Despite the $15 (US) price tag (and I think today's PA is right on about that issue), I immediately downloaded the full version of this game, and could not be happier with my purchase. This game is everything that is great about gaming for me. Note, I haven’t finished Braid yet, as I’m trying to let the experience last, plus some of the puzzles are very tricky.

I think there are a lot of Portal comparisons out there in the media, and I get that, but at the same time I think it is a disservice to what Braid is. I will now fall into the same trap with my own comparisons between the two. They are both great puzzle games that are based on a single core mechanic, but they are great for different reasons (for me).

What makes Portal great is the physics and the humor. However, the humor is the part that kept me moving through the game. The puzzle element was fun enough, but without GlaDOS, I wouldn’t have stuck with the game.

Braid, on the other hand, is all about the puzzles. It is the challenge of the puzzle that keeps me playing. There are no points, no enforced time limits, just the game mechanics and the goal state. The game doesn’t even make you achieve the total goal state to pass the level if you don’t want to. You can choose to solve the puzzles only necessary to reach the end of the level, or you can collect all of the puzzle pieces in the level to complete the level. Heck, the narrative is presented in optional text form that you do not have to encounter at all, if you so choose (I have been reading the story myself).

The graphics and music of Braid are pretty exceptional to me, but they are simply part of the presentation of the puzzles, and the puzzles are the main thing. It is close to a perfect gaming experience for me, and while there is a lot of good games still to come this year, is so far my game of the year.