An aesthetically pleasing landscape, with beautifully composed music as well as a genteel time flow mechanic rounds out this puzzle platformer into an indie standout. The real stinger is the story though, which was a hell of a shock the first time I played it. To put it curtly, the levels serve as therapy for an overarching trauma that the protagonist (Tim) is revealed to have inflicted on his romantic partner.

It’s a real thinking person’s game, but best played drunk or high. Some say Jonathan Blow still, to this day, receives psychic damage whenever someone remembers the Soulja Boy video (JK, he calls the whole situation a “distortion”). That begs the question though, is remembering painful memories a “bridge” too far? Nah, Braid’s still a great title, and one day the long-awaited Anniversary Edition will come out as well.