The Beginner's Guide on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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The Beginner's Guide is a narrative video game from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable. It lasts about an hour and a half and has no traditional mechanics, no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person struggling to deal with something they do not understand.
The Beginner's Guide is a story rich, walking simulator and narration game
developed by Everything Unlimited Ltd.
and published by Everything Unlimited Ltd. and Klei Publishing.
Released on October 01st 2015 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 5 languages: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain and Russian.
It has received 22,002 reviews of which 19,369 were positive and 2,633 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 4.87€ on Steam with a 50% discount.
The Steam community has classified The Beginner's Guide into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at The Beginner's Guide through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10
- Processor: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 (or higher) or AMD64X2 (or higher)
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Video card must be 128 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 2.0b (ATI Radeon X800 or higher / NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or higher / Intel HD Graphics 2000 or higher - *NOT* an Intel Express graphics card).
- Storage: 4 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible
MacOS
- OS: Mac OS X 10.8 or higher required
- Processor: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 (or higher) or AMD64X2 (or higher)
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: ATI Radeon 2400 or higher / NVIDIA 8600M or higher
- Storage: 4 GB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04
- Processor: Dual core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600 (Graphic Drivers: nVidia 310, AMD 12.11), OpenGL 2.1
- Storage: 4 GB available space
- Sound Card: OpenAL Compatible Sound Card
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
TL;DR Maybe art isn't really for everybody, but that's not a bad thing, you think as you calm yourself. When my friend first showed me this game and told me absolutely nothing about it, except that this is a mind changing game I was instantly hooked up, back in the days I was... let's say... "very straightforwardly minded", maybe it's not the best way to describe how I felt, but, I just wanted a solution, I wanted to skip the part where you research, spend time and just become absored in the work process, all I wanted is an instant result, preferably positive. If you wanted to become a better person, then you should try doing things by yourself, it'll be hard and an extremely unplesant, tiring experience, but it'll work, through discipline or consistency you will be able to become better. So I tried doing everything by myself, even though, at least I, consider myself as an independent person, there were times when I felt... Lazy? I began doing my own researches, expanding my mind and worldview by not only trying to find what is this that I enjoy and like doing, but also improving and refining my tastes, I actually began enjoying complex and previously music that I didn't understand, began reading better books, began playing better games (although that's arguable) and as I did all of this, thinking that I'm on my way to reach peak of my existance I install The Beginner's Guide. And I was left with dried tears, blankly staring at the main title screen after the epilogue. The moment you realise, key word realise what this game is about, what topics this game brings up and what story it tells you, whole picture just snaps. It's nice coming back to some games to just... Reflect, relax, calm down for a moment, I could just stay still and listen to the music on these levels, it's so, transcending, atmospheric and... I don't know what else to say about this game, I feel bad, like, really really bad for hating myself and doing nothing about it, letting hatred and jealousy absorb me from the inside I just can't, I can't and I won't be like you and even though I wholeheartedly wish only the best for myself, it's almost as if... I need help and it makes me mad seeing how much people support you and what you do, I just wish I could be surrounded by so many good people like you, but I'm getting destroyed, humiliated by people I thought I could trust and it makes me so jealous that I had to suffer through all this unfair and unneeded hate, watching them kill me as I helplessly cry and beg them to stop, turning me into dysfunctional, latent "human being" and it hurts me so much seeing you being kind to others while I'm being abused with my honesty and friendliness, even though I try to be best for my friends and family, it's not enough and it'll never be enough of my kindness for them, for everyone, all my humanity is being sucked out of me, leaving me with emptiness that's filled by rage that I need to use on someone, but I won't. I don't want others to be hurt by me, I don't want this to be a closed circle of all negative emotions that I feel. So, I... I think it's for the best I just... Leave you be, before I do something bad that I'll regret. I'll stay wrapped in my cocoon of rage and jealousy, so everyone around me would be safe, I'll sacrifice my abilities, my nature gifted talents for the sake of those who I care about. I will never be like you and I don't think I will ever be. No matter how hard and desperately I try, my wish is not enough. • • •
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This game is a linear story that you will finish within two hours and probably be done with forever. It is also not a funny experience in the slightest, despite being made by the writer of The Stanley Parable. So know those things going in. With that said, I first played this game when I was 12. At the time, it had me in tears, and that doesn't happen to me often. But I really only processed it on a superficial level. In the decade since, I've thought back to this one numerous times. The layers have become apparent to me with time, and it's become one of the most prescient stories I think I've ever heard. Every year it seems more relevant to more people in my life, and I shout at more of them to play it. It becomes more relevant to my own dealings, and I find myself using it as a sort of blueprint when I'm trying to figure out if I'm crossing anyone's lines or making any ill-considered judgments. If I were to write out on paper the lessons I took away from this game, they would sound shallow and obvious as hell. But it's clear to me that not enough people have processed them. Especially in our online-first world, this story is something I feel everyone should experience. Set aside two hours to play this, and set aside another two hours to just sit in it and think about it. And then ask other people in your life to do the same.
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Good game, don't read the black bars unless you played it and want to hear some of my opinions on it, don't spoil it for yourself. I've read some of the other reviews, it feels wrong to call the narrator a narcissist, that word is thrown around a lot nowadays and seems to have lost some of it's meaning, but I guess I can understand it a little, he changed up the games, projected onto Coda, showed off Coda's work for validation, ultimately getting cut off for it, because it was a boundary that he crossed. not to mention how he crossed it again by creating this game and attempting to reach out to him, another boundary he's crossing, one that Coda established when cutting him off. (it's fiction btw) but to tell you the truth I still feel like calling the narrator a narcissist isn't right, it's true that he changed the games up, he almost never let us experience them how Coda made them (which he didn't want us to experience at all in the first place), often times skipped over parts, brushing them off simply because he himself couldn't find meaning in them, and added those poles etc. but to me, the narrator seemed more like an emotionally immature individual who craved external validation AND wanted to help Coda for what he perceived him to be going through, I don't believe that's narcissistic, I think he was displaying empathy. despite that though, I still have my doubts, we only see things from his perspective and people with NPD have an absolutely screwed perception of themselves and the world around them. on the other hand, people can display narcissistic traits without having NPD. in contrast, Coda's letter at the end was so grounded, so mature, and genuinely healthy, I can definitely relate to him and how it feels to have a friend who doesn't really understand you and isn't a good match for you at all. the game isn't inspirational, I agree with other reviewers, but that wasn’t really the point of the game to begin with. it definitely is a great story, I personally was so immersed at the end of the tower level's door puzzle, great idea, great voice acting, and amazing execution.
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Is it about dealing with depression or social anxiety? About connection? About artistic creativity? I-I’m not really sure. Still, playing this game made me realize that I still haven’t found my lamppost in life. 100% recommend.
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Stop reading reviews of this game! ANY REVIEW YOU READ may ruin the experience for you. This game is best experienced BLIND. This game requires a level of critical thinking and reflection. It's important to play this game in one go, like watching a movie. Overall, I absolutely love it. There are so many interpretations and meanings you can draw from it. There are many playthroughs you can find on YouTube, and every single person who played it drew a slightly different message from the game. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I played it a month ago. I guess that means it succeeded. Well done.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Beginner's Guide is currently priced at 4.87€ on Steam.
The Beginner's Guide is currently available at a 50% discount. You can purchase it for 4.87€ on Steam.
The Beginner's Guide received 19,369 positive votes out of a total of 22,002 achieving a rating of 8.62.
😎
The Beginner's Guide was developed by Everything Unlimited Ltd. and published by Everything Unlimited Ltd. and Klei Publishing.
The Beginner's Guide is playable and fully supported on Windows.
The Beginner's Guide is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
The Beginner's Guide is playable and fully supported on Linux.
The Beginner's Guide is a single-player game.
The Beginner's Guide does not currently offer any DLC.
The Beginner's Guide does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
The Beginner's Guide supports Remote Play on Tablet. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
The Beginner's Guide is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Beginner's Guide.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 25 January 2026 08:00 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 25 January 2026 12:01 |
| Steam price | 29 January 2026 12:44 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 10:07 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Beginner's Guide, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Beginner's Guide
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Beginner's Guide concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Beginner's Guide compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
8
Developer
Everything Unlimited Ltd.
Publisher
Everything Unlimited Ltd.,
Klei Publishing
Release
01 Oct 2015
Platforms
Remote Play
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