The Stanley Parable is a strange and thought-provoking game that was released a few years ago. You assume the role of an office worker and search for your missing co-workers. The game makes you analyse and reflect on all sorts of things: office work and culture, large corporations, what it means to control an avatar in a game, what is a game, gaming tropes and the gaming market, gamer expectations, and more. I played about 5 hours of the Stanley Parable, though most game runs take about 10 minutes. The Stanley Parable is a terrific game and I can see it being used to teach about narrative structure, game design, philosophy, even sociology.

 

A teacher at a creative writing summer camp has written an essay on using the Stanley Parable in the classroom.