Research Article
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The Stanley Parable'ın Fenomenolojsi: Oyun Oynama Edimi ve Eleştirel Düşünce Üzerine Bir Analiz.

Year 2026, Issue: 31, 1 - 12, 12.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320
https://izlik.org/JA54NS97CM

Abstract

Dijital oyunlar, günümüzün en popüler boş zaman aktiviteleridir. Dahası, günlük yaşamın her alanına nüfuz etmiş bir pratik olarak varlığını sürdürmektedir. Herkes bir şekilde oyun oynar. Bireylerin zamanlarının önemli bir bölümünü geçirdiği bu boş zaman pratiği, aynı zamanda kültürden etkilenen ve dönüşen bir kültürel nesne olarak da işlev görür. Bu oyunlar aynı zamanda endüstriyel üretim süreçleri aracılığıyla ortaya çıkar ve tüketilir. Dijital oyunlar birçok farklı şekilde tanımlanmış olsa da, geleneksel oyunlara dayanarak tanımlamak mümkündür. Oyun, keyif alınabilen, iptal edilebilen, ertelenebilen ve kişinin yaşamın yükünden kurtulmasını sağlayan kültürel bir olgudur. Oyunların faydadan bağımsız olduğu da söylenir, ancak dijital oyun endüstrisinde ortaya çıkan yeni meslekler ve oyunların gelir potansiyeli, bu tanımın terk edilmesi gerektiği anlamına gelir. Ancak, bunların bir boş zaman pratiğinden çok daha fazlasını ifade eden metinler olduğu söylenebilir. Bu araştırma, sosyoloji anlayışından yararlanarak Stanley Benzetmesi'ni oyuncuların yorumları üzerinden analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu çerçevede, fenomenolojik geleneğin metodolojik araçlarını kullanır ve oyuncu deneyimlerini analiz eder. Araştırmanın temel amacı, oyunun oyuncuların zihninde ne tür sorular uyandırdığını bulmaktır.

Ethical Statement

Etik kurul onayı alınmıştır.

References

  • Aarseth, E. J. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on ergodic literature. JHU Press.
  • Ashworth, P. (1996). Presuppose nothing! The suspension of assumptions in phenomenological psychological methodology. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 27(1).
  • Binark, M., & Sütcü, G. B. (2008). Kültür endüstrisi ürünü olarak dijital oyun. Kalkedon Yayınları.
  • Bogost, I. (2008). The rhetoric of video games. In K. Salen (Ed.), The ecology of games: Connecting youth, games, and learning (pp. 117-140). The MIT Press.
  • Dennin, K., & Burton, A. (2023). Experiential play as an analytical framework: Empathetic and grating queerness in The Last of Us Part II. The International Journal of Computer Game Research, 23(2). https://gamestudies.org/2302/articles/denninburton
  • Fest, B. J. (2016). Metaproceduralısm: The Stanley Parable and the legacıes of postmodern metafiction. Wide Screen, 6(1), 1-23. https://widescreenjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/metaproceduralism-the-stanley-parable-and-the-legacies-of-postmodern-metafiction.pdf
  • Frasca, G. (2003). Ludologists love stories too: Notes from a debate that never took place. In DiGRA '03- Proceedings of the 2003 DiGRA International Conference: Level Up (pp. 4-6) http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/ludologists-love-stories-too-notes-from-a-debate-that-never-took-place/
  • Frasca, G. (2004). Videogames of the oppresed. Electronic Book Review, 3. https://electronicbookreview.com/publications/videogames-of-the-oppressed/
  • Galloway, A. (2006). Essays on algorithmic culture. Minnesota Press.
  • Güler, A., Halıcıoğlu, M. B., & Taşğın, S. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma: Teorik çerçeve-pratik öneriler-6 farklı nitel araştırma yaklaşımı-kalite ve etik hususlar. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  • Herte, M. (2016). Come, Stanley, let’s find the story! On the ludic and the narrative mode of computer games in The Stanley Parable. Image: Zeitschrift für interdisziplinäre Bildwissenschaft, 12(1), 30-42. https://mediarep.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5ad5599c-b762-47a1-9fdd-08b1802c8bfa/content
  • Husserl, E. (1999). The essential Husserl: Basic writings in transcendental phenomenology. Indiana University Press.
  • Kücklich, J. (2006). Literary theory and digital games. In J. Rutter & J. Bryce (Eds.), Understanding digital games (pp. 94-112). Sage Publications.
  • Laurel, B. (2013). Computers as theatre. Addison-Wesley.
  • Punch, K. F. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Sage Publishing.
  • Sarian, A. A. (2018). Paradox and pedagogy in the Stanley Parable. Games and Culture, 15(2), 179-197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412018764699
  • Sayılgan, Ö. B. (2012). Etkileşimliliğin ideolojisi: Dijital oyun. https://dijitaloyun.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/2347/
  • Süngü, E. (2020). Oyunlarda tektipleşme ve Türkiye’deki oyuncu kültürüne etkileri. In E. Süngü & B. Bostan (Eds.), Türkiye’de ve Türkiye’den oyun çalışmaları (pp. 17-38). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  • Wesp, E. (2014). A Too-coherent world: Game studies and the myth of “narrative” media. Game Studies the International Journal of Computer Game Research, 14(2). https://gamestudies.org/1402/articles/wesp
  • Yıldırım, A., & Simsek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  • Zhu, F. (2020). The freedom of alienated reflexive subjectivity in The Stanley Parable. Convergence, 26(1), 116-134. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/139130374/The_freedom_of_alienated_ZHU_Acc4Apr2017Epub21Jan2018_GREEN_AAM.pdf

Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought

Year 2026, Issue: 31, 1 - 12, 12.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320
https://izlik.org/JA54NS97CM

Abstract

Digital games have become one of today’s most common leisure activities and have spread into nearly every aspect of daily life. Almost everyone plays games in some way. Beyond occupying a significant amount of people’s time, games also act as cultural objects that both shape and are shaped by culture. They are produced and consumed through industrial processes. The concept of games can be traced back to traditional play, which is a cultural phenomenon that can be enjoyed, postponed, or cancelled, offering a way to escape life’s burdens. Although games were once considered independent of utility, the rise of new professions and economic opportunities in the digital gaming industry has changed this perception. Digital games are now not only entertainment but also meaningful texts with cultural and social significance. This research examines The Stanley Parable through players’ interpretations from a sociological perspective. Using phenomenological methods, it analyzes player experiences to understand how the game prompts reflection and critical questioning. The main goal is to reveal what kinds of questions the game evokes in players’ minds and how these questions shape their understanding, highlighting the broader cultural and intellectual impact of digital games.

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was obtained.

References

  • Aarseth, E. J. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on ergodic literature. JHU Press.
  • Ashworth, P. (1996). Presuppose nothing! The suspension of assumptions in phenomenological psychological methodology. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 27(1).
  • Binark, M., & Sütcü, G. B. (2008). Kültür endüstrisi ürünü olarak dijital oyun. Kalkedon Yayınları.
  • Bogost, I. (2008). The rhetoric of video games. In K. Salen (Ed.), The ecology of games: Connecting youth, games, and learning (pp. 117-140). The MIT Press.
  • Dennin, K., & Burton, A. (2023). Experiential play as an analytical framework: Empathetic and grating queerness in The Last of Us Part II. The International Journal of Computer Game Research, 23(2). https://gamestudies.org/2302/articles/denninburton
  • Fest, B. J. (2016). Metaproceduralısm: The Stanley Parable and the legacıes of postmodern metafiction. Wide Screen, 6(1), 1-23. https://widescreenjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/metaproceduralism-the-stanley-parable-and-the-legacies-of-postmodern-metafiction.pdf
  • Frasca, G. (2003). Ludologists love stories too: Notes from a debate that never took place. In DiGRA '03- Proceedings of the 2003 DiGRA International Conference: Level Up (pp. 4-6) http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/ludologists-love-stories-too-notes-from-a-debate-that-never-took-place/
  • Frasca, G. (2004). Videogames of the oppresed. Electronic Book Review, 3. https://electronicbookreview.com/publications/videogames-of-the-oppressed/
  • Galloway, A. (2006). Essays on algorithmic culture. Minnesota Press.
  • Güler, A., Halıcıoğlu, M. B., & Taşğın, S. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma: Teorik çerçeve-pratik öneriler-6 farklı nitel araştırma yaklaşımı-kalite ve etik hususlar. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  • Herte, M. (2016). Come, Stanley, let’s find the story! On the ludic and the narrative mode of computer games in The Stanley Parable. Image: Zeitschrift für interdisziplinäre Bildwissenschaft, 12(1), 30-42. https://mediarep.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5ad5599c-b762-47a1-9fdd-08b1802c8bfa/content
  • Husserl, E. (1999). The essential Husserl: Basic writings in transcendental phenomenology. Indiana University Press.
  • Kücklich, J. (2006). Literary theory and digital games. In J. Rutter & J. Bryce (Eds.), Understanding digital games (pp. 94-112). Sage Publications.
  • Laurel, B. (2013). Computers as theatre. Addison-Wesley.
  • Punch, K. F. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Sage Publishing.
  • Sarian, A. A. (2018). Paradox and pedagogy in the Stanley Parable. Games and Culture, 15(2), 179-197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412018764699
  • Sayılgan, Ö. B. (2012). Etkileşimliliğin ideolojisi: Dijital oyun. https://dijitaloyun.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/2347/
  • Süngü, E. (2020). Oyunlarda tektipleşme ve Türkiye’deki oyuncu kültürüne etkileri. In E. Süngü & B. Bostan (Eds.), Türkiye’de ve Türkiye’den oyun çalışmaları (pp. 17-38). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
  • Wesp, E. (2014). A Too-coherent world: Game studies and the myth of “narrative” media. Game Studies the International Journal of Computer Game Research, 14(2). https://gamestudies.org/1402/articles/wesp
  • Yıldırım, A., & Simsek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  • Zhu, F. (2020). The freedom of alienated reflexive subjectivity in The Stanley Parable. Convergence, 26(1), 116-134. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/139130374/The_freedom_of_alienated_ZHU_Acc4Apr2017Epub21Jan2018_GREEN_AAM.pdf
There are 21 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects New Media, Communication and Media Studies (Other)
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Eylül Altundaş 0000-0003-4725-3235

Submission Date October 14, 2025
Acceptance Date January 19, 2026
Publication Date March 12, 2026
DOI https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320
IZ https://izlik.org/JA54NS97CM
Published in Issue Year 2026 Issue: 31

Cite

APA Altundaş, E. (2026). Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought. Communicata, 31, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320
AMA 1.Altundaş E. Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought. Communicata. 2026;(31):1-12. doi:10.32952/communicata.1803320
Chicago Altundaş, Eylül. 2026. “Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought”. Communicata, nos. 31: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320.
EndNote Altundaş E (March 1, 2026) Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought. Communicata 31 1–12.
IEEE [1]E. Altundaş, “Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought”, Communicata, no. 31, pp. 1–12, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.32952/communicata.1803320.
ISNAD Altundaş, Eylül. “Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought”. Communicata. 31 (March 1, 2026): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1803320.
JAMA 1.Altundaş E. Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought. Communicata. 2026;:1–12.
MLA Altundaş, Eylül. “Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought”. Communicata, no. 31, Mar. 2026, pp. 1-12, doi:10.32952/communicata.1803320.
Vancouver 1.Eylül Altundaş. Phenomenology of The Stanley Parable: An Analysis of Gameplay and Critical Thought. Communicata. 2026 Mar. 1;(31):1-12. doi:10.32952/communicata.1803320