Braid

 PC
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Absolute Games
    85
    Upon premiering on Xbox 360, Braid immediately joined Aquaria, Darwinia, Samorost, and World of Goo in the gold reserve of indie games. Its indie roots show through outdated, but stylish graphics, great music, and original ideas. Braid challenges your gray matter, but it does so in such a subtle and elegant ways that you can’t help but fall in love with it.
  2. AtomicGamer
    93
    Braid may lack accessibility for some of its audience, but it's still a landmark in design that should stand as an example for how games can create stories in a way that no other medium can.
  3. Computer Games Online RO
    95
    Gentlemen, I think we’re looking at a masterpiece, in the same sense in which Portal is one too. A cerebral and pleasant experience, never frustrating without proper reward, never dull or monotonous.
  5. GameStar
    82
    This independent game is a creative jewel, so motivating and full of love for details, that it puts multi-million-dollar-games to shame. Braid shows how to create an amazing game using the right ideas.
  6. IGN
    88
    In an age when many games feel like clones of one another or are designed to be easy to beat, Braid sticks to its guns and delivers a rewarding and memorable experience that's definitely worth checking out. It's like an invigorating breath of fresh air, and proof that a handful of independent developers can create games that raise the bar for others.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    100
    An unforgettable game experience that brings a set of various fantastic puzzles. Braid experiments with storytelling and playability itself succeeds on all fronts. [May 2009]
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  8. Multiplayer.it
    94
    Manipulating time was never so challenging as in this masterpiece from Number None. Braid is a little gem carved in pure perfect gameplay, is so addictive that keeps you playing hour after hour. There aren't big flaws in this game, but Braid is a little bit short.
  9. PC Gamer UK
    92
    Dizzying, baffling and staggeringly clever. It's a game that uses parts of your brain you didn't know you had. [June 2009, p.94]
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  10. PC Zone UK
    90
    Genuinely clever stuff. [July 2009, p.64]
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  11. Thunderbolt
    80
    It doesn’t just copy a certain plumber’s early adventures verbatim like so many before it – some of them excellent in their own right – did, but seeks to plant the seeds of growth that the genre has lacked for so many years in showing that, by imprinting its own identity on a well weathered template, incredible things can happen.
  12. Total PC Gaming
    90
    360 gamers were frothing at the mouth for good reason: it’s an instant indie classic.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2009
18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
12
#12 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1013 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 830 out of 1013
  2. Mixed: 129 out of 1013
  3. Negative: 54 out of 1013
  1. Rileym
    Dec 17, 2009
    10
    This game is stunning, it creates challenges that out wit & out smart games such as portal. it creates challenges that are actually beautiful This game is stunning, it creates challenges that out wit & out smart games such as portal. it creates challenges that are actually beautiful (yep that's how i describe them, beautiful) and only few particular deranged people with no lives *cough* Fred X *cough* Seamus B *cough* don't understand or enjoy… Full Review »
  2. FrancT
    Jan 3, 2010
    10
    Braid is not a video game, it is poetry. More words to describe this game: love, growth, beauty. This is by far the best game design I have Braid is not a video game, it is poetry. More words to describe this game: love, growth, beauty. This is by far the best game design I have ever seen.… Full Review »
  3. KevinZ.
    Nov 10, 2009
    10
    This is probably the most surprising and satisfying game I've ever played. Be prepared though- this game is intensely cerebral, in both This is probably the most surprising and satisfying game I've ever played. Be prepared though- this game is intensely cerebral, in both puzzles and plot. To those who claim the game is "just trial and error," and that the only challenge comes from controls, I say you are simply playing the game wrong. Once you find the correct solution to a puzzle, it is generally fairly easy to execute. If you don't mind deconstructing the abstract, allegorical plot (which is indeed rather poignant), or not being able to figure everything out right away, this game is for you.… Full Review »
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