This work was created for an undergraduate Art History course at the University of Saskatchewan (instructor: Jon Bath).  Part essay, part video game, the work plays with notions first addressed in the game The Stanley Parable, guiding the player through a virtual space with commentary from a narrator. Included in the files associated with the game are an introductory video and readme file, which help contextualize the work and its meaning to the creator.

There are a number of choices presented at different points throughout the game. At each juncture, the narrator speaks to the player about the ideas of free will and choice. Eventually, depending on the path chosen, the player encounters one of two puzzle games: either a maze, or a series of platforms that must be jumped across. Trying--and failing, and having to try again--are integral experiences to both puzzles. Successfully completing either leads the player to the same spot at the end of the game.

ARTIST STATEMENT: “The game which I have designed, being of a first-person nature, features its own narrator and deals with the theme of choice and narration. The overall concept of my game is to explore an essay topic in a strongly related fashion to the medium being examined. The medium in question is none other than the game, “The Stanley Parable”.

    My game hopes to enlighten the player on the confines of choice when presented with a narrator, who in turn, has some control over what is happening in the game. The game is kept very short, (playtime averages 10 minutes or less) to avoid overloading the player with hyperbolic, jargon-filled essay writing and instead uses a real voice to express ideas simply.”