Parents' Guide to

Braid

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Brilliant time-shifting platform game about love lost.

Game Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, Mac 2008
Braid Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Never Mind
Never Mind Parent of 17-year-old
July 8, 2011
age 12+

WE NEED MORE GAMES LIKE THIS

Best game out there. Hands down. The game has an underlying meaning that teaches us all important lessons for life. It also makes you think. There's no mindless shooting involved. You have to think outside the box for once. Hence: Educational value and positive messages. Tim (the main character) is a fine roe-model. He is the example from learning from his mistakes. He thrives to make up for what he's done, but in the end ends up with nothing. SPOILER: Please don't read if you haven't finished the game! At the beginning of the game, if you read the books, they tell you the Princess is "being chased by a horrible and evil monster." In World 1, the last world, apparently, at the very end you discover it's the beginning. Where Tim's obsessions with the Princess started. Then the game plays the level reverse, and you see the Princess being carried off by the night. Braid turns out to the be "monster" the Princess if running from. Not only that, but the entire game was backwards! Literally. There are many interpretations of what the game means. I think the moral is: Obsessions blind you from yourself. Tim never realized he was the "monster" because he was so obsessed with the Princess. This moral also depicts that people who play it will become obsessed with finding its true meaning. Wasting their time, and not even realizing the moral is what's happening to them at that moment. I didn't chose the bad language symbol. But they do mention the B word. (Now calm down! It's not a crime!) And anyway, the word is only mentioned once, in the epilogue. And it's in one of the hidden books that most players can't find. So yeah, great game! :D

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
seraphoenix
seraphoenix Adult
August 21, 2010
age 16+

This title has:

Too much violence
Great messages
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

An unabashed tribute to Super Mario Bros., BRAID is a side-scrolling adventure loaded with nods to Nintendo's iconic plumber, including dangerous plants that pop out of pipes, cannons that spit out monsters, and clouds upon which players can hitch rides. But there's much more to it than simple homage. Each of the game's six worlds features a different time-shifting game mechanic that is used to decipher a series of mind-bending puzzles. Depending on the level and circumstance, time might slow down, enemies might move forwards or backwards depending on the direction in which our little blue-suited hero is running, or the clock may stop altogether. Players can rewind time as much as they like at any time and in any level.

As you conquer Braid's time-based conundrums, you journey through mesmerizing environments that look like paintings come to life and play witness to a surprisingly adult tale about the hope and futility of finding perfection in our mates. Through brief bits of efficient and superbly written prose, Braid details a man's quest to find his "Princess," the woman who in his mind personifies flawlessness. Deliberately vague throughout, the game concludes with several possible endings, each of which will change the meaning of everything players have experienced in the game up to that point.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (7):

This brilliant and pioneering platform game is one of the deepest and most thoughtful interactive experiences yet made. Braid's wildly imaginative environments, composed of beautiful, perpetually moving watercolors, owe inspiration to such diverse sources as the painted worlds of Capcom's Okami and Vincent Ward's film What Dreams May Come, scenes of which appear set on living canvas. It's impossible not to view the game's milieu as interactive art. What's more, it's dripping with sly allegories that bridge story and play. The time shifting mechanics represent our character's desire to go back in time and change regretful events in his own life. And as he collects and assembles jigsaw puzzle pieces in each level, we realize that he is, in fact, trying to find and reassemble the pieces of his shattered relationship.

The only downside of this game is its difficulty. Some of the puzzles, which involve bending time in ways most people are not naturally equipped to imagine, are true brain breakers. There's a good chance that, despite the game's brilliant narrative and stunning art design, some players may not have the patience to persevere through to the end, which would be a shame. Braid is well worth the struggle. It redefines what the medium of games can be, and, perhaps more importantly, what it can say.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the concept of love as it has been portrayed in games. Do you think video games are a valid medium in which to explore the complexities of romantic relationships? Do you think that Braid deals with the subject in a meaningful and insightful manner? Can you think of any other games that have had something important to say about love? Does the game's high level of difficulty detract from its intended message?

Game Details

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