Zhao Lei began to explore different routes and tried different endings. He even purposely chose the opposite route from the narration.
…
If Stanley did not choose to go to the boss and instead kept going downstairs, he would fall into an endless loop. Stanley would start dreaming and eventually fall into madness.
…
At a desk by the window, Stanley could crawl out of the window after squatting down. He would then land outside the window and enter a pure white space.
However, this was not a bug because the narration would remind you that this was part of the game. It even included some self-deprecation.
"At first, Stanley thought he had destroyed the map. It was only when he heard the narration that he realized this was part of the game. Then, he praised the game for its deep and humorous criticism of video game architecture and its attempt at narrative structure. "
…
If the player exited the boss's office before the door closed, the narration would be 'locked' in the boss's office. The player would no longer hear the narration.
At this time, when the player returned to the original Room 427, the door next to it would open and a guide would appear to guide the player to the escape pod.
On the way to the escape pod, Stanley would keep going up the stairs. He would realize that there was a Room 427 on every floor and every floor had the same structure. Eventually, he would enter the escape pod and escape from this place (perhaps).
…
If the player chose the door on the right and used the elevator to go to the maintenance area, the narration would be completely confused. He would not even be able to find the path that Stanley should take.
Stanley walked on a path that was completely different from the narration. The entire scenario was spoiled and the narration had no choice but to restart the game.
However, after the restart, the game would become even more chaotic. Every time it was restarted, the game would fall into new problems.
For example, the door would disappear.
For example, Stanley would enter a completely different scene.
The narration even had to draw a long yellow arrow on the ground. However, this did not save the completely messed up game storyline.
Finally, Stanley would come to a room that had the word 'Chaotic Ending' written on it. The entire process of the chaotic ending was written on the screen.
Even the narration was shocked. He refused to restart the game according to the screen but an unknown presence forcefully restarted the game.
…
The more he played, the more Zhao Lei realized that there were too many things in the game that he was completely unaware of. No matter what choice he made, the voice-over would always say something as if it had already guessed what he would do.
Moreover, there were many interesting Easter eggs in the game. Flirting with the voice-over had also become a very interesting thing to do.
If you kept entering the wrong password in the boss's office, the voice-over would hint at the correct password over and over again. It would even angrily use red fonts to emphasize the correct password. In the end, you would have no choice but to open the door yourself.
There were even times when the voice-overs were shocked by what was happening in the game, causing the entire game to fall into a state of confusion.
Stanley, the player, the narrator, the higher existence, formed a huge mystery. It made Zhao Lei want to keep searching for clues in the game, to find the truth behind all of this.
He was already deeply attracted to this game.
…
Unknowingly, more than two hours had passed.
Zhao Lei looked at the time and realized that he had already spent so much time in the game.
However, he had a vague feeling that there were still many endings in the game that he had yet to play and many Easter eggs that he had yet to discover.
This was the second time Chen Mo had come to check on his progress.
"How is it, is it fun?" asked Chen Mo with a smile.
Zhao Lei rubbed his neck, "It's not really fun, but … it's quite interesting. When will the game be released? "
Chen Mo replied, "Probably next week."
Zhao Lei nodded, "Alright, I'll definitely buy a copy when it's released."
He paused before continuing, "Moreover, I feel like the game is hinting at something. If you look deeper, there are many hidden meanings …"
Chen Mo smiled without saying a word.
Zhao Lei asked, "Can you explain to me what the game is trying to say? What deeper meaning does it have? "
Chen Mo shook his head, "It can only be understood, not explained."
Zhao Lei was speechless. He stood up, "It's getting late, I need to go back and get some sleep. I still have to work tomorrow."
Chen Mo nodded, "Alright, rest well."
The two of them walked to the door. Zhao Lei looked at Chen Mo before leaving, "Thanks for the game. Although there are some things that I don't really understand, at least it made me feel better."
Chen Mo smiled, "Don't overthink it, it's just a game. Life still has to go on, right? "
…
Stanley's Parable wasn't a simple puzzle game.
It was a classic meta game, and it had a deep philosophical meaning. The fun of the game wasn't in solving puzzles or exploring different endings, but in experiencing and deciphering the countless fables within the game.
The game was filled with design that went against the norm. It was more like it was mocking the meaning of the game itself, or the relationship between the designer and the player.
The game didn't have a clear goal, nor did it have a difficult challenge, nor did it have the usual rewards. Even when the player stayed in the storage room for a long time, the voice-over would mock them, "Oh my god, are you trying to show off to your friends that you cleared the storage room?"
Moreover, the game was filled with sarcasm towards the 'fun of the game'. For example, Stanley's daily job was to press buttons, and he thought he was happy. Wasn't this an allusion to the players of the game?
The players would follow the narration to open hidden doors, turn on switches, and finally reach a seemingly perfect ending. Wasn't this what the players did in a normal game?
The content made the players vaguely feel like they were Stanley. They seemed to have freedom and happiness, but it was a very fake feeling.
Behind every ending, there was a kind of philosophical thinking.
For example, the Deception ending was the deception of losing free will, the Nuclear Explosion ending was the consolidation of the Creator's position, the Returning Home ending was the despair of having no other choice, the Chaos ending was the contemplation of the final destination, and the Starlight ending was the use of Stanley as an experimental guinea pig …
This was the biggest meaning of the game.
It was a reflection on the game itself, on life. The players would reflect on their experiences in real life, and think about how they should choose.
Of course, the game itself didn't have a clear story, it was more like a stream of consciousness work. There were a thousand Hamlets in a thousand readers, and everyone who played the game would experience something different.
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