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Braid

EMAIL PRINT xbox360

8.8 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 57 critic reviews
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Based on 214 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Number None Inc.

Genre(s): Puzzle, Platform

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: August 6, 2008

Summary

[Xbox Live Arcade] Braid is a puzzle-platformer, drawn in a painterly style, where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways. From a house in the city, journey to a series of worlds and solve puzzles to rescue an abducted princess. In each world, you have a different power to affect the way time behaves, and it is time's strangeness that creates the puzzles. The time behaviors include: the ability to rewind, objects that are immune to being rewound, time that is tied to space, parallel realities, time dilation, and perhaps more. Braid treats your time and attention as precious; there is no filler in this game. Every puzzle shows you something new and interesting about the game world. Braid is a 2-D platform game where you can never die and never lose. Despite this, Braid is challengingâbut the challenge is about solving puzzles, rather than forcing you to replay tricky jumps. Travel through a series of worlds searching for puzzle pieces, then solving puzzles by manipulating time: rewinding, creating parallel universes, setting up pockets of dilated time. The gameplay feels fresh and new; the puzzles are meant to inspire new ways of thinking. [Microsoft]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Kotaku Review Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Eurogamer

Braid is beautiful, entertaining and inspiring. It stretches both intellect and emotion, and these elements dovetail beautifully rather than chaffing against each other. Still wondering if games can be art? Here's your answer.

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100

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Amazing ideas, achievement, logic, pride, beauty, and a game so good it makes every other Xbox World five-star game look a little silly. In a world without Mario and Valve and the Bethesda hit factory Braid is indeed the best game ever made; in this world, it's among the best games of the generation, and is unquestionably and immediately the best game ever to have been released on Xbox Live Arcade.

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100

1UP

Excellent but intellectually limited as a puzzle-platformer, Braid is made truly divine with emotional depth and a bittersweet humanity -- a monumentally relevant game that speaks highly of its creators and their potential audience's tolerance for new ideas. To say nothing of an absolutely brilliant, emotionally devastating "ending" that proves that time isn't really that malleable after all.

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100

Gamervision

Braid is a game cut from the same cloth as "BioShock" and "Portal," erasing videogame norms and reimagining the way we look at the medium. It does things with gaming that are usually reserved for novels and films, while also adding elements that would be impossible in any other form. It’s is a game that makes you think about your own life as much as it does about gaming.

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100

Gaming Nexus

Braid is an absolute masterpiece, from beginning to end.

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100

DarkZero

The fact is, Braid is art. There, I said it. Not only can it be appreciated aesthetically, but it was clearly created with the intention of the finished product being a work of art.

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100

Giant Bomb

I was initially pretty skeptical about Braid, and it took me some time to get past the game's severe melancholy. I eventually found the game's story and the way it plays against the gameplay to be academically interesting, and the game's final payoff is terrific, but it's the ingenuity of the mechanics that makes Braid so engaging.

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100

Console Gameworld

Braid is one of the best, if not the best, games I have ever played.

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100

The Onion (A.V. Club)

This isn't a game about time, it's about memories, and how they can be repeated and eventually rewritten.

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100

Xbox World Australia

Braid is a beautiful game and an amazing experience, and whether or not you think games can be considered works of art – or if it even matters – you simply owe it to yourself to play Braid.

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100

Gaming Age

The story of Braid is definitely open for interpretation, and there's subtext aplenty for players who want to debate what the story could possibly mean. It's definitely ahead of the curve for most videogame plots, but it's not integral to actually enjoying the game either.

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100

GameShark

Beautifully crafted and wonderfully realized, it is a shining example of the intersection between art and technology, love and loss, desire and despondence. It is, in one word, beautiful.

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100

Level7.nu

Braid is an innovative hybrid of puzzles and platforming that uses manipulation of time in a great way. It's all too rare to see a unique and equally fantastic game like this and it's worth every penny. It's beautiful, captivating and filled to the brim with pure fun. That is why it only deserves the highest of grades.

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100

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

A visual aural and spiritual delight – that’s Braid's explicit answer to all skeptics who proclaim games can only evolve in technical issues. Tens of completely different puzzles action-based or logical all connected to time-tampering created small but still one of the best games of all times. [Sept 2008]

100

AceGamez

A game that's every bit as original as Super Mario Galaxy and Portal, Braid is a short-lived gem.

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100

Play Magazine

Every single genre of games could learn a thing or two from Braid’s design, and I can’t think of any type of gamer who would scoff at the title. Braid is my ruler for measuring quality in other games. Nothing anyone could say would change my mind: all the pieces fit.

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GameFocus

Story is excellent.

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Destructoid

As the first full-length art game ever made, and one of the most ingenious puzzle-based games ever devised, you owe it to yourself to buy Braid. It's worth fifteen dollars. It's worth fifty dollars. It's got too much new and intelligent and thoughtful stuff to be ignored simply because of a few hundred extra MS Points.

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Console Monster

Braid is a stunning title which provides an experience which flows fluently from start to end. The simple concept, the complex puzzles, the beautiful presentation or the magical story.

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GameSpot

A moving story, serene visuals, and brilliant puzzles make Braid an adventure that you absolutely should experience.

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MEGamers

It has unique printed all over it from the start to finish. Every time you face an “impossible” puzzle, keep trying until you solve it and see how good it feels. Now this is gaming at its best.

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Gameplanet

An amazing title which further solidifies Xbox Live Arcade's position as a fantastic platform for gamers and developers alike. Highly recommended.

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GamerNode

Braid is the only true gaming classic on XBLA. It's a masterpiece--an "art" game and a fun-to-play puzzle/platformer. There aren't enough nice things to say about it.

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GameZone

And while it might be visually unassuming, Braid offers players an experience (and a message about life) that few games have ever dared to offer.

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Talk Xbox

Braid is a wonderful game. It costs a little more than your average XBLA title, true, and you’ll probably beat it in 4-5 hours or so, but those 4-5 hours will be extremely well-spent.

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Play.tm

Braid is the most gorgeous slice of chocolate cake you can possible imagine wrapped in a silk cloth and tied with a pink ribbon. It's a paradoxical experience of simplistic charm and over-bearing sensory and logical complexity. No one in the gaming world should miss out on playing this game, to do so would be a tragedy.

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ZTGameDomain

Braid is the kind of game that will likely change the face of downloadable entertainment.

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Cheat Code Central

Braid is stellar and a true accomplishment. It not only represents the potential for more creative and innovative titles to reach the masses via downloadable service, but it stands as a game you won't forget.

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NZGamer

The graphics are an amazing painterly mixture of abstract and cartoonish styles – it actually looks like a living painting you’re waltzing through. The music is of an equally high quality, switching between string compositions and folk music.

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Games Master UK

Braid sums up everything we love about gaming. A near-perfect experience. [Oct 2008, p.76]

3DJuegos

Braid is one of those games that no one should miss. Innovative, impressive and really funny, this is one of the most brilliant games on Xbox Live Arcade.

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Game Revolution

Whether Braid is art or just an extremely well-designed game, it is one of the best games of the year.

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TeamXbox

It combines fun gameplay with an absolutely exquisite appearance - not going too far to one side or the other that it dilutes form over function, or vice versa.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Braid is absolutely a game you shouldn’t miss.

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Edge Magazine

A beautiful and brilliantly demanding game that barely contains its dense population of ideas. [Sept 2008, p.89]

VideoGamer

It's a game like nothing you've ever played before and something we can't recommend highly enough.

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GamePro

Its sad, slightly twisted tale probably isn't everyone's cup of tea either. But how often do players get a chance to be immersed in an engrossing story in a downloadable title, especially one that looks like a painting and has haunting music straight out of an art museum?

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Gamer.nl

Braid is unique. It's a brilliant little puzzler that takes you on a great, confusing and challenging adventure. The music will still sound in your head for days after playing. Backwards. Get this game, you’ll love it.

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GameDaily

It looks gorgeous, with wonderfully drawn levels and a captivating soundtrack. It ends sooner than expected, but the ride Braid takes you on is worth it.

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Gaming Target

Jonathan Blow has clearly proven himself as a videogame craftsman. Like Rez and Portal before it, Braid is a game you should own if you're into videogames -- period.

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Totally360

This is a title that everyone must experience.

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PTGamers

Don't be fooled by Braid's retro look. This game is simple in execution, but complex and clever in puzzles. It requires concentration, coordination and environment reading capacity. This is art in videogame form!

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Wired

Braid is so much more than just another XBLA release. What you're paying for is a groundbreaking title that offers several hours of pure game enjoyment. Buy this game now, and experience some of the best this medium has to offer.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

Unique, charming, frustrating, innovative. [Oct 2008, p.94]

Planet Xbox 360

Brilliant.

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Thunderbolt

Braid in many ways is this year’s "Portal"; not in the obvious sense but in the way it has burst onto the scene snatching most hearts that have given it the time of day, with nothing but plucky charm.

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PALGN

Braid is the unique gaming experience that the critical press always cries out for and tells us to get so that more can be made.

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MS Xbox World

Braid is to date the best overall game I’ve played from the Xbox Live Arcade. I say this not only because the puzzles are fresh and creative, but the story has a meaning that actually invokes emotions the way a good book or movie can.

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games(TM)

The visual flair and meticulous puzzles will delight any gamer willing to lose themselves in Braid’s considerable challenge, but its true worth is grounded in something far more abstract. [Oct 2008, p.127]

IGN

Imaginative, innovative, and engrossing, Braid is a spectacular achievement. If only the experience lasted a little longer and there weren't as many puzzles with singular solutions.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

A true original, and one we’d be surprised to see surpassed in terms of quality on Xbox Live this year.

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Gamer 2.0

When it comes down to it, Braid's very much one of those artsy games with an impactful story that can be something for people to talk about for a long time, which certainly lasts more than the game requires to beat it.

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Worth Playing

It's not perfect, but for every bad lock puzzle and oddly written narrative, the "a-ha" moment of solving a tricky puzzle makes up for it.

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WonderwallWeb

An innovative and unique game, it’s not a clone of Pacman, Tetris or Space Invaders and for that reason alone it stands out from the crowd.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Braid: is excellent and gorgeous, a little over-hyped, but maddeningly fun overall. [Fall 2008, p.55]

Video Game Talk

Die-hard fanatics of platformers should download the demo of Braid and check it out before pulling the 1200 point trigger. The rest of the gaming population needs to wait for Microsoft to reduce the price or find some Marketplace points on sale before purchasing Braid.

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X360 Magazine UK

You can't put a price on innovation. [Issue#34, p.116]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 214 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Cheesey HPU gave it a10:
This game is a very special masterpiece. I loved it from the very moment I started playing it. The graphics are beautiful, the music fits totally into the atmosphere of the game. The game-idea itself is awesome. Every riddle you have to solve is unique and so cleverly done. There have been so many moments where I just though, "Ingenious!" Especially the star-hunting was very nice - even if I woulndt have found all stars on my own. This game is a very rare piece of art and for now, it's the best game I've ever played. Thank you for creating it! You did a fantastic job!!

Randy D gave it a10:
If you love old Mario games and new puzzle games like Portal, this is going to be one of the best games you've ever played. Not to mention that it's beautiful and has gorgeous music. The story is also good, but it's not Shakespeare like some reviewers make it out to be. It's the first Xbox game I've unlocked all the achievements for, and it wasn't easy. To accomplish this, I had to play through around 5-10 times, so I definitely got my money's worth. Best game for me in the past few years (even better than World of Goo).

Josh L gave it a10:
Braid is perhaps one of the best games that I have ever played in my life. From your first death with the 'x' sign glowing furiously at you to the mind-warping finale, the game just pulls you in. With completely unique puzzles (each one and each level has a different twist), a perplexing story, and a tremendous musical score, this game should NOT be missed. If you consider games to be more than mindless time wasters, then you owe it to yourself play through Braid at least once. That's all it takes, and that's all it needs to take. I'm sure you can skip a few meals at McDonald's to raise the amount of money to buy this breathtaking game.

peter s gave it a10:
The most satisfying puzzle game and most well written and storied game of the past 10 years. There is no game on any current generation console that can match the intricacies, plot, or innovation of Braid.

Tj the gamer gave it an8:
Braid certainly is fun, however certain puzzles will just aggravate you (*cough World 4 *cough). My real problem with the game is that you don't need to do any puzzles to get to the next world (other than the 2 boss fights). Braid's biggest strengh is the intensity of the puzzles (Some are extremly hard but leads to those "Eueka" moments) but for them to be an optional part of Braid is like saying "Halo 3, shooting enemies optional". The only other problem with Braid is the price. 1200 microsoft points is a little too much for such a short game (800 is a more resonable price). If you're looking for the god of all brain teasers, Braid is right up you're ally.

Hagen M gave it a10:
Braid... Braid... Braid... Never before have I been taken by such surprise by a game. I had never even heard of this game until the wonderfully fateful day I saw it on the marketplace. Braid is one of, if not the most beautifully crafted game of all time. Never before have we seen such backdrops, characters, and music blown into one nirvana. The story is ahead of almost all other games as no other game that I can think of has left such a masterfully written story that has no definate meaning or answer. True talent comes from letting your audience interpeeret the ending. The puzzles are simple yet they will make you think in ways you probably haven't before. You'll always end up saying "Wow! How did I not see that!" and the end of the game is something you must experience. when everything comes together, Braid is one of the best games of all time and certainly the best game on the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Braid is worth fifteen dollars. Braid is worth sixty dollars. Braid is worth one-hundred dollars. You owe it to yourself to buy Braid. Play Braid and experience nirvana.

Dylan R. gave it a4:
I really do not think Braid deserves much review wise, while it is a very pretty game visually, the game itself holds no replay value what so ever. If you have beaten Braid once, you have beaten it 1000 times. While you can go through the speed runs afterward, it really is not far off the beaten path of just playing the game normally, just more aggravating. I do not think braid deserves anything more than I gave it, and most certainly I do not think Braid should cost so much on the XBL arcade. There are very few games I would pay $15 Dollars to play through once.

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