History YMMV / TheBeginnersGuide

* ToughActToFollow: Averted: ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' quickly became a beloved deconstruction of video game tropes that seemed to difficult to top, but reception for this game has been very enthusiastic in its own right.

** Is Davey [[spoiler: a selfish narcissist desperate for praise who fails to take anything away from his experience, or a rather pitiable, alienated figure who ruins a friendship out of a desire to feel good about himself?]]

** Some view Davey as [[spoiler:specifically a Narcissist who becomes a Collapsed Narcissist after the falling out.]]

** Some view Davey as [[spoiler: specifically a Narcissist who becomes a Collapsed Narcissist after the falling out. For some more information on this interpretation: [[http://ownshrink.com/narcissism/collapsed-narcissists/ Collapsed Narcissists are explained here.]] ]]

* ThatOneLevel: "Mobius" the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteenth chapter]]. In this level, you will find yourself on a spaceship with a giant door-like object hurtling towards you. Problem is, you have ''20 seconds'' to solve the level or else the object crashes onto you. If this happens, you have to restart the chapter from the beginning. And unless you know what you're doing, you ''will'' be restarting the chapter... ''a lot.''

* NightmareFuel: Aside from some of the settings being unsettling to borderline terrifying, [[spoiler: the idea that you could become so desperate for validation in your own life that you willfully tamper with someone else's work so that the people you show it to praise you for showing it to them is a ''very'' existentially troubling concept. The fact that Davey probably got absolutely no response from Coda for his "apology" and is left feeling miserable for stabbing his friend in the back like that is also quite disquieting.]]

* ThatOneLevel: "Mobius" the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteenth chapter]]. In this level, you will find yourself on a spaceship with a giant door-like object hurtling towards you. Problem is, you have ''20 seconds'' to solve the level or else the object crashes onto you. If this happens, you have to restart the chapter from the beginning and unless you know what you're doing, you ''will'' be restarting the chapter... ''a lot.''

* ThatOneLevel: "Mobius" the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteenth chapter]]. In this level, you will find yourself on a spaceship with a giant door-like object hurtling towards you. Problem is, you have ''20 seconds'' to solve the level or else the object crashes onto you and you restart from the beginning of the level. Unless you know what you're doing, you ''will'' be restarting the level... ''a lot.''

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Davey's humble commentary and self-reflective nature don't really jive with his decision to [[spoiler: release a compilation of Coda's games when he ''knows'' that's not what Coda wants and acknowledges that it's what ended their friendship]]. For a game that aspires to be a digital ''Pale Fire'', it would've been more effective if the narrator had been a smug narcissist like Charles Kinbote who's utterly convinced of his own interpretation (despite all evidence to the contrary).

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: Davey himself.]] He's done a terrible thing [[spoiler:and he does the exact same thing by releasing the game]], but it's difficult not to feel sorry for him when he [[spoiler:breaks down crying in the end and begging for his friend's forgiveness, especially since it's implied he [[DrivenToSuicide might have killed himself]] ]].

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler: Davey himself.]] He's done a terrible thing [[spoiler:and he does the exact same thing by releasing the game]], but it's difficult not to feel sorry for him when he [[spoiler:breaks down crying in the end and begging for his friend's forgiveness]].

* AwesomeMusic: Pretty much every part of the soundtrack.

* FunnyMoments: The lecture game is rather goofy. And some of the teacher's dialogue choices descend into utter silliness.

* ToughActToFollow: Averted: ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' quickly became a beloved deconstruction of video game tropes that seemed to difficult to top, but reception for this game has been very enthusiastic in its own right.

** The player may not always agree with Davey's interpretation of Coda's games. For instance, Davey views the Housekeeping game as comforting and fond of home, but other players might view the constant housecleaning as dull, annoying, or even obsessive-compulsive.
** Some view Davey as [[spoiler: a Narcissist who is projecting his own issues onto his "friend" Coda, who is also trying to make himself the hero of the story who tells the world of Coda's work, and gives Coda fame. This eventually destroys the "friendship", and Davey suffers a breakdown and becomes a Collapsed Narcissist after the falling out. After which, Davey recognizes that he did something wrong, but can't realize ''what'' he did wrong, or even the possibility that his own actions are the problem, and continues the same pattern of behavior and lies that make him feel better. For some more information on this interpretation: [[http://ownshrink.com/narcissism/collapsed-narcissists/ Collapsed Narcissists are explained here.]] ]]
** Coda is [[spoiler: a pretentious artist, who ultimately helped damage their own friendship with Davey by refusing to see anything from his view. This is most clearly seen with the 'Playable Games' anecdote, which demonstrates a very spiteful and pretentious side of Coda. While Davey has issues and was ultimately the one to ruin their friendship, Coda's own uncompromising and pretentious attitude was another major problem which was never recognized.]]
** [[spoiler: Coda actually ''did'' place most or all the lampposts; when he was telling Davey to stop putting lampposts into his games, he was speaking metaphorically, saying that Davey should stop changing his games to fit his own interpretation.]]

* {{Fanon}}: While unfortunately there isn't much fan art of this game on Website/DeviantArt, it seems that if Coda isn't drawn with a block-head, he's drawn with black hair.

* MoralEventHorizon: Coda calling out Davey for [[spoiler:trying to help him by showing his games to others may seem a little harsh at first, since Davey was just trying to help his friend... until the reveal that Davey also wants attention for himself and so has been altering Coda's games to make them seem more depressive.]]

* SpiritualAdaptation: A game with literally layered story telling, various levels being BiggerOnTheInside with AlienGeometries, houses being a recurring theme, [[spoiler: and an UnreliableNarrator who constantly edits the main author's work. ]] This is may be the closest we will get to a ''Literature/HouseOfLeaves'' video game adaptation.

** [[spoiler: Coda actually ''did'' place all the lampposts; when he was telling Davey to stop putting lampposts into his games, he was speaking metaphorically, saying that Davey should stop changing his games to fit his own interpretation.]]