Imagine receiving an email with a zip file in it. Inside of it is a folder. inside of that folder are .exe files-- tons of them. When you open them up, you find that they are all games. Tons and tons of games. Who made these games? What was this person like? What do the games mean? What was this person going through when they made these games? Why can't you complete these games? Why is there no goal?

This is The Beginner's Guide. The works of a developer who never wanted his works to be shared. The story of a recluse and the person who tried to fix him.


It's probably best if this goes at the top of the review. All that cheesiness aside, this game is really short, about an hour and a half long. And it's intended to be that way-- it's clearly stated in the description on Steam. It's like a $6 movie ticket, almost.

That said, you may be thinking that a playtime of 90 minutes is way below industry standards, and you'd be right. But this is not in any way a standard game, nor should it be treated like one. The game states directly what it is and what it has set out to accomplish from the very start, and I firmly believe that this game does so very well and leaves no loose ends, even in only the short time provided. Don't be put off by this fact, and don't let it deter you from a great story.

The game doesn't have very exciting gameplay either, and it doesn't pretend to. In fact, a good chunk of the commentary focuses on how some of the games shown are not at all playable. This game is more of a work of art to be appreciated from many angles, and you shouldn't go into it expecting to end up addicted to it.



The Beginner's Guide is an interactive story, like a visual novel but told in a unique and creative way. Davey Wreden, himself the narrator, tells the story of a young developer whose name is Coda. Davey shows the player the games that Coda has made, and talks about their meaning, the personality of Coda, and his own interpretation of the games. These small Source engine games are playable, but lack any kind of real purpose or goal, which is touched upon repeatedly in the narration.

This game shows many forms of mastery in its narration and storytelling. As you progress through the story, the player begins to realize the possibility of Davey's unreliability as a narrator. The player can realize the selfishness of Davey's actions, and can begin to distrust his interpretations. Anyway, I won't continue spoiling the story, but trust that though the game might seem to at first have a flat affect, it begins to tie together and finishes with a depressing yet satisfying ending.

The game's primary purpose is to tell an interesting and thought-provoking story, and that it does excellently. The story itself is open to interpretation, and encourages the player to think for himself rather than blindly trusting a narrator. Davey even gives the player his email at the beginning of the game with which to share one's own interpretation.



Although all the small games featured in this game run in the Source engine, this game is very much artistic in way of design, narration, and music. For example, lots of the games feature long, linear cubic hallways-- which seem to be a primary feature of the Source engine. The narrator comments on this commonly seen element, and talks about what it means in terms of the mental state of Coda during the development, and provides powerful insights into every tiny element in these games. It's all very thorough and creative.

There are lots of commonly shared elements in Coda's games, which leads the player to interpret each element in a specific way, and draws the player further into thinking about Coda's personality. The narration helps to maintain the player's attention and provide a kind of basic interpretation for the player to expand on.

The music also fits perfectly with the game. It's mostly made on a grand piano, with each note helping convey each emotion in a meaningful way. The music creates a kind of atmosphere for the player to be drawn into, and helps the player collect their thoughts.