The Stanley Parable Dev Showcase: Secrets

The Stanley Parable Helpful Development Showcase is our way of connecting you to the development of The Stanley Parable by giving you a small look at what's been going on behind the scenes. Each week we'll give you a tiny peek into what it takes to make a game like The Stanley Parable, the creative challenges we come up against in the course of development, and how to not judge yourself as a person for the quality of choices you've made in your own life. These are just a few of the topics we'll cover in this incredibly useful blog series.

William Pugh is the level designer for The Stanley Parable, he makes the game nice and pretty. Since the very first post on this blog, he has pestered me on a near perpetual basis to allow him to write his own Helpful Development Showcase blog post, and of course I shoot him down every time because which one of us wrote a successful video game oh wait it was me get back to work William.

But this particular week, after what can only be described as a combination of forgetfulness and wilful neglect of my duty as blog writer, William stepped up to the plate and wrote an update. What follows is copied straight out of the document he sent me, I will be press 'publish' without actually looking at what he's written, just to humour him and because why not. This should be fun.

-Davey

Hello my name is William Pugh co-creator of The Stanley Parable: HD Remix, and while Davey Wreden (the other co-creator) is writing these ridiculous blog posts I'm the one who's actually making the game.

Now both you and me know that these "Helpful Development Showcases" don't actually reveal anything about the ACTUAL Stanley Parable game's development process so I'm going to venture off script here and tell you fools about what it's REALLY LIKE TO MAKE A GAME LIKE THE STANLEY PARABLE.

THIS WEEK'S SUBJECT IS: HOW TO HIDE SECRETS IN YOUR GAME WITHOUT TEAM MEMBERS FINDING OUT ABOUT THEM

So you want to put secrets in your game? But your uptight co-workers don't trust your creative instinct and your ability to exercise self restraint? All you need to do is let them experience your brilliance through discovery! Don't tell them you're hiding secrets in their game!

Okay here's an example.

This is the Corridor Ending (which is brand new to the Stanley Parable HD Remix). Davey wrote it so that the player walks down this corridor for ever and the only way for the player to end the game is for him/her to stop walking. This sends some bullshit arty farty message about the nature of struggling against your surroundings and conflict and blah blah blah.

This is not how you make a good video game.

Davey doesn't know this but I have 'enhanced' this ending with a few special touches.

For instance, this is a video of how the ending normally plays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H8AgA3Aj5DM

But did you notice anything other than Davey's questionable choice of background music or his horrible ending concept?

Yes you're right! That green secret wall painting is VERY secretive looking!

Let's have a look at what happens if we play this ending again but after clicking on the secret painting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OggYoZ9Orxg

Secret signs! Secret music! Secret sound effects!!

That's right - this ending has the signature of a genius all over it, and that signature reads: WILLIAM WAS HERE!!!

Now I hear you thinking - "Man oh man, those secret signs, secret music and secret sound effects showed me a whole new secret world full of secrets!! How can I go back to playing the normal Stanley Parable after that?"

The answer is: YOU CAN'T!!!

That's right - once you click on the secret painting there is no going back.

Every single section of the game will be full of secrets - ONCE YOU GO SECRET YOU NEVER GO BECRET!!

SECRETS!!!!!

SECRETS!!!!!!!!

SECRETSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for listening.

UPDATE:

Davey here, just finished reading. I'd like to issue a few clarifications.

First, the Corridor Ending is not real. Never in a thousand years would I write something so banal and superficial that doesn't speak to the true nature of struggle and universal indifference that the individual must confront on a daily basis.

Second, let me take this moment to state definitively that The Stanley Parable is NOT a game about secrets, nor do I intend to allow secrets in the final game. I will be going through the game and systematically deleting all of William's hidden “secrets.” He has grossly misrepresented this game's intentions, and that mistake will be reflected in his percentage of revenue share.

Please, please do not let this blog post be a reflection of the true quality of The Stanley Parable.

UPDATE #2:

This is William. The real secret is that I haven't told Davey where all of the actual secrets are hidden. THE STANLEY PARABLE SECRETS FOR PRESIDENT 2013 DON'T STOP BELIEVING.