The soundtrack

An eclectic, abstract and deeply emotive selection of modern Celtic music and medieval instrumentation.

It was weird because…

You see a colourful 2D platform game and you immediately think of Mario. And when you think of Mario, you immediately think of happy, throwaway, plinky-plonky tunes.

Not in Braid Land you don't. Eschewing the typical, Braid’s soundtrack is sometimes ethereal, sometimes suffocatingly oppressive and always profoundly affecting.

But it worked because…

Braid is an ‘art game’ that somehow sneaked into the mainstream. If you choose to scratch the surface, you’ll find that the game blends platforms and puzzles with a layered, mature, metaphorical story.

A Mario Lite soundtrack would have been wildly inappropriate and thankfully, Braid's deep, varied soundtrack - licensed from Californian indie label Magnatune - complements the game's emotional density right from the start.

Check this interview for more on the strategy behind the soundtrack.