Braid
- April 10, 2009
- Number None
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Braid is a single-player fantasy puzzle-platformer game with beautiful graphics, stunning music, and forgiving yet challenging gameplay. Manipulate time in unique ways to rescue an abducted princess across a series of worlds. Every puzzle reveals something new in this filler-free game, now with Steam Cloud support."
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Xbox Series X|S
Linux
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Reviews
- Braid is a beautifully crafted puzzle platformer that utilizes time manipulation mechanics in innovative ways, providing a unique and satisfying gameplay experience.
- The art style and soundtrack are stunning, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience of the game.
- The puzzles are cleverly designed, challenging players to think outside the box, and the sense of accomplishment from solving them is incredibly rewarding.
- The story can be vague and pretentious, often leaving players confused about its deeper meanings and connections to the gameplay.
- Some puzzles rely on obscure mechanics that are not clearly explained, leading to frustration and the need for external guides to complete them.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players feeling that it doesn't provide enough content for its price.
- gameplay1,155 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Braid* is characterized by its innovative time manipulation mechanics, which are intricately woven into the puzzle-solving experience. Each world introduces new mechanics that build upon the core concept, creating a fresh and challenging gameplay environment that requires players to think critically and adapt quickly. While the puzzles can be complex and occasionally frustrating due to a lack of clear explanations, the overall design is praised for its creativity, aesthetic appeal, and the seamless integration of gameplay with narrative themes.
“Braid is a masterful blend of storytelling and innovative gameplay, setting a high bar in the puzzle-platformer genre.”
“Its unique time-manipulation mechanics are not just a gimmick but are deeply integrated into both the gameplay and the narrative, offering a fresh and thought-provoking experience.”
“The gameplay is incredibly intelligent.”
“I couldn't get my head around the platforming and mechanics, so I personally wouldn't recommend it since it left me super confused.”
“It's not fun to spend half the time pressing the rewind button, not just to cancel errors, but also as the normal gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very straightforward; there is only one way you can solve puzzles.”
- story1,145 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Braid" is often described as complex, abstract, and open to interpretation, with many players finding it both intriguing and confusing. While some appreciate the depth and emotional resonance of the narrative, others criticize its vagueness and disconnection from gameplay, suggesting that it can feel pretentious or overly convoluted. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a unique blend of art and mechanics, rewarding those who engage deeply with its themes, but may leave others feeling unsatisfied or lost.
“Braid is a masterful blend of storytelling and innovative gameplay, setting a high bar in the puzzle-platformer genre.”
“Braid challenges players not just intellectually with its cleverly designed puzzles, but emotionally, weaving a complex story that explores themes of memory, regret, and the nature of reality.”
“The way to show the story is extremely unique, and consistent with the gameplay of the game.”
“I could pick up a little of what was being said but, ultimately the story was boring enough that I stopped trying to make heads or tails of it and just ignored it.”
“The story is really confusing.”
“The story is a chaotic mess soaked in symbolism, but one that doesn't take priority over gameplay and can be approached in different ways and get different meanings out of it.”
- music611 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its beautiful, atmospheric quality, often described as haunting and soothing, perfectly complementing the game's artistic visuals and intricate puzzle design. Many players appreciate how the soundtrack enhances the emotional depth of the narrative, with some noting its clever integration with the game's time-manipulation mechanics. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The music of this game is amazing, and even if you hear it for a long time, it won't make you tired of it.”
“The game's beautifully hand-painted visuals and hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack create a dreamlike world that is both enchanting and melancholic.”
“Beautiful art, excellent music, intriguing mechanics and puzzles, and plenty to chew on regarding story, themes and how it all ties together.”
“The music similarly just does nothing for me; it feels out of place in a lot of cases and actually further contributes to this feeling of cheapness, feeling at times akin to a shovelware mobile game.”
“The problems surrounding the audio are also made worse when you’re having to hear the music either slowed down or reversed a lot of the time due to the core mechanics of the game being about time manipulation, which is honestly unbearable.”
“The music and sound will become annoying over time and combined with the annoying enemies will produce headaches.”
- graphics450 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning, hand-painted art style that evokes a dreamlike quality, often compared to impressionist paintings. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the overall experience and complement the intricate puzzle gameplay. While some critiques mention that certain character designs clash with the game's aesthetic, the majority agree that the artistic presentation is one of the game's strongest attributes, making it a visually captivating experience.
“This game is beautiful; it is a simple aesthetic for a 2D game, but everything in it feels detailed, like a painting.”
“The game's beautifully hand-painted visuals and hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack create a dreamlike world that is both enchanting and melancholic.”
“Braid is a mind-expanding puzzle-platformer with a very cool 2-dimensional graphic style, a trippy and deep underlying story, and extremely enjoyable controls and playability.”
“It could be even better if the story wasn't so clearly separated from the actual gameplay and the visuals didn't look washed out and generic.”
“The art style feels quite messy and uninspired for the most part, with nothing really contributing to any grander aesthetic or anything, just a series of either bland or ugly creatures with bad animation.”
“My main complaint is the crap art style the game went with.”
- emotional57 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game "Braid" is widely praised for its deeply touching and metaphorical narrative, which explores themes of memory, regret, and the complexities of relationships. Players report a range of emotional responses, from joy and satisfaction in solving puzzles to moments of profound sadness, often culminating in tears. The game's innovative mechanics are intricately linked to its emotional storytelling, creating a memorable experience that resonates with players long after they finish.
“It made me shed a tear.”
“Braid challenges players not just intellectually with its cleverly designed puzzles, but emotionally, weaving a complex story that explores themes of memory, regret, and the nature of reality.”
“Beautiful graphics, music, and a touching story.”
“The art design is unappealing, the soundtrack fails to evoke any feelings, and the story is both dull and disappointingly brief.”
“I found the emotional depth lacking; the characters felt flat and unrelatable.”
“Despite its attempts at emotional storytelling, the game ultimately fell short, leaving me feeling disconnected and uninspired.”
- atmosphere49 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning hand-painted visuals and haunting soundtrack, creating a dreamlike and melancholic world that captivates players. Many reviews highlight the rich, evocative ambiance that enhances the gameplay experience, with art and music working harmoniously to establish a unique and immersive environment. While some players find the story vague, the overall aesthetic and atmospheric elements are consistently regarded as exceptional and memorable.
“The game's beautifully hand-painted visuals and hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack create a dreamlike world that is both enchanting and melancholic.”
“The atmosphere is exceedingly rich and dreamlike: incredible, almost fluid visuals in a style of a beautiful multilayered watercolor painting, gentle smooth music, and pleasant sound design.”
“The amazing backgrounds and artistic style of this game, combined with the atmospheric soundtrack make this game a gem to play.”
“A game that builds on atmosphere presents its world through PowerPoint presentations that a 7-year-old could make.”
“Pity, because I liked it for a while, also for graphics and atmosphere, until it got me to frustration.”
“I found the atmosphere of Braid a little strange to get used to, however...”
- replayability33 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its artistic design and the challenge of uncovering secrets, many note that once puzzle solutions are known, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly. Despite its short length and limited replay value typical of puzzle games, some players find enjoyment in revisiting the experience for its aesthetic and intellectual stimulation. Ultimately, while it may not offer extensive replayability, it remains a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate its craftsmanship.
“The brilliant aesthetics, gameplay, and sound design make it extremely replayable.”
“There is a lot of replayability to Braid.”
“Beyond being fun, replayable, intellectually stimulating, and visually beautiful, Braid is a work of art.”
“Bad news is, I see no replay value at all, because the puzzle solutions are known and the plain execution is not fun at all.”
“The whole game only took me about 5 hours to complete and there is no replay value, as once you know how to do the puzzles there is no point to do them again.”
“Of course the game is a puzzle game, so it will have little to no replay value.”
- grinding32 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing the puzzles as repetitive and reliant on awkward timing. While some appreciate the intricate mechanics and puzzle design, many feel that the execution can become overly complicated and time-consuming, leading to a lack of enjoyment. The game’s challenge is noted, but it often results in a trial-and-error process that detracts from the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The levels are tediously repetitive in many aspects.”
“The constant barrage of enemies means the player can't focus on the puzzles, while many puzzles become uncompletable if the player does something wrong, resulting in the player having to restart the level, which makes the trial and error process needed to solve puzzles tedious.”
“I thought this game would be fun with the time manipulation concepts, but I am finding all of it confusing and tedious, making it really hard to enjoy the game.”
- humor27 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever mechanics and playful storytelling, often involving time manipulation and unexpected twists that elicit laughter. Players appreciate the blend of humor with challenging puzzles, though some elements may become repetitive. Overall, the game successfully combines funny moments with a deeper narrative, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
“The story is humorous and touching at the same time.”
“The time mechanics are awesome, and the puzzles are both funny and mind-blowing to solve.”
“It's a puzzle-based game and it's very funny and also very deep in its evolving history.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly and performs well on macOS, it has a 60fps cap and some users report performance issues on higher refresh rate displays. Players appreciate the potential for creative speedrunning strategies, but there are indications that further optimization could enhance the experience.
“However, there are so many potential ways of optimization that you'll find yourself accidentally speedrunning the game just by finding new methods to beating older levels.”
“At the touch of a button you can rewind your performance of a stage to whatever point you like and then begin again from that point.”
“Great indie game and great performance on macOS.”
“This game is not really well-optimized.”
“If you have performance issues on 144Hz or more displays, use windowed mode.”
“However, there are so many potential ways of optimization that you'll find yourself accidentally speedrunning the game just by finding new methods to beat older levels.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay and make puzzle-solving feel more like exploiting programming flaws than engaging with the game mechanics. While the concept is appreciated, the overwhelming technical issues significantly detract from the overall experience.
“Figuring out puzzles in this game reminds me more of exploiting glitches in a poorly programmed platformer.”
“This game had way too many bugs to play. It's a good idea, but multiple things were just not possible due to the extreme amount of bugs and glitches.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as superficial, with designs and story elements borrowed from Mario but lacking depth and cohesion. Reviewers feel that the attempts to add complexity are inadequate, resulting in a disjointed experience that fails to convey a meaningful aesthetic or message.
“The character designs and surface-level story feel lifted from Mario and then just changed; it all seems very superficial. It doesn't tie into a particular aesthetic or message, and feels like a feeble attempt to incorporate another layer without sufficient development.”
“Character development is lacking, with characters feeling one-dimensional and their arcs predictable. There’s little to no growth or change throughout the game.”
“The attempts at character backstories are shallow and fail to engage the player, making it hard to care about their journeys or outcomes.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for its pretentiousness, with users feeling that it looks down on mainstream gaming while failing to offer a compelling alternative. This attitude contributes to a negative perception of the game's overall value and appeal.
