Braid is a clever puzzle-platformer game with unique elements. This is the game is considered to be one of the most famous of indie platformers alongside Limbo, and it has most certainly earned its reputation.
As far as gameplay goes, it's worth mentioning that death is impossible, as you can reverse time at your leisure. Each world is built around a time mechanic, such as use of a ring that slows anything thats get close to it, or a level which makes time go forwards as you move right and backwards when you move left. It requires a great deal of brilliance to not only think of these uses, but to integrate them properly into clever puzzles, and the creator deserves a great deal of respect for this.
The main game itself is not so difficult, but rather it's collecting the puzzle pieces where the challenge lies. They're tucked away in hard-to-reach places which require timing and ingenuity to access. Not all puzzle pieces have to be collected in order to progress through the game, however, and if you don't want too much of a challenge, you can seek out the worst ones by consulting a walkthrough. For those who want even MORE of a challenge, there are hidden stars to look for after the game has been beaten, as well as an alternate ending which can be achieved after finding all of these stars.
Some people have chosen to dislike the game because of the pretentious personality of Jonathan Blow, who's gone so far as to overemphasize the artistic value of his game which has a rather indecipherable and, arguably, purposefully vague plot. However, I'm of the personal opinion that the game should be judged independently of its creator. If you're a person who values what the man behind it is like, you might want to look up more about him before buying.
Overall, this is a "staple" indie game which I highly recommend. The art style is beautiful, the soundtrack is utterly fantastic, and the gameplay is only as much work as the amount of effort you choose to put into it.
