Ending 2

Lore & Background

The basic story elements in Braid unfold as the protagonist, Tim, attempts to rescue a princess from a monster. Text passages laid throughout the game reveal a multifaceted narrative, giving clues about Tim's contemplations and motivations. The final level, in which everything but Tim moves in reverse, depicts the princess escaping from a knight, and working together with Tim to surpass obstacles and meet at her home. Tim is suddenly locked out of the house, and, as time progresses forward, reversing Tim's actions, the events show the princess running from Tim, setting traps that he is able to evade, until she is rescued by the knight. Tim is revealed to be the 'monster' from whom the princess is running. Following completion of the game, the player finds additional texts that expand the story.

In Their Own Story

The pedestal glows with a soft, golden light, but Tim does not reach out. The shadows stretch long across the stone floor, mirroring his own silhouette as he turns away from the figure on the throne. He walks toward the exit, the silence heavy with unspoken words. As the door closes behind him, the reflection in the water no longer shows a monster, but a man who knows too late that some things cannot be taken back.

Reader's Guide

The game is divided into six worlds, which are experienced sequentially and can be entered from different rooms of Tim's house; the player can return to any world previously visited to attempt to solve puzzles they missed. Each world has its own time-based game mechanic. The final world is labeled simply '1.' In this world, time flows in reverse. Rewinding time returns the flow of time to its normal state. Each stage contains puzzle pieces that must be collected to create jigsaw puzzles that tell the story, and to unlock the last stage. On completing the main game, a speedrun mode becomes available for select levels and the entire game. There are also eight stars hidden throughout the world of Braid that correspond to the stars in the constellation of Andromeda just outside the main character's house.

Did You Know?

• A preliminary version of Braid (without the final artwork) won the 'Innovation in Game Design' award at the 2006 Independent Games Festival.
• The game had total revenue nearing $6 million, which Blow used to fund his next game, The Witness, a 3D puzzle game released in 2016.
• A remastered version titled Braid, Anniversary Edition was released in May 2024 for multiple platforms, featuring new levels, commentary, overhauled visuals and remixed sound.