Braid review

Braid is a classic, some consider it one of the first to propel “indies” into into the mainstream. It is also a puzzle with a layered story that parodies Mario on the surface, which made be interested in trying it. Pleased to report that it was a very strong start to my 2025 in gaming.

The puzzles are, as it says on the tin, about manipulation of time. The platforming movement is very “basic”, with only mechanic I can think of being the use of “Monstars” (which I can’t call anything but goombas) to boost your jump. Indeed, all the complexity comes from various uses of and spins on the central mechanic - at a press of a button, everything reverses. That’s how you evade death, mistakes, and solve puzzles (perhaps even save a Princess!). The levels are split into several worlds, with each having a gimmick on it. Levels that bind time to your movement left-to-right, things that are resistant to reversal, an item that locally warps time… it even has the beloved recorder from The Talos Principle 1 (not exactly, but a similar mechanic provided the familiar sense of simultaneous enlightenment and frustration). The difficulty and amount of levels is well balanced, enough to complete the game over ~4 hours before things get tedious. I liked that general progression wasn’t tied to completing each puzzle - you could easily skip hard ones and return at your own pace.

The story is another can of worms entirely. The store page says that you are to rescue a princess from an “evil and horrible monster” by warping time and stomping on goomb monstars. Of course, it wouldn’t be this well-regarded if it was actually just a Mario rip-off with Doctor Who as the protagonist (yes, the Who was intentional). It’s a multi-layered, at times confusing, often non-linear, always vague narrative that had me waiting to find out the truth throughout. A whole extra layer that I didn’t foresee at all came to my mind only in the epilogue, as I read a single line. And there is probably more. I guess I’d very lightly of compare it to Rakuen, where you pick up on the background and realise extra context. Except instead of being underwater, your home is on fire.

A possibly weak point of the game are “stars”, an extra challenge to strive for if you’re a completionist and want an “alternate ending” or more context. Alas, they’re notoriously hard (one takes 2h of waiting, all are comically obscure), and I simply looked it all up. I heard some play through the game with explicit goal of finding them, and not stumbling upon a single star. Proceed at your own risk.

I’d like to note that I played the 2024 Anniversary Edition, and not the original release. I saw some internet users claim the game “didn’t need a remake”. Having tried the original graphics at a few points through a feature common in such remakes, I firmly disagree. The graphics are tangibly more detailed and polished, even on a small 720p screen, and the apparent addition of different versions of music is welcome. I am yet to try the developer commentary or extra levels, but there is that too.

In conclusion, Braid is definitely a recommend if you enjoy puzzles with an interesting story - which I do!