Scene from The Beginner's Guide showcasing level design and atmosphere, hinting at the game's deeper meaning
Understanding the Guide Meaning within a piece of art, especially a video game, can be a complex journey. The Beginner’s Guide, developed by Davey Wreden, masterfully exemplifies this complexity. In one particularly telling scene, Wreden, both the game’s creator and a character within it, guides the player through a level crafted by his friend, Coda. This level, seemingly set in a space station, presents a scenario ripe with implied meaning. Sirens blare, emergency broadcasts warn of an impending alien invasion, and the player is armed – all classic tropes suggesting a clear path forward. Yet, the expected alien antagonists never materialize. Looking out of a window, the player is confronted with a stark, grey void at the edge of the game world, an apparent sign of Coda’s unfinished work, or perhaps, something more deliberate.
However, the most striking element in this level, according to Wreden’s interpretation, is the final room. Here, a potent blue laser, a conduit of destructive energy, is suspended within a device. A disembodied voice implores the player to sacrifice themselves to save everyone from a cryptic “whisper machine.” The game appears to guide the player towards a messianic act: step into the beam, give your life, and fulfill the seemingly preordained narrative. The expected outcome? Death and a conventional game over.
But The Beginner’s Guide defies such straightforward expectations. Wreden reveals that the intended game mechanic, the guide meaning if you will, was indeed player death. However, a glitch in the game’s code allowed players to float upwards, out of the room, ascending to improbable heights. This unexpected ascent mirrors the glitches often found in Bethesda games, where characters might randomly defy gravity. Yet, Wreden attempts to imbue even this glitch with guide meaning, suggesting it symbolizes the insignificance of individual actions within a larger context. This interpretation, however, is just one layer of the game’s intricate design.
This raises a crucial question: what was Coda’s intention? What guide meaning did he embed, consciously or unconsciously, within his creation? Was the unexpected ending a glitch, or a deliberate commentary woven into the game’s fabric? The ambiguity surrounding Coda’s intentions is central to The Beginner’s Guide. Wreden, as the game’s developer, intentionally cultivates this ambiguity, ensuring the guide meaning remains open to interpretation.
The Beginner’s Guide is intentionally layered with multiple guide meanings. Some critics perceive it as a commentary on the very nature of game criticism, a subtle jab at those who impose rigid interpretations on games. Others see a feminist perspective, finding guide meaning in its exploration of control and manipulation. Still others interpret it as a reflection on the often-fraught relationship between game developers and their passionate, sometimes demanding, fan bases – recalling controversies like the No Man’s Sky launch. Without explicit clarification from Wreden, all these interpretations, and perhaps many more, hold validity. The guide meaning of The Beginner’s Guide remains fluid, much like Schrödinger’s cat, existing in a state of simultaneous correctness and ambiguity. This multiplicity of interpretations is inherent to art itself; its power lies in its capacity to resonate differently with each individual.
Wreden, the in-game character, also engages in this pursuit of guide meaning. Obsessively drawn to Coda’s games, he embarks on a quest to decipher their underlying purpose. He interprets the darker tones of Coda’s later works as indicators of depression. Driven by a misguided desire to “help” Coda, Wreden takes drastic actions. He shares Coda’s private games, alters their code, and even adds elements like lampposts, attempting to mold them into something he deems coherent and meaningful. The validation he receives from others for these altered games becomes addictive. Wreden becomes trapped in a cycle of manipulation and self-deception, unable to escape the consequences of his actions. This narrative thread highlights the dangers of imposing one’s own guide meaning onto another’s creation, especially when driven by personal biases and insecurities.
The line between the in-game Wreden and the real-world developer is intentionally blurred, suggesting a deeply personal connection. It’s plausible that the in-game character reflects Wreden’s own experiences and vulnerabilities. In a blog post reflecting on the reception of his previous game, The Stanley Parable, Wreden wrote about the futility of seeking external validation to alleviate internal insecurity. He poignantly asked, “If you were insecure about other peoples’ opinions of you and addicted to praise in order to feel good about yourself, the dirty truth is that there is no amount of praise you can receive that will make that insecurity goes away. What fire dies when you feed it?” This introspection further enriches the guide meaning of The Beginner’s Guide.
Ultimately, how we interpret art, any medium, and indeed games, is shaped by our personal histories, values, and identities. For me, The Beginner’s Guide serves as a poignant exploration of creative burnout, the relentless need for validation, and the internal struggle against self-loathing. Completing the game is not challenging due to its difficulty, but because of its unsettlingly accurate reflection of personal struggles. This interpretation, while subjective, is the guide meaning I derive from the game – a deeply personal and resonant understanding.
