Braid

 PC
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
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  1. UglyBaby
    Feb 22, 2013
    7
    If you don't know about this game you should. It isn't really even a game you should write a review of it should be mandatory to play this to call yourself a gamer. Braid is one of the touchstones of contemporary gaming and it is a perfect example of the immense amount of innovation games are capable of.

    Now that is in reference to the game play and mechanics. The story and characters    If you don't know about this game you should. It isn't really even a game you should write a review of it should be mandatory to play this to call yourself a gamer. Braid is one of the touchstones of contemporary gaming and it is a perfect example of the immense amount of innovation games are capable of.

    Now that is in reference to the game play and mechanics. The story and characters leave a lot to be asked for. While neither are big enough issues to take away from the general fun of the game the story reads like an one-star-highschool-emo-fantasy-novella (poorly) translated from german. The characters look exactly like what they are an overlooked element of the game.

    Music and backgrounds are beautiful. But they are sorely undeserved by the sprites.    … Expand
  2. JonesR
    Dec 1, 2011
    7
    Unique and interesting puzzle platformer. Six worlds, each offering a new challenge. Some of the puzzles are actually pretty difficult and can take a frustrating toll on your patience or more likely a trip to You Tube to figure them out. There is a story...kind of...but not really--I didn't really follow it. Overall, the game was enjoyable because it offered something different than theUnique and interesting puzzle platformer. Six worlds, each offering a new challenge. Some of the puzzles are actually pretty difficult and can take a frustrating toll on your patience or more likely a trip to You Tube to figure them out. There is a story...kind of...but not really--I didn't really follow it. Overall, the game was enjoyable because it offered something different than the norm, but it is pretty short.… Expand
  3. AWG
    Jul 7, 2013
    6
    Braid is a good game but it's not the greatest game. Yes, the concept is innovative and yes, graphics are cute but that's all. GOAT game? Nah. Poetry? Nah. More like "Your Average Indie Platform Game".
  4. CulturalFiend
    May 31, 2012
    7
    Overrated. Wait, before you disagree, just hear me out. This is a good game. A great game, actually. The gameplay is smooth, the artstyle is brilliant and the character design is interesting. The puzzles are each unique and fun to figure out. The story is, well, its there, somewhere. My only real problem with Braid is the fact that the creator deliberately made the game without anyOverrated. Wait, before you disagree, just hear me out. This is a good game. A great game, actually. The gameplay is smooth, the artstyle is brilliant and the character design is interesting. The puzzles are each unique and fun to figure out. The story is, well, its there, somewhere. My only real problem with Braid is the fact that the creator deliberately made the game without any discernible story. The creator himself has stated that their is more than one interpretation of the story and that he "would not be capable" of explaining it. So, the game has no story. It's just a bucketful of theories and ideas. But, don't give up on it, the game does have moral lessons embedded within the gameplay and "story". The most obvious theme is that the past cannot be reversed. What's done is done. While the story is different than normal games, and can turn many people away due to its vague nature, it's still interesting and a fresh take on both platformers and modern story-driven games. In my opinion, Braid shines due to its artistic aspect. The backgrounds in this game are amazing. Everything is, or at least seems to be, painted by hand. If not by hand, then in a "painterly" style, as the summary states. The character designs are simple, but very different and interesting when compared to other modern platformers. In conclusion, I would say that Braid is a unique game with a very vague, poignant and atypical story that will evoke a different theory from every individual that plays. While not a bad thing, it does not follow the traditional building blocks or plot outline that most games go by, and this can make it an unenjoyable experience for some. I give Braid a 7.5/10. Mostly because of how short the game is.… Expand
  5. SJ_pl
    Jan 31, 2012
    5
    You can be an innovative creator, have an original idea and good level design but it doesn't make your game accessible and fun for many people. That's a shame.... but entry barrier is too high for such a regular user as me. I've played it for a few hours and drowned in frustration... I could think about it more, I could watch the answer on the web but the difficulty level isn't theYou can be an innovative creator, have an original idea and good level design but it doesn't make your game accessible and fun for many people. That's a shame.... but entry barrier is too high for such a regular user as me. I've played it for a few hours and drowned in frustration... I could think about it more, I could watch the answer on the web but the difficulty level isn't the problem. It's the lack of motivation that prevents me from pursuing it...… Expand
  6. not_good
    Dec 15, 2010
    6
    What these guys aren't telling you is the controls are non customizable (you NEED a 3rd party app to use a controller or to change buttons). The graphics, while stylized and a neat direction, end up washed out and blurry, and the platforming is as generic as the story. Yes there is a "twist" to it, but if you played Prince of Persia, you won't be seeing anything new.

    The music is good,    What these guys aren't telling you is the controls are non customizable (you NEED a 3rd party app to use a controller or to change buttons). The graphics, while stylized and a neat direction, end up washed out and blurry, and the platforming is as generic as the story. Yes there is a "twist" to it, but if you played Prince of Persia, you won't be seeing anything new.

    The music is good, the controls tight, the game itself is decent, but this is not the second coming of platformers everyone is making it out to be. It is a generic indie game that reached circlejerk overhyped status; this is not a bad game or a great one, it is an average platformer.    … Expand
  7. JohnBerring
    Sep 10, 2009
    5
    This game was just a very simple port of classic donkey Kong. It reminded me of the Game boy color edition. It was the same thing with a dif guy and brushed up graphics. Apparently, when people say its original, they obviously havent played games 10 years ago. Im sorry, but this deserves a 5
  8. MOGEnrique
    Apr 10, 2011
    7
    Braid is an ingenious little puzzle/platformer, its core element is time manipulation in which each chapter has its own unique twist. The flow of the game is balanced, though sometimes depending on your platforming skills it can become a bit of a trial and error challenge, which may be tedious. The plot is a bit vague and confusing at first but the outcome is simply brilliant and wellBraid is an ingenious little puzzle/platformer, its core element is time manipulation in which each chapter has its own unique twist. The flow of the game is balanced, though sometimes depending on your platforming skills it can become a bit of a trial and error challenge, which may be tedious. The plot is a bit vague and confusing at first but the outcome is simply brilliant and well executed, exploiting the capabilities of the medium it's in. The visuals are aesthetically pleasing and the soundtrack is glorious. With roughly 10 hours of gameplay, its unique puzzles and mind-blowing epilogue, Braid is a must play.… Expand
  9. tech-noir
    Dec 27, 2011
    5
    Braid is a puzzle, not a game, and I admit I am not good at puzzles. In fact, if they are too intricate, I will have trouble solving them. Braid is one of those complex puzzles. It started out fun and intriguing, but soon, I lost patience as the puzzles became more unreasonable. The platforming is minimal and only actually found in the last five minutes of the experience. In Braid, youBraid is a puzzle, not a game, and I admit I am not good at puzzles. In fact, if they are too intricate, I will have trouble solving them. Braid is one of those complex puzzles. It started out fun and intriguing, but soon, I lost patience as the puzzles became more unreasonable. The platforming is minimal and only actually found in the last five minutes of the experience. In Braid, you will be able to rewind and fast forward time in order to engineer your way through platforms, locks, and barriers. This appealing mechanic is used in a novel manner, and is implemented elaborately. The artwork is colorful and vivid, providing the player with a well developed background. Even if one does not enjoy the genre of music used in the soundtrack, the songs are fitting of the setting. Braid's plot is mildly interesting, even though it doesn't make much sense, nor does it provide much detail. You must appreciate and love puzzles in order to proceed and enjoy Braid thoroughly. I found the majority of the puzzles too complicated and impossible to solve without help. The overall experience is convoluted, jumbled, pretentious, and frustratingly complicated. This is a series of puzzles for puzzle lovers only. Even though the atmosphere of the puzzles along with their storyline are done well, it leaves me with an ultimate feeling of incoherence in the end. It's not that the puzzles are illogical, it's that they are overly complicated without needing to be. The process of solving these puzzles is not enjoyable nor satisfactory, and the ending is nearly pointless, being more of a continuation of loose fragments thrown together for no real reason. Braid is also very short and offers zero replay value. If you absolutely love puzzles or puzzles in games, give Braid a try. You might find it tolerable or even enjoy it. Personally, I feel that it is massively overrated and trite. Braid is about absolutely nothing at all. Its only purpose is to be self-important and pompous.… Expand
  10. Marlfox
    Dec 13, 2011
    6
    Was I suppose to get an instruction manual or something? I had to search Google to figure out exactly how to play because figuring it out on your own is not as simple as you would think. I can only praise this game for it's creativity and beauty.
  11. GeorgeD
    Sep 11, 2009
    7
    Not quite what the hype would lead you to believe. It is an interesting game with several different variations on time control and platforming. The music is excellent but I found the sound effects to be quite poor in comparison. The detailed and stylistic art is beautiful and almost always a nice sight to behold. All in all the game falls short on value with fairly frustrating game play Not quite what the hype would lead you to believe. It is an interesting game with several different variations on time control and platforming. The music is excellent but I found the sound effects to be quite poor in comparison. The detailed and stylistic art is beautiful and almost always a nice sight to behold. All in all the game falls short on value with fairly frustrating game play that doesn't lend well to replay. At 15 USD I feel it is a bit overpriced for what you get.… Expand
  12. Breezix
    Sep 16, 2011
    7
    Definitely a great game, it has a deeper meaning and the art and music are extremely well done, it has a nice combination of puzzle, platform and adventure, but the fact is that the game play itself gets boring at some point. Once you're done with world 3, which is the 2nd world as you start in world 2, it gets quite boring and repetitive. The puzzling outside the main play is a very niceDefinitely a great game, it has a deeper meaning and the art and music are extremely well done, it has a nice combination of puzzle, platform and adventure, but the fact is that the game play itself gets boring at some point. Once you're done with world 3, which is the 2nd world as you start in world 2, it gets quite boring and repetitive. The puzzling outside the main play is a very nice touch and a much more fun way to tell the story as most people don't have the patience to read everything, even though it's fairly essential for the game. It has a lot of ups and downs, there were certain levels I did enjoy and once I didn't, it is a very innovative game and I have enjoyed playing it a lot, in the beginning. If you like puzzling and Mario, you might want to give this a try.… Expand
  13. NicholasJames
    Dec 16, 2012
    7
    I think it's simple and clever at the same time, why must it be either loved or hated, it's a puzzler and it makes you think, I enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who likes taking a break to something casual every now and then, now back to the zombies...
  14. Vonnd
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    Bought it off steam summer sale. I had heard some good things about the game and wanted to check it out. It wasn't what I expected to be honest. The game is very short and using a guide would totally ruin it. I cleared the game with all the puzzle pieces in 2-3 hours. I'll keep it short and list all the things I liked and didn't like.

    Positive: + The art in the game was nice apart from    Bought it off steam summer sale. I had heard some good things about the game and wanted to check it out. It wasn't what I expected to be honest. The game is very short and using a guide would totally ruin it. I cleared the game with all the puzzle pieces in 2-3 hours. I'll keep it short and list all the things I liked and didn't like.

    Positive:
    + The art in the game was nice apart from the monsters.
    + I liked the little background story.

    Negative:
    - Rewinding time ruined the music. Luckily you can keep SFX sounds, turn the music down and put your own background music so this in itself didn't ruin the game for me. I still would've liked to listen to the original soundtrack without getting annoyed.
    - Puzzles were too easy in my opinion. I had about as hard time putting the 4x3 puzzles together as I had getting the pieces for them, apart from a very few levels.
    - Bosses were there simply to waste your time. Not providing any challenge or content to the game at all.

    Overall I'd say that there's a lot to improve. I did enjoy it a bit while it lasted so I'd like to see more games like this. I hope they'd last a bit longer though.    … Expand
  15. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    7
    Braid is a very nice looking game with great aesthetic scenery… And it’s challenging… For me it was perhaps a little too far on the frustrating side! I did enjoy playing the game, providing I didn't get stuck in a place for too long, it’s then when I didn't enjoy my experience! The mechanic of time control is manipulated well (considering it’s the only one used that would be expected) andBraid is a very nice looking game with great aesthetic scenery… And it’s challenging… For me it was perhaps a little too far on the frustrating side! I did enjoy playing the game, providing I didn't get stuck in a place for too long, it’s then when I didn't enjoy my experience! The mechanic of time control is manipulated well (considering it’s the only one used that would be expected) and adds an interesting dynamic to the game! I personally didn't really have a clue what was going on in the game for the most part, however I did still enjoy it… The downside I feel is complete lack of replay-ability, I have no interest in playing the game again, but maybe that’s just me!… Expand
  16. Dco326
    Oct 5, 2021
    7
    Sve u svemu bilo je okej ali me je prica malo smorila jer je gomila gluposti manje vise, imaju dve tri puzle koje su govno tesko, uopste ne objasnjenje i tu se gubi gomila vremena, sve u svemu okej da se predje jednom.
  17. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    6
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  18. sebastianali
    Aug 25, 2019
    6
    Wow, jamas vi un juego tan sobrevalorado como Braid. Este juego es un amontonamiento de cosas buenas pero desgraciadamente también de cosas malas. El rendimiento es pésimo, los gráficos no se escalan para nada bien a la pantalla y por si fuera poco los puzzles si bien hay algunos buenos, otros son horribles. También la historia no parece tener mucho sentido. Es muy confusa y sin muchoWow, jamas vi un juego tan sobrevalorado como Braid. Este juego es un amontonamiento de cosas buenas pero desgraciadamente también de cosas malas. El rendimiento es pésimo, los gráficos no se escalan para nada bien a la pantalla y por si fuera poco los puzzles si bien hay algunos buenos, otros son horribles. También la historia no parece tener mucho sentido. Es muy confusa y sin mucho interés. El juego tampoco dura mucho, y dura muchísimo menos si te saltas los libritos que te cuentan chorradas y los puzzles aburridos. Pero la idea principal del juego es buena, por eso un 6… Expand
  19. DJKrimson
    Dec 23, 2019
    7
    Cool puzzle platformer. Had fun playing it but I'd say 8.6 user score is way overrated.
  20. res0nancer
    Jul 26, 2023
    5
    Определенно я не из тех, кто без подсказок может осилить данную игру. Увы, тупой. Игра имеет особую атмосферу, которая имеет странное воздействие на меня - будто я под чем-то в нее играю. Дроп.
  21. ankayah
    Dec 15, 2019
    5
    Poor me! I know that Braid is a classic game but it's too hard for me to acquire :(
  22. Lugo_xcv
    Jul 26, 2023
    5
    i know thats unpopular opinion, but yeah.
    pluses of the game: 1. style, 2. story
    minuses of the game: 1.gameplay so boring, 2. platforming in this game suck

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Total PC Gaming
    90
    360 gamers were frothing at the mouth for good reason: it’s an instant indie classic.
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  2. 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.
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  3. 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.
    Read full review
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