I've had Braid in my library forever, but I was finally convinced to play it after hearing Jonathan Blow say something intriguing about games as art. At first, I was stumped by its enigmatic storytelling. It took some reading and listening to discussion about the game to distinguish the actual themes from its unrelated spoofs of Mario. I can appreciate Braid's ideas about the human condition and relativity, but the gameplay falls short of conveying them well. Puzzle-solving and platforming can give you small doses of feelings like trial, regret, obsession, relief, or accomplishment, but it pales in comparison to actual fiction, nevermind real life. I'm left imagining a different game in which the relatable events and characters Braid alludes to can be interacted with and their consequences can play out. As Braid is now, the simple, human action of talking is missing and the complicated act of killing is meaningless. It's no better than Mario. Jonathan Blow's spoofing doesn't ring hollow but rather ironic. The visuals and soundtrack are excellent.