The Beginner's Guide

released on Oct 01, 2015

A metafictional account of Davey Wreden, creator of the Stanley Parable (2013), who takes the player through the games of his old friend, Coda, while giving his commentary and interpretations of them, in order to understand why he makes the bizarre, often melancholic games that he makes, and decipher Coda's personality and inner struggles.


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we need more games like this one

Wow, now I have imposter syndrome. Thanks Davey!

Anyone who claims The Beginner's Guide not to be a game has never played a game.

They may have watched a playthrough unfold before their eyes, one whose inputs coincidentally came from the same brain watching it. But they didn't play it. Because in order to understand The Beginner's Guide as something other than a game, one has to go through the same process as someone who can't see essays as literature: games are, for these people, either fun-generating machines or vessels for Narratives, which in turn have Messages, but never a language unto itself.

When The Beginner's Guide meditates on game design conventions, axioms and the interplay between intent, message, execution, apprehension and interpretation -- and does so through layers of that same interplay -- it generates meaning not because of what it says, but because of what it does. The fact that the experience is guided by a voice is orthogonal to the fact that you have to play it to get anything out of it -- that is, to use the many syntaxes the game establishes to navigate the world, the stories and the mechanics. Only then, The Beginner's Guide becomes a conversation, not a guided tour.

Every instruction is a negotiation when you're playing a game, even if you end up following it. The mediator of the negotiation is not Coda or the narrator, but your own curiosity about these characters and what they have built.

This is not a video game. I know this is haha funny fun jokes but it's not a video game. This is on Steam, this is interactive, this looks like one. Do you consider the 3DS Louvres guide a videogame? I don't, and this is the same deal here. This is unconventional, an art piece delving into those who create, its purpose laid bare over the course of the documentary. Much like any of those, it is a linear experience, there's no mechanic, no catch, but there is a story. And it is one, make no mistake. Full of theories and halts, from yourself and the ever present narrator, Wreden. You'll recognize his style throughout the projects you're thrown into. Gives food for the thinking man.

I'm not done. Let's take a look at the credits. "By" and "For"? This is not a jab at the blurriness of credits in the entertainment industry so much as carrying the purpose of the product: it's an e-mail. No, really it's a message. I don't know if it's being sent to a person, I think this "R." refers to a category of people, and that's wonderful because it would line up with a a specific set of people that this game managed to pry open. Or, maybe he's writing a public message to himself and he invites onlookers to follow suite. A game can have a message, but a message is not a game.

I won't rate this product. Why is it a 4? Why is it not a 3? When I rate a game, I do so on multiple criterias that, in truth, I do not know or define properly. Here, I can only speak about how it made me feel. In that regard, Wreden has not made me feel... much. He's not really a good guide, if I'm being honest. But what he says is true to heart and, since he decided to share it, means it deserved a train of thought. We'll see what form the next project will take!

P.S: Those speedruns are insane to watch. This is truly a game, I take it all back

Sights & Sounds
- Well, there's not much to say about the visuals. It looks like a GMod game, mostly because The Beginner's Guide and the short games it explores were made using the Source engine. Lots of 45° and 90° angles everywhere
- The music is surprisingly good, which I wasn't completely expecting from a game this short. Lots of genres, moods, and instruments are explored, but I'd typify the soundtrack as being mostly subdued electronica with some piano and occasional vocals
- The voiceover is very well done and may be the best thing about the game. Great and convincing emotional range

Story & Vibes
- On its surface, The Beginner's Guide is an exploration of games supposedly made by a single creator named Coda in the early Source engine modding scene. As you make your way through the title, the narrator points out stylistic choices, guides you through each game, and discusses his relationship with Coda
- A number of complex themes are explored here, but the two most focal are parasocial relationships and the difficulty of creative work. These ruminations are both heartfelt and heartbreaking, and anyone who has a job with any sort of productive work (where you need to make, develop, publish, etc. your labor) will be able to relate to these struggles
- Unfortunately, some of these musings do come off as a bit self-absorbed and whiny. The narrator (is it supposed to be Davey Wrenden himself?) seems a bit obsessed with the notion of audiences demanding too much of creators. This is possibly true; there's no shortage of perpetually online pindicked keeb warriors who like to make death threats under the guise of anonymity. But with how large my backlog is at this point, it's hard to envision going onto social media and demanding a new game from any developer
- The mood starts out didactic, sways towards pensive for a while, transforms to dark and hopeless near the end, then moves back to pensive by the time the credits roll

Playability & Replayability
- There's really not too much gameplay involved here. You just follow the narrator's instructions. If you've played any walking simulator in the past, you already have all the skills you need (admittedly, not many) for The Beginner's Guide
- Not too sure I'll be revisiting this game. One playthrough is sufficient to see everything

Overall Impressions & Performance
- This was an interesting little nugget of a game and a fun 1-2 hour meditation, but there's not much in the package. Think of it more like a movie than a game
- Ran just fine on the Steam Deck, but this seems like it would run just fine on just about anything

Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. Davey Wrenden loves exploring the relationship between developer and player, so the tone and topics here will likely resonate with you if you enjoyed The Stanley Parable. It's just not as long, humorous, enigmatic, or fun as that game

This is the Pale Fire of video games