History NightmareFuel / TheStanleyParable

* The original "Real Person" ending happens when Stanley unplugs the ringing phone. The Narrator gets to the conclusion that if Stanley did such a non-intuitive choice there must be a real person (you, the player) controlling him and then he removes you from Stanley's control. The last scene is a view from the ceiling in the room where Stanley has the choice to pick a door, with the Narrator desperately begging him to go the left door, realizing that he can't tell his story because without the player Stanley can't do anything. Quite unsettling. This is also the true ending of the game. As, without a player, a game isn't a game. Therefore, with the player gone, the game is over and the narrator is trapped forever with unresponsive Stanley in a AndIMustScream scenario.

-->'''''One. Nine. Five. Seven.'''''
-->'''''Two. Eight. Four. Five.'''''

-->'''Narrator:''' Oh, dear me, what's the matter, Stanley? Is it that you have no idea where you're going or what you're supposed to be doing right now? Or did you just assume when you saw that timer that something in this room was capable of turning it off? I mean, look at you, running from button to button, screen to screen, clicking on every little thing in this room! These numbered buttons! No! These colored ones! Or maybe this big, red button! Or this door! Everything! Anything! Something here will save me! [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Why would you think that, Stanley?]] That this video game can be beaten, won, solved? Do you have ''any'' idea what your purpose in this place is? [[OminousAdversarialAmusement Hahaha, heh, Stanley... you're in for quite a disappointment]]. But here's a spoiler for you: that timer [[TimedMission isn't a catalyst to keep the action moving along.]] [[WhamLine It's just seconds ticking away to your death]]. You're only still playing instead of watching a cutscene because I want to watch you [[ControllableHelplessness for every moment that you're powerless]], to see you made '''humble'''. This is not a challenge. It's a tragedy. You wanted to control this world. That's fine. [[IfICantHaveYou But I'm going to destroy it first, so you can't.]]

--->'''Narrator:''' ...[[DidYouActuallyBelieve But you really believe there's an answer?]] How many times will you replay this bit, looking desperately for a solution? Ten? A hundred? ''A thousand?'' I look forward to finding out, and to [[HopelessBossFight watching the bomb go off each time you fail]]. Just you and me and the retching explosion of fire and metal over and over and over again [[AndIMustScream for all of eternity]].
--->And Stanley died again.\\

-->'''Narrator:''' I'll be here to watch every second of your inevitable life, from the time we fade in, until the moment I say
-->''''' 'Happily ever af-' ''''' ''(The timer runs out, cue explosion)''

-->[F] change your perception
-->[G] change your perspective
-->[H] change your reality
-->[J] change your self

-->'''Female Narrator''': But listen to me. You can still save these two. You can stop the program before they both fail. Push escape, and press quit. There's no other way to beat this game. As long as you move forward, you'll be walking someone else's path. Stop now, and it'll be your only true choice. Whatever you do, choose it! Don't let time choose for you! Don't let time-!'''''[[SmashToBlack SMASH]]'''''

--->'''Female Narrator''': Turn off your Xbox/Playstation/Nintendo Switch. There's no other way to beat this game.

-->'''Narrator''': Oh, dear me, what's the matter, Stanley? Is it that you have no idea where you're going or what you're supposed to be doing right now? Or did you just assume when you saw that timer that something in this room was capable of turning it off? I mean, look at you, running from button to button, screen to screen, clicking on every little thing in this room! These numbered buttons! No! These colored ones! Or maybe this big, red button! Or this door! Everything! Anything! Something here will save me! [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Why would you think that, Stanley?]] That this video game can be beaten, won, solved? Do you have ''any'' idea what your purpose in this place is? [[OminousAdversarialAmusement Hahaha, heh, Stanley...you're in for quite a disappointment]]. But here's a spoiler for you: that timer [[TimedMission isn't a catalyst to keep the action moving along.]] [[WhamLine It's just seconds ticking away to your death]]. You're only still playing instead of watching a cutscene because I want to watch you [[ControllableHelplessness for every moment that you're powerless]], to see you made '''humble'''. This is not a challenge. It's a tragedy. You wanted to control this world. That's fine. [[IfICantHaveYou But I'm going to destroy it first, so you can't.]]

-->'''Narrator''': I'll be here to watch every second of your inevitable life, from the time we fade in, until the moment I say

-->'''Narrator''': Soon, ''you'' will be the one to walk. The controls will be in your hands. Soon, we will find out if your friends turn and laugh at ''you'' as they did with him. [Laughs] Oh, I think I'm going to enjoy this. When you find out how alone you truly are, I will be laughing more than anyone. Very soon, now. The end is nearly here. Let's play, everyone. '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Let's. All. Play.]]'''

** Occasionally, the narrator will give different voiced lines when Stanley leaves his office, ranging from Stanley's inner monolouges and thoughts to the narrator telling Stanley that [[ParanoiaFuel he is being followed by someone]]. Considering that this only occurs after quite a bit of gameplay where the player's only artificially human contact is a single voice, this can be quite paranoia inducing.

* For the most part, the Stanley Parable Reassurance Bucket is a comedic break, serving as NightmareRetardant for most of the endings due to [[SeriousBusiness how far the Narrator is willing to take it seriously]] as well as generally making most of the endings goofier in some capacity. Other times, though? Other times it feels like a damn ''[[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP]]''.

* In the "Stanley Parable 2" section, in the room with the [[BottomlessPits infinity hole]], after you fall down the hole and [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope reach the bottom]]]], you are teleported to the surface, this time with the hole shortened to be around 2 ft deep. The Narrator will persuade Stanley to leave the room, but Stanley can still fall down it, and since [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence Stanley can't get out]] (the teleport function that he previously used is now broken), the Narrator will leave him. Pretty simple at first, until the hole begins sinking, and [[SurrealHorror things get weird]] as button prompts begin [[MindScrew warping reality around yourself]].

* If you play through all the plot-essential endings and [[spoiler:get to the Epilogue, the Settings Person fixes the broken achievement machine. Play the game again, and when you get to the machine it gives you the achievement as promised. The Narrator (realizing that there's someone else messing with his game) practically has a panic attack and is audibly struggling not to freak out in front of Stanley]]. It's especially jarring because The Narrator [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness never acts like this]] in other endings. Even in the few endings where he's caught off guard he usually sounds angry (like in the Confusion ending) or sad (like in the Zending): this is the first time he sounds ''afraid''.

** If you think the Narrator's subtitles turning red in the boss' office is jarring, this ending from the original mod takes it UpToEleven.