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The Narrator
The Games Ending (also called the Playtest Ending[1]) is the ending which takes Stanley to playtest new versions of the game before playing various others instead, including the original Half-Life 2 mod of The Stanley Parable.
This ending is in the original mod, HD remake, and Ultra Deluxe.
Obtaining the Ending[]
Exit Stanley's office. At the 2 doors, pick the one on the right. Go into the warehouse, take the cargo lift and jump onto the catwalk. At the two colored doors, take the blue door 3 times. You will walk into a large room that the Narrator had not finished building yet; Source textures (orange tiles) can be seen along the walls around you.
HD Remake version of the Ending[]
After you fail The Baby Game, the Narrator will shut it off and teleport Stanley to a Minecraft-lookalike game. All features of the lookalike are similar to the real game: sound effects while walking, overhead cloud textures, mining sounds, lighting effects and door opening sounds. You are still limited to his abilities from the original game (you cannot jump nor mine) and can only watch the Narrator create a house. He then decides to recreate the house out of diamond, and invites you to come mining with him as several blocks behind him are cleared for the latter. As Stanley walks further into the cave, the lighting dims and the Narrator laments on how open-ended the game is. He then decides to try another game.
You are then sent to the first level of Portal, waking up in Chell's stasis tube. Complete the first puzzle and walk towards the elevator. However, the Narrator closes it and brings the elevator up from you before you can even get in it. The Narrator will arrogantly say that he doesn't need you in your office or your life, and leaves you behind.

The broken version of the office.
You then have nothing to do but jump through the elevator shaft (one of the goal holes in the case of Ultra Deluxe) into a remnant of the original office building; walking forward will send you down another hole and into the office from the original Half-Life 2 mod, but without lighting. If you walk to your office (can be found by looking for the only ceiling light turned on) and walk out of it, the screen turns to black and the Narrator closes this ending with some thoughtful dialogue, wondering if you are happy with your choice.
In Ultra Deluxe, the Narrator notices Stanley's accidental fall (which can trigger even sooner if you're willing to) and tries calling to him to no avail, even though the ending is the same otherwise.
Getting Stuck in the Test Chamber[]
It is possible to break the last door with the Storage Cube. This is done by balancing the cube with a slant on the radio, leaning against the door. When you step on the button, the door will close on the cube and start smoking. The narrator will then mock you on failing the simplest puzzle in the game and leave you inside the chamber, preventing you from continuing the ending and forcing you to reset. This is also possible in the same test chamber from the original Portal. See the video here.
Ultra Deluxe version of the Ending[]
In Ultra Deluxe, the ending is nearly identical to the original, but with different games. While it is still the general idea of an open-world game and a walled-off game, the specific observations and objectives are different to suit the new games.

Firewatch.
Instead of Minecraft, the Narrator takes Stanley first to Firewatch. He is satisfied at the contents of the tower you first arrive in, but when you descend, he is disgusted at the fact that it's an open-world game (at least, that's what he quickly assumes) and blocks Stanley in with several brick walls. He then decides to try another, more boxed-in game.

Rocket League.
Instead of Portal, the walled-off game is Rocket League. The Narrator enjoys the confined environment before realizing the game is "Sportsball". He spawns in a ball to allow Stanley to score a goal. Thinking the number of balls is equal to the amount of fun, he adds several more. However, he soon takes them all away and reminds Stanley he is playing his game, eventually leaving him there.
The Ending (Original Mod)[]
In the original Half-Life 2 mod, you're taken to the start of Half-Life 2 itself. Similar to the HD remix and Ultra Deluxe, you cannot go any further once you reached the end of the first map. However, the Narrator will get frustrated about it being the end of the line instead of saying he had enough. To continue, you must actually find a hole in the room that takes you to a white light. When you get closer and closer, you're taken back to the office, but you cannot go further after reaching:
- The Boss's Office (there is no keypad)
- The room replaced by the Warehouse in the HD remix (the elevator doesn't come)
- The path to the Mariella Ending (you can go downstairs, but it leads you to nowhere)
After 1 minute of wandering, the Narrator says that all stories must come to an end, and after some narration, he says that he's happy to be the destination instead of the journey. Then the game restarts.
Trivia[]
- The Narrator's incorrect assumption of Firewatch's plot in the Games Ending (the Ultra Deluxe version) might be a reference to a sequence that occurs early on in the actual game, where Henry (the game's protagonist) asks two drunk naked women to leave the forest (calmly or threateningly based on player choice), only for the women to call him 'an old creep' and run off.
- In Ultra Deluxe, entering the left door when the leader board appears may result in Stanley being trapped in a corridor with both doors locked, requiring a manual restart. As The Narrator makes no comment, this may be a glitch. (Replicated on PS5).
Video Guide[]
References[]
- ↑ Fixed two potential causes for the softlock just after the leaderboard section in the “Playtest Ending”. - 1.05 dev notes; filenames related to this ending.
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v • eEndings | ||
---|---|---|
Left door | Freedom Ending • Countdown Ending • Museum Ending • Mariella Ending • Escape Pod Ending • Heaven Ending • Broom Closet Ending • Press Conference Ending • Bottom of the Mind Control Room Ending | |
Right door | Confusion Ending • Powerful Ending • Cold Feet Ending • Apartment Ending • Not Stanley Ending • Zending • Games Ending • Art Ending • Tape Recorder Ending • No Buckets Ending | |
Does not require the two doors room | Coward Ending • Out of Map Ending • Serious Ending • Whiteboard Ending | |
Progression Endings | Paywall Ending • New Content Ending • Skip Button Ending • Infinite Hole Ending • Sequel Ending • Figurines Ending • Epilogue |