The Stanley Parable and Ultra Deluxe: Complete Guide

A spoiler-conscious companion to The Stanley Parable (2013) and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (2022): which version to play, how to approach the game, how to find more endings, and exactly how to unlock every achievement, including the strange ones.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final releases (original last updated July 13, 2014; Ultra Deluxe released April 27, 2022). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Which Version Should You Play?

Version	Released	What it is
The Stanley Parable (mod)	July 31, 2011	Free Half-Life 2 mod by Davey Wreden; six endings, about an hour long.
The Stanley Parable	October 17, 2013	The standalone remake by Galactic Cafe (Steam app 221910), with Kevan Brighting as the Narrator and more than ten endings.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe	April 27, 2022	An expanded re-imagining of the 2013 game on PC, Switch, PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series X/S (an iOS port followed on October 7, 2024). It includes everything from 2013, reworked, plus new content whose script is longer than the entire original game.

Short answer: play Ultra Deluxe. It contains the full 2013 experience plus a large amount of new material, and the new content is designed to surprise players who already know the original. The 2013 version is only worth it if you already own it and want the original presentation.

Quick Start

There is no wrong choice. Following the Narrator is one path; disobeying him is another. Both are "the game."
You cannot lose. Endings loop you back to Stanley's office. Keep going.
Try the obvious thing first. Your first run: just follow the Narrator. Then do the opposite.
Pay attention to doors, stairs and "choices." Almost every fork leads somewhere different.
Stay put sometimes. Waiting, backtracking and refusing to move are all valid inputs.
Replay a lot. Many things only change after several restarts, especially in Ultra Deluxe.
Do not read spoilers yet. The game is short per loop, and surprise is the point. Come back to this guide once you run out of ideas.
Keep the game open, and also close it. Some achievements care about quitting and relaunching, or about real-world time.

How the Game Works

You play Stanley, employee 427, who presses buttons in an office until one day his coworkers vanish. The Narrator describes what Stanley does next. You move in first person, interact with a single "use" key and nothing else: no combat, no inventory (at least in the original), and jumping is disabled (there is an achievement about that).

Every loop begins at Stanley's office and branches at key decisions. The most famous is the pair of open doors early on: the Narrator says Stanley took the door on the left.

Endings (Spoiler-Light)

Both versions have many endings. Names below are the ones commonly used for the 2013 game; routes are given only for the most famous ones so the rest stay discoverable.

Ending	How to find it (hint level)
Freedom	Do everything the Narrator says. At the boss's office, the keypad code is 2845; follow the route to the end and make the Narrator's choice.
Countdown	Same route as Freedom, but at the final choice, do the opposite of what the Narrator wants.
Broom Closet	There is a broom closet on the early route. Go in. Stay.
Confusion	Starts from disobeying at the two doors. Keep following where the story goes.
Insane / Apartment / Heaven / Museum / Serious / Games / Zending / Art	Each hides behind a different act of disobedience, a different staircase, a door you did not open, or an object you did not ignore. Explore both sides of every fork.
Baby Game	Part of one of the stranger branches; you will know it when you see it.

Tips for discovering endings on your own:

At each fork, write down which way you went. Next loop, change one decision.
Go back the way you came. Try doors marked as irrelevant. Try standing still.
Listen to the Narrator's tone. When he gets irritated, you are onto something.

What Ultra Deluxe Adds (No Major Spoilers)

A reworked version of everything from 2013, with new jokes, new lines and subtle changes that play on veterans' memories.
New Content. The game eventually shows you a door promising exactly that. It leads to a large amount of new material.
The bucket. A new item you can carry that changes how the Narrator reacts across many endings. The achievement guide notes that "Beat the game" should be earned without the bucket.
Figurines. Six collectible figurines tie into a later sequence; finding them and restarting several times unlocks an epilogue.
The Memory Zone and commentary on the game's reception, including a satirical route about a fictional sequel, "The Stanley Parable 2," and its bad reviews.
Settings as content. The settings menu is part of the joke; there is an achievement for moving every slider through every value.

Achievements

The Stanley Parable (2013) — 10 achievements

Achievement	How to get it
Beat the game	Complete The Stanley Parable (follow the Narrator to an ending).
Welcome back!	Quit the game and start it again.
You can't jump	Keep pressing jump; the game notices.
Achievement	"This is an achievement." The condition is not explained in-game; check a community achievement guide if you get stuck.
Click on door 430 five times	Find door 430 and interact with it five times.
8888888888888888	In the boss's office, press 8 on the keypad repeatedly before entering the correct code.
Go outside	"Don't play The Stanley Parable for five years." Earned when you return after five years (players often manipulate the system clock).
Speed run	Complete the game in under 4 minutes 22 seconds (not counting load times). The Freedom route is the usual choice.
Unachievable	"It is impossible to get this achievement." It is a joke, but it is obtainable; the method is well documented in community achievement guides.
Commitment	Play for the entire duration of a Tuesday. Leave the game running across a full Tuesday, or manipulate the system clock.

Ultra Deluxe — 11 achievements

Achievement	How to get it
Get your first achievement	Awarded for getting any other achievement first.
You can't jump	Press jump repeatedly.
Beat the game	Complete the game by following the Narrator to an ending, without collecting the bucket.
Welcome back!	Quit and restart the game.
8888888888888888	Press 8 on the boss's office keypad repeatedly before the correct code.
Click on door 430 five times	More involved than in 2013. Per the community 100% guide: click 430 five times, then visit 417, 437, 415, 437, the copy machine, 417, climb the desk, 416, the copy machine, and finish by clicking 430 five times again.
Settings World Champion	Set every settings slider to every available number, and cycle every checkbox and list option.
Test achievement please ignore	A multi-stage chain: collect all six figurines, complete the new storyline, restart at least five times to unlock the Epilogue, agree when asked to increase a number, then use a machine in the exposition hall. Do it last.
Super Go Outside	"Don't play The Stanley Parable for ten years." Wait ten years, or use the system clock/offline mode workaround.
Commitment	Play for the entire duration of a Tuesday.

Clock-manipulation note: Time-based achievements are usually earned by changing your system date while Steam is in offline mode. This can confuse other software and online services; change your clock back afterwards.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Reading an ending list before your first few hours. You will skip the best surprises.
Assuming one ending is the "true" one. The game is about there not being one.
Stopping after the Freedom ending. That is the beginning, not the end.
Rushing through dialogue. The Narrator's lines change based on repetition and timing.
Ignoring the menus in Ultra Deluxe. Some jokes live there.
Trying the Tuesday achievement on a machine that sleeps. Disable sleep or it will not count.

Advanced Tips

Track restarts. Some content in Ultra Deluxe only appears after a certain number of loops; keep playing even when things look the same.
Check what you are holding. The bucket changes dialogue in many endings; run the classic routes again with it.
Collect figurines as you explore. They appear across different routes; if you are missing some, explore the areas you have visited least.
Speed run tip: Practice the boss office route with minimal detours; the keypad code is 2845.
Play the free demo if you have not. The 2013 demo is its own separate joke, not a slice of the game.

FAQ

How long is The Stanley Parable? A single loop can take minutes; seeing most endings takes a few hours. Ultra Deluxe roughly doubles the content.

Is Ultra Deluxe worth it if I played the original? Yes. The new content is designed specifically to subvert what returning players expect.

How many endings are there? The 2013 game has more than ten; Ultra Deluxe adds many more, plus bucket variants of existing ones.

What is the boss's office code? 2845.

Can you actually get "Unachievable"? Yes. Despite the name, it is obtainable in the 2013 version; community achievement guides explain the trick.

Is there a Stanley Parable 2? No. It is a joke inside Ultra Deluxe. The writer, Davey Wreden, has since made Wanderstop (announced June 2024).