Está buenazo, es peak, es jodidamente peak
Es buenísimo, lo recomiendo una putísima banda
No me importa si al final es una historia real o analogía del creador
Es excelente, está re bien pensada, es entretenida, interesante e íntima
Cuanto más avanzás en el juego, más personal se pone
En los últimos niveles por poco lloro
Juegazo realmente
Es buenísimo, lo recomiendo una putísima banda
No me importa si al final es una historia real o analogía del creador
Es excelente, está re bien pensada, es entretenida, interesante e íntima
Cuanto más avanzás en el juego, más personal se pone
En los últimos niveles por poco lloro
Juegazo realmente
Honestly I think I prefer this to The Stanley Parable because, despite not only being a meta look at games and the relation between player, game and game designer, it is also a about people and art in general. I also feel it has much more emotional depth. I can see a lot of my own flaws in Davey and the game makes me feel guilty in being complicit in what he is doing. I also see myself in Coda as well.
Even after thinking about this a lot I still feel there is layers I do not understand, and I think it works like that with each interpretation being as real as the next. A short experience but one that I will not soon forget.
Even after thinking about this a lot I still feel there is layers I do not understand, and I think it works like that with each interpretation being as real as the next. A short experience but one that I will not soon forget.
tremendo aunque no me encantó el final. pero es meta, del creador de the stanley parable, y entra en mi género fav de juegos!! (indies de dos horas max que te dejan pensando o llorando)
An incredibly meaningful work that touches on aspects of the human condition, the meaning of art, its purpose, who its for, and what we owe it. Highly recommended.
"Maybe he just liked making prisons."
yeah no I barely know how to approach writing about this so I'm just not going to. what am I even supposed to say to this? I can only really respond with superlatives, like "the most I've seen myself reflected in a piece of art ever", "the most I've cried to a piece of art in forever" etc etc. Broke down weeping during the final game and I never really stopped until I hit the credits - it's an experience where I feel like it's deeply important to me, even if I don't understand how yet. fuck, man.
yeah no I barely know how to approach writing about this so I'm just not going to. what am I even supposed to say to this? I can only really respond with superlatives, like "the most I've seen myself reflected in a piece of art ever", "the most I've cried to a piece of art in forever" etc etc. Broke down weeping during the final game and I never really stopped until I hit the credits - it's an experience where I feel like it's deeply important to me, even if I don't understand how yet. fuck, man.
The story of a trans woman and the world's least healthy egg. Good luck to both of them.
I don't care about the meta aspect of Davey's games. If this game is so damn good, it's because it normalize the use and making of experimental games, which can be a major inspiration for young creators and help young players seeing far beyond the "game fun, game good", WHILE also having a vast understanding of Game Design and how to play with expectations (a thing he already did in Stanley Parable). Truly a Beginner's Guide I guess.
Cabbage shapes our nation
Wow, now I have imposter syndrome. Thanks Davey!
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
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
This is the Pale Fire of video games
After finishing Night in the Woods, my wife and I still wanted to play some games together, so we decided to hit this up. A shorter game we’ve had on our list to play together for a while (as we’re both big Stanley Parable fans), this made for a great end for the evening on a cozy Saturday. It took us about 80 minutes or so to play through the whole game.
The Beginner’s Guide is a story about video games. Narrated by Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable (which this was released a couple years after, he leads you through a series of short games made by a friend of his, Coda. Coda was a game creator that Davey knew years back, and he’s showcasing their library of work in hopes to show them that people do like it, and that they should come back to making video games again.
Much more linear and straightforward than The Stanley Parable, this game is undeniably less memorable than that, but it’s still absolutely cut from the same cloth. Seeing the lengths our fictionalized version of Davey Wreden goes to try and reach out to this friend of his is an interesting look into the creative process of video games, sure, but it’s simultaneously a strange and often surreal experience that at times borders on outright horror. I don’t really want to give away any more than that, really, as it’s something much better experienced yourself than simply told to you, but if you enjoyed The Stanley Parable, you’re bound to enjoy this too.
The gameplay and aesthetics are pretty straightforward too. The gameplay is all simple walking simulators put together with Source Engine (as the narrator himself is quite frank about), and the aesthetics are similarly very Source Engine in flavor. It’s not entirely default assets or anything, and the game does a good job of working with both level design and environmental design to really aid in its storytelling, but this is nonetheless a game whose gameplay and aesthetic features are more functional than standout in any other way (and that’s just fine with me).
Verdict: Recommended. If you’re into narrative-focused walking simulators, then this is a fun one! It’s super short, sure, and I don’t really think it can hold a candle to how novel and clever its big brother The Stanley Parable is, but if you can pick it up on sale, it’s an interesting and funny time you’ll probably enjoy~.
The Beginner’s Guide is a story about video games. Narrated by Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable (which this was released a couple years after, he leads you through a series of short games made by a friend of his, Coda. Coda was a game creator that Davey knew years back, and he’s showcasing their library of work in hopes to show them that people do like it, and that they should come back to making video games again.
Much more linear and straightforward than The Stanley Parable, this game is undeniably less memorable than that, but it’s still absolutely cut from the same cloth. Seeing the lengths our fictionalized version of Davey Wreden goes to try and reach out to this friend of his is an interesting look into the creative process of video games, sure, but it’s simultaneously a strange and often surreal experience that at times borders on outright horror. I don’t really want to give away any more than that, really, as it’s something much better experienced yourself than simply told to you, but if you enjoyed The Stanley Parable, you’re bound to enjoy this too.
The gameplay and aesthetics are pretty straightforward too. The gameplay is all simple walking simulators put together with Source Engine (as the narrator himself is quite frank about), and the aesthetics are similarly very Source Engine in flavor. It’s not entirely default assets or anything, and the game does a good job of working with both level design and environmental design to really aid in its storytelling, but this is nonetheless a game whose gameplay and aesthetic features are more functional than standout in any other way (and that’s just fine with me).
Verdict: Recommended. If you’re into narrative-focused walking simulators, then this is a fun one! It’s super short, sure, and I don’t really think it can hold a candle to how novel and clever its big brother The Stanley Parable is, but if you can pick it up on sale, it’s an interesting and funny time you’ll probably enjoy~.
The game is very self-indulgent, yet it tells such an interesting narrative about game development and what its like to be create anything. The storytelling is excellent as it unfolds through both narration and storytelling through design.
Dang this was kinda heavy, interesting ruminations yessir yes 😔
delightful and thought provoking. highly recommended to anyone interested in an artsy game
uma das maiores chapações que eu já tive jogando um jogo, foi uma experiência interessante e extremamente existencial, mas acho que o público alvo desse jogo seria devs, desenvolvedores de jogos porque as discussões apresentadas ali são muito nichadas, mas ainda assim, continua sendo uma grande experiência.
Da igual los años que hayan pasado desde que este juego-experiencia viera la luz, es un relato que está muy vivo y no pasa de moda. Como un buen libro que deja poso y te dan ganas de compartirlo y compartir las experiencias vividas con los demás.
Ayer estaba realmente pocha, había acabado una historia bien narrada, bien contada y sobre todo bien jugada. Su parte final te rompe en mil pedazos creándote un nudo en la garganta, esos nudos que solo aparecen cuando algo te toca profundamente.
Esta guía es la visión de un desarrollador que se vio abrumado por la crítica, un desarrollador pequeño que solo quería crear y se vio arrastrado por los problemas de producir el juego para ayer, los crunch, las bajas o nulas ventas y las criticas…
Hace mil parrafos os decia que os guardarais la pregunta de quien es CODA, mi conclusion es que puede ser el mismo Davey o puede ser cualquier Dev novato, e incluso tú, o yo mandando textos a alguien conocido y queriendo saber su opinión, la cosa se desmadre...
Es un juego para todos, no solo para que los creadores vean los problemas a los que se pueden enfrentar, sino a los jugadores o no jugadores a que no hagamos juicios precipitados. Y sobre todo de respetar la privacidad del individuo, y de escuchar, sobre todo de escuchar al otro, y de estar ahí, a su lado, dando apoyo si lo quiere y apartándonos si no, pero haciéndole saber QUE ESTAREMOS AHÍ, para cuando quiera esa persona.
El egoísmo, el yo, la visión propia… The Beginners Guide es el JUEGO, es una obra que debe ser jugada por todos, para aprender a analizar, dejar de sacar conclusiones y juicios precipitados. Y por supuesto es una obra que te ayuda a entender mejor el mundo de los Desarrolladores.
Reseña completa en mi patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/reflexionando-103254055?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Ayer estaba realmente pocha, había acabado una historia bien narrada, bien contada y sobre todo bien jugada. Su parte final te rompe en mil pedazos creándote un nudo en la garganta, esos nudos que solo aparecen cuando algo te toca profundamente.
Esta guía es la visión de un desarrollador que se vio abrumado por la crítica, un desarrollador pequeño que solo quería crear y se vio arrastrado por los problemas de producir el juego para ayer, los crunch, las bajas o nulas ventas y las criticas…
Hace mil parrafos os decia que os guardarais la pregunta de quien es CODA, mi conclusion es que puede ser el mismo Davey o puede ser cualquier Dev novato, e incluso tú, o yo mandando textos a alguien conocido y queriendo saber su opinión, la cosa se desmadre...
Es un juego para todos, no solo para que los creadores vean los problemas a los que se pueden enfrentar, sino a los jugadores o no jugadores a que no hagamos juicios precipitados. Y sobre todo de respetar la privacidad del individuo, y de escuchar, sobre todo de escuchar al otro, y de estar ahí, a su lado, dando apoyo si lo quiere y apartándonos si no, pero haciéndole saber QUE ESTAREMOS AHÍ, para cuando quiera esa persona.
El egoísmo, el yo, la visión propia… The Beginners Guide es el JUEGO, es una obra que debe ser jugada por todos, para aprender a analizar, dejar de sacar conclusiones y juicios precipitados. Y por supuesto es una obra que te ayuda a entender mejor el mundo de los Desarrolladores.
Reseña completa en mi patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/reflexionando-103254055?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
This review contains spoilers
I think maybe the impact of a creative work being distorted by an observer was lessened a bit by me trying to remember how to bnuuy for an hour, and getting annoyed by the invisible walls. I'm so clueless about it in source games that I didn't even realize that this is on the portal 2 engine and that source doesn't work like goldsrc at all.
There's a point in the personal narrative where (I'm very stupid) I realized that the events are not just dramatized, but complete fiction, and it sort of reset my investment in the characters, to the point I didn't care about them as much as I had, by the end.
There's a point in the personal narrative where (I'm very stupid) I realized that the events are not just dramatized, but complete fiction, and it sort of reset my investment in the characters, to the point I didn't care about them as much as I had, by the end.
Davey Wreden casualling solo-releasing a genuine expression of the heart that goes beyond the line of phenomenality
This review contains spoilers
From up here it just looks like dots.
This review contains spoilers
A conversation about creating lampposts when there were none to begin with. Become one with the spiraling nonsense.
I never quite know what I'm supposed to think, playing games of this ouvre; whether or not I'm the butt of the metatextual joke, or if I'm meant to be sincerely emotionally invested, or if there's some line between satire and sincerity that is being deliberately blurred. Either way, I found The Beginner's Guide hugely entertaining, so perhaps it doesn't matter - and it's less of a "joke" than The Stanley Parable, so I'm fairly confident that the emotional effectiveness of the narrative was deliberate. Probably.
we need more games like this one
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.
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.
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
- 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
...obrigado.
Charlie Kaufman would love this game
Que jogo G E N I A L
Eu simplesmente não consigo escrever uma review analisando a parte técnica desse game porque ele foge de tudo que nós já conhecemos sobre essa mídia. Quanto mais eu penso sobre ele, mais incrível ele fica. Apenas jogue e entenda o que quero dizer.
Nota: 10/10
Eu simplesmente não consigo escrever uma review analisando a parte técnica desse game porque ele foge de tudo que nós já conhecemos sobre essa mídia. Quanto mais eu penso sobre ele, mais incrível ele fica. Apenas jogue e entenda o que quero dizer.
Nota: 10/10
absolutely destroyed me the first time playing it
I played the Beginner's Guide around the end of 2023 after seeing screenshots of its unique-looking levels on its store page. I went in pretty much completely blind and I've never been happier that I did. I don't want to spoil the game, so all I'll say is although its price may seem steep for a one-and-a-half to two-hour game, it has become one of my favorite games and I would spend it again and have spent on it to share the experience. Give it a shot.