The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is the updated version of the the original Stanley Parable. The only tools the player has access to are WASD movements, camera movement, and the mouse button (or E). The narrator describes what Stanley will do (e.g. “Stanley walked through the door on the left”), and then the player then has the choice to either confirm or contradict his narration with the paths presented before them. This creates a unique dynamic where the player can ignore the narrator and cause the story to branch off into unexplored territory. When the narrator says, “Stanley went into the RED door,” the game provides 2 doors, and you get to decide whether that statement gets to be true. You’re not able to talk, silence the narrator, or interact with most objects, save for the ability to walk where the narrator does or doesn’t want (or expect) you to, and that makes all the difference.
The comedic moments and dramatic twists all rely on the player’s autonomy, expressed by simple movement. Speed also matters. The game notices if you backtrack, if you stand still, or if you hop into a hole repeatedly. The path of the player serves as a proxy for the player’s intentions, and the narrator takes note of it, incorporating your footprints into his narration of Stanley’s story. Once you get deeper into the game, the narrator also becomes less of a voice of authority, but also a companion that discovers the game with you. Although the narrator claims to be the creator of the game, there are also parts of the map that even he doesn’t recognize. From that point on, the game creates a sense of fellowship between the player and the narrator from the dynamic of players’ choices and the narrator’s observations.
The Confusion Ending, where the narrator is just as lost in the sauce as the player.
As the game progresses, it becomes less of a story told by the narrator, but instead a story created by the joint actions and reactions of the player and the narrator together. As the player discovers new parts of the game, they are able to see changes being implemented as a result of their own prior actions, the details of which I will not disclose so the readers can go experience this masterclass in storytelling for themselves. The game acknowledges its existence as a software, and in some parts (such as the image above) even disclose the planning of the endings and levels. The narrator himself also reacts to this, often being either surprised by these discoveries or prompting Stanley to reroute himself back to the main story. Sometimes, the narrator even invites Stanley to explore new areas when something appears that is new to them both. Moreover, the narrator would sometimes poke fun at the game devs for being ‘lazy’ or complain at the playerbase for having too high of expectations, allowing the actual player to feel a real connection with the game, even if they had never touched it or heard of it before.
