Simulating free will in The Stanley Parable
Image credit: Galactic Cafe
Calypso Morgan explores the simulation of free will in the thought-provoking game The Stanley Parable. The gameplay very much mirrors the daily lives of many of us, going through the motions in our workplaces and feeling like we aren’t in charge of what happens to us. The Stanley Parable presents the juxtaposition of what choices we will make when we have the option of making no choices.
This is the story of a man named Stanley.
The first sentence you hear when the game starts is narrated by a voice-over (voiced by Kevan Brighting). Stanley is a simple employee working in a nameless company at office 427. He just sits in front of his desk all day, pressing buttons on his computer. However, one day, Stanley didn’t receive any tasks to do, and all of his colleagues were missing.
The scene is set and the player takes control at the moment when there is no more work to do. Your role will be to just move Stanley forward. You will not encounter enemies, or fight bloody battles, or perform crazy parkour. You will only be walking.
The Stanley Parable (2013) (and The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (2022) released on Switch) uses the walking action to advance the story. One important ingredient in the game’s success is the narrator. He not only sets the introduction, but he also tells the full story. At one moment of the game, you will be faced with two open doors.
"When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, Stanley took the door on his left."
Image credit: Galactic Cafe
At this precise moment, you have a choice. You either follow the narrator's instructions or you take the door on the right. The Stanley Parable is a game about the choices you make. The narrator isn't a God, just a voice, adapting to every action you make. Sometimes, he breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to us. By having him as the only presence, it creates a companionship or, in reverse, a sort of adversary, depending on whether you follow his story or not. He is the bridge between you, the player, and Stanley, by the simple fact of telling a story.
The Stanley Parable is all about choices. It can be an amazing way to express individuality. Stanley's decision-making represents this freedom of choice, even in a sterile environment like an office. We've all faced this kind of situation (at work or school) at some point where we felt imprisoned and weren't in control of our own options.
It is only up to you if you want to leave the office and decide on your own journey.
Written by Calypso Morgan
Writer
Calypso is a writer and an artist from France.
She writes about Internet culture, video games, and anything else she is passionate about.
(Insta: @calysimple).