So i've recently been trying to scratch things off my bucket list. Running through my remarkably small steam library I happened across Braid. I purchased the game at a friends recommendation after being told it would "literally change your life"^[1]. At first glance, Braid looks and feels like a work of art with a beautiful and unique art direction that feels very much like an interactive painting.

It starts off very Mario-esque; a simple platformer where you hop on a couple bad guys and they fall off the screen. You also hop^[1:1] on a few platforms here and there only to be told that "the princess is in another castle" - yawn. Fortunately, that's where the similarities end and Braid really shines.

You hop on a few platforms here and there only to be told that "the princess is in another castle" - yawn. Fortunately, that's where the similarities end and Braid really shines.

Unlike a lot of the usual platformers that put your dexterity and brute button mashing skills^[1:2] to the test (you slip up, you die, you restart the level), braid takes things a step in a different direction by giving you control over time. If you get caught by an enemy or fall into a fiery pit of doom, you simply rewind time and take another crack at it.

If you get caught by an enemy or fall into a fiery pit of doom, you simply rewind time and take another crack at it.

This takes away the anxiety that usually prevents you from experimenting with new ways of doing things or solving problems; Which you need to do to solve most of the head scratching puzzles that Braid puts in front of you. The game also takes this a step further by giving you varying degrees of control over time in different levels. In one level moving to the right advances time while moving to the left rewinds it, while in another you are given the ability to create a doppelganger that performs your future actions when you rewind time.

Conclusion

It's great to see how well this indie game has held up despite it's age (Braid was released in 2008). It's truly a work of art with exciting visuals great audio and a fun game mechanic. It is simply a good game that deserves to be in any platformer lover's library.

It is simply a good game...