Braid

[DanJW]

OK, that is good to know.

[gdf]

Forgot to say, that ending is mindblowing.

[David]

This game

[LOPcagney]

Just finished it today. The last level was absolutely brilliant. I felt the same emotional epiphany I had at that critical turning point in Portal.

Amazing game.

Perfect example of an indie game surpassing many mainstream titles in almost every category.

[DanJW]

OK it has clicked now. Repositioning the puzzle pieces was sneaky, and the other thing I was missing was moving and manipulating the enemies to do stuff for you.

Finished World 3 now and loved the horizontal time stuff there.

[SignorSuperdouche]

Well that was utterly, utterly fantastic.

I think I could write an essay on my interpretation of the "story" of braid, but I'm sure nobody would want to read it. I'll just say that I've been thinking about this game, and what it means, pretty much non-stop all weekend, in a way that I have about no other game before.

[LOPcagney]

  SignorSuperdouche said:

Well that was utterly, utterly fantastic.

I think I could write an essay on my interpretation of the "story" of braid, but I'm sure nobody would want to read it. I'll just say that I've been thinking about this game, and what it means, pretty much non-stop all weekend, in a way that I have about no other game before.

Can we get the cliff-notes version. I was unsure of what to make of the story. I got the atomic bomb reference, but besides that and a few other clues, I don't know what else supported the (popular) theory that the princess represents the A-bomb.

[SignorSuperdouche]

I was hoping someone might ask, but I'll still try to keep this as terse as possible. Also as a quick note, this is all wild speculation and could be a load of old codswallop - I don't think any of this is necessarily right.

So, first of all there's Tim running around in his house jumping in doors that lead to other worlds. In one of the books in World 4, Tim talks about "wandering from place to place and noticing how he feels" and I think that he is doing the same thing in his home. Each room in his home provokes a feeling and the world contained within that room represents his thoughts and reflections upon that feeling.

Then there's the business of the princess. One of the main themes of Braid is that events can mean different things when viewed from different perspectives (the most obvious example being the final level) and I believe the story is no different. I think the story chronicles three relationships from Tim's past that, in his mind, he has braided (HA!) into one allegorical tale about a quest for a princess - "Memories of their relationship have become muddled, replaced wholesale".

1) The Princess as Tim's wife/girlfriend.

Tim had a desire to feel needed and in control. He wanted to be the knight in shining armour that protected and looked after his other half, but in trying to do so he was overbearing; making her feel trapped and constricted. Eventually he drove her away, never to return.

See:

World 2, Books 1 - 5

World 3, Book 2

World 5, Book 1

World 1, Level 1 (the last level)

Epilogue, Books 1, alternative 1

2) The Princess as Tim's mother.

Tim's relationship with his mother mirrors in may ways his relationship with the wife/girlfriend. Tim grew up resenting his mother, quarrelling with her often. Feeling trapped and unhappy, Tim left for university as soon as he could and didn't return for a long time. As he got older, Tim realised that his mother loved him and was trying to raise him as best she could.

The speculation broadens here, but I think the ring discussed in World 6 might be his mother's wedding ring. If true, this may suggest that she passed away and left him the ring. Perhaps she died before they were able to make peace and he wears the ring out of guilt?

See:

World 2, Books 1 - 5

World 3, Books 1, 3, 4 and 5

World 4, Books 1 and 2

World 5, Book 2

World 6, Books 1 - 4

Epilogue, Books 1, alternative 1, 4 and alternative 4

3) The Princess as the atom bomb

Tim was a scientist working working on the development of the atomic bomb. This was the culmination of Tim's obsession with learning and his yearning to bend the world around him to his will. After the testing the bomb he realises that this weapon could destroy the world and that he would be, at least partly, responsible for that.

See:

World 2, Books 1 - 5

World 3, Book 2

World 1, Books 5 and 6

Epilogue, Books 2, alternative 2, 3, alternative 3,

I've glossed over parts and skipped details for the sake of keeping the length of the post down, but that's the gist of what I currently think the game is about.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I too, have made some scribbles.

[Moosferatu]

I finally got Braid a couple days ago, and just completed it. I got all of the puzzle pieces, but I didn't realize that there were also stars to be gathered, until I looked at a walkthrough to see if there was a way to get on the ladder to the princess that appears while re-winding the last level. Collecting the stars seems rather time consuming. I was wondering if anyone here has done it, and, if so, is it worth the effort?

[toblix]

I thought about collecting the stars, but I seem to remember that they were hidden in such stupid ways I wouldn't bother. One of the stars requires waiting in a level for hours, or so I seem to remember.

[elmuerte]

collected a bunch of stars, but not the one requiring waiting 6 hours (or something).

[Kolzig]

I bought Braid about 1,5 to 2 weeks ago. So before they went and put it on sale in Steam for 2,5 euros.

I've tested it a bit and I am nowhere near to completing it. I will take a total gaming weekend in January and will plan to dig in to this more then.

[ThunderPeel2001]

  toblix said:

I thought about collecting the stars, but I seem to remember that they were hidden in such stupid ways I wouldn't bother. One of the stars requires waiting in a level for hours, or so I seem to remember.

I found them pretty enjoyable to get (apart from the one you've got to wait around for -- although even that wasn't too annoying, just wait on that level for ages, rewind it so the cloud is reachable and then keep pressing a button on your controller while you watch a TV show). They range from easy to hardcore, but they capture the theme of obsessiveness that runs through the game very well.

Getting them does change the ending... slightly. I could probably give you (Moosferatu) a save with them all in, I think.

Also good fun is the time challenge -- you have to solve puzzles in different ways to complete the game so quickly, which is another set of puzzles in itself.

[Moosferatu]

  ThunderPeel2001 said:

Getting them does change the ending... slightly. I could probably give you (Moosferatu) a save with them all in, I think.

Also good fun is the time challenge -- you have to solve puzzles in different ways to complete the game so quickly, which is another set of puzzles in itself.

Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll just slowly work on getting the stars. Great game.

[ThunderPeel2001]

  Moosferatu said:

Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll just slowly work on getting the stars. Great game.

Good plan

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Hooray! I'm glad someone else is new to this game to resurrect the thread!

I downloaded the game a couple months ago, but only just started really playing it. It's amazing! It looks absoutely beautiful, and some of the music gets stuck in my head for hours. I've just made it to world 4, and some of the puzzles where time moves according to which direction you walk are kicking my butt. This game is great for making you feel like an utter bonehead when you can't figure something out, then like the greatest genius ever to grace the earth when you finally click on it. I love that.

Damn it all, though! I always read through these older threads too quickly and accidentally spoilerize myself! The princess is an allegory for what, now? Bah.

[ThunderPeel2001]

  Fuzzy Lobster said:

Damn it all, though! I always read through these older threads too quickly and accidentally spoilerize myself! The princess is an allegory for what, now? Bah.

Don't read too much into it, any allegory is pretty weak, at best. There's themes, but nothing concrete.

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Fair enough, thanks. I think I quit reading fast enough anyway.

Seriously though... That freaking hunt zone on world 4.. Why am I stupid?!

This game is great.

[thorn]

  Fuzzy Lobster said:

Seriously though... That freaking hunt zone on world 4.. Why am I stupid?!

Oh god... that one probably took me longer than any puzzle to work out. Just keep cracking and try out every possible order of killing the monsters.

[ThunderPeel2001]

  Fuzzy Lobster said:

Fair enough, thanks. I think I quit reading fast enough anyway.

Seriously though... That freaking hunt zone on world 4.. Why am I stupid?!

This game is great.

You can never go further left than the last one you've killed... so try to work from left to right moving less and less left. Hope that helps! I was stuck on it myself until my housemate just looked over my shoulder and told me how to do it in 2 secs... I would have gotten it!

[syntheticgerbil]

I think I just fully finished this game. I needed help from Gamefaqs on a few stars (especially that one hidden

  Reveal hidden contents

in the World 3

puzzle?! WHY?!) and in a few spots in World 4 and 5. Strangely I found World 6 to be very easy. I also had trouble on the hunt in World 4 and was doing it right,

  Reveal hidden contents

but did not realize I could double bounce on the fifth guy without killing before the second bounce in order to get to the last platform.

I sat down on New Years Eve after midnight with my girlfriend asleep and stayed up until 7 AM to finish the 45 minute speedrun. I was able to complete 48 minutes with my own knowledge the first go around, but I had to check a speed run FAQ (at Gamefaqs again!) in order to cut the time down to 42 minutes. Even then, with knowing everything to do, it took about 5 restarts and near finishes.

It was fun though. I want more games like this.

[toblix]

  syntheticgerbil said:

I sat down on New Years Eve after midnight with my girlfriend asleep and stayed up until 7 AM to finish the 45 minute speedrun. I was able to complete 48 minutes with my own knowledge the first go around, but I had to check a speed run FAQ (at Gamefaqs again!) in order to cut the time down to 42 minutes. Even then, with knowing everything to do, it took about 5 restarts and near finishes.

Just wanted to say that this is awesome. Sometimes I wish that my gaming was that hardcore.

[Erkki]

I don't remember any starts at all from this game. Were they in the PC version only?

[ThunderPeel2001]

  Erkki said:

I don't remember any starts at all from this game. Were they in the PC version only?

Stars? And yes, but they're exceptionally well hidden.