But!

Then! This happened!

Ultra Deluxe is, on the outside, the same original game with some more content. Actually, it’s not just more content. It’s new areas, new stories, and a load of meta stuff about the narrator creating The Stanley Parable 2 (and 3, and 4) as well as some looking back at the reception the original game had in the press. It’s all very 4th wall breaking. And funny. And silly.

All the original stuff seems to be still there, but the new things cleverly intertwine. For example, the narrator decides that Stanley would be happier and feel safer if he had a bucket to carry round with him, so one is available to pick up and doing so changes the “normal” outcome of the path you take. Even if in a minor way, such as the classic Broom Closest interaction, where the bucket unlocks more dialogue.

With a lot more to explore and new interactions to discover, it took me quite a bit longer to finish this time despite already knowing how to reach most of the original endings. And by “complete”, I mean, I reached what I think is every possible ending, as well as collect all the new Stanley figurines (Stanfigs? Figurleys?) which, as is pointed out repeatedly, serve no real purpose but are a purpose unto themselves.

It’s all stupid stuff and it’s great.

I don’t know what the one true ending is. I don’t know if that’s the one I reached. I reached many endings, most of which involved the death of poor Stanley, but one, the final one shown in my spoiler-filled video, seemed to be “the end”. I found the credits at least, anyway.

To describe the game gives too much away. What I will say, is that it is genuinely hilarious, as the narrator tries to tell you what to do and when you veer from his path, the berating is priceless. My favourite moment was finding the broom cupboard (about 7 minutes in on my video), and refusing to leave. When I finally did leave, I returned later to be berated again, and a third attempt presented a boarded up door. Excellent.

Caution: Video contains many spoilers.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (Switch): COMPLETED!

The Stanley Parable (PC): COMPLETED!