First details on Braid dev's new game

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 July, 2009

Post-apocalyptic FPS. Nah, just kidding.

Braid creator Jonathan Blow has confirmed that job adverts on his development blog are for his next game.

"Work with a small team on a puzzle-exploration game that is philosophical, and quiet, and is being made for reasons other than crass profit motive," the ads for lead artist and 3D environment concept artist both begin.

"This game places a heavy emphasis on the way things look, and will be a refreshing project for those who value nuance."

Blow subsequently confirmed they were for his next game in an email to EndSights.

His last game, Braid, was a haunting metaphor for something or other and also a platform puzzle game with time-manipulation that we rather liked.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    I almost spat out my coffee at that tagline there! I was all prepared to come in ranting about creative bankrupcy and other pretentious things, and then you take the wind out of my sails because you were only kidding :)

    Sounds intriguing. I can't wait for more concrete info, but if they're anywhere close to as smart as they were for Braid, it'll be one to watch closely.

  • paul_haine #2 3 years ago

    "being made for reasons other than crass profit motive"

    How precious.

  • Metalfish #3 3 years ago

    Braid was as much about the visuals and serene music as the puzzles and plot-thingy. As long as Mr Blow realises that it was all these ingredients coming together into a rather nice gaming cake, then I'm sure this'll be one to watch.

    /Has made self want cake.

  • Tonka #4 3 years ago

    I hated Braid. I hate all 2D platformers.

  • linksdad #5 3 years ago

    Microsoft will FORCE him to make a crass profit.

  • Gaol #6 3 years ago

    I finished Braid last week (on PC); it was tremendous. Well worth the tenner on Steam.

  • Buztafen #7 3 years ago

    Ok, somebody explain the ending to Braid so i dont have to think about it please...

  • schnide #8 3 years ago

    Jonathan Blow. Will someone please explain to him that when you're talented you don't have to cover up for anything with pretentious bullshit?

  • Metalfish #9 3 years ago

    @Butz
    It's intentionally ambiguous. But remember that you're playing the timeline of the game "backwards". The [snip!] is actually running away from you.

  • evilboo #10 3 years ago

    so a bit like braid but might be 3d. is this really news?!? and i couldn't resist looking at the spoiler above. thanks alot.

  • Ninja_Tino #11 3 years ago

    Braid was a fantastic game with mind bending, brilliant puzzles. Jonathan sounds a bit of a cock though.

  • RexRunti #12 3 years ago

    @Gaol

    "Finished" or finished? It is actually possible to "rescue" the princess.

  • Gaol #13 3 years ago

    The ending's all about the bomb, isn't it!

  • Gaol #14 3 years ago

    @Rexrunti

    No, but you can make her blow up!

  • RexRunti #15 3 years ago

    Bomb? What bomb? I was talking about the hidden stars.

  • Gaol #16 3 years ago

    The Princess is a symbol for the discovery of the atomic bomb, with the protaganist as the inventor. If you collect all the starts, you can reach the top level - she blows up when you touch her.

    And no, I didn't collect all the stars, I used youtube to see the alternate.
    Edited by 2 at 20/07/09 @ 10:24

  • peak_performance #17 3 years ago

    Cool. Loved Braid in just about all ways possible. Hopefully it wasn't a one-hit-wonder.

  • ardamillo #18 3 years ago

    I loved Braid but really, he's pushing his luck with that ad.

  • RexRunti #19 3 years ago

    Seriously don't read this if you haven't completed the game people!

    This is my take:

    I never really thought of her blowing up more the white being a time paradox. Personally I don't think the entire story is about the atomic bomb. The key is the "princess" doesn't refer to same thing in every chapter, sometimes his wife sometimes his mother, sometimes an atomic bomb, sometimes casual sex and sometimes the girl he abducted, it represents perfection. It makes a lot more sense if you read the chapters in reverse order then it's simply about someone who's cheating on his wife, seperates from his wife, stays at his parents' house (perhaps the mother died?) and begins his quest for perfection and his descent into madness, his memories of his wife and mother becoming confused and becomes convinced this women needs to be found and rescued (perhaps by creating a time machine?) until he starts finding the woman at the local cinema. From the epilogue (also read in reverse order) you have Tim's birth (Tim = the castle), then as a small boy desperate for sweets (what he can't have) already considering violence, working on an atomic bomb, then throwing himself into his work on a new project (at the expense of his wife?) then abducting women (or the time machine worked and he's continuosly abuducting the same woman over and over (it's always the same woman in Tim's head at any rate) to recreate a perfect moment.

    May be wrong but that's what makes the most sense to me.

  • Gaol #20 3 years ago

    Well the great thing is there's no 'right' answer, and the web is full of different takes. There's a particularly good one on some forum I would link if I was able, it places all the quotations, however most stuff hits the work filter so I won't be able to find it just now. Certainly it's about more than one thing, and I like your idea that the Princess represents something different on each level.

  • Domovoi #21 3 years ago

    Work with a small team on a puzzle-exploration game that is philosophical, and quiet, and is being made for reasons other than crass profit motive

    This means: "The story is told through walls of intentionally vague and semi-poetic text. Also I'm interesting because I'm dickishly lamenting the current state of the video game industry."

    Braid had some great game mechanics, but the whole "It's vague so it's art and since it's art it's interesting and beautiful" presentation thing just put me off. From the job advert alone, this seems worse.

  • mungolikebeans #22 3 years ago

    Is Braid coming to PS3??

  • sneetch #23 3 years ago

    @Domovoi
    Work with a small team on a puzzle-exploration game that is philosophical, and quiet, and is being made for reasons other than crass profit motive

    This means: "The story is told through walls of intentionally vague and semi-poetic text. Also I'm interesting because I'm dickishly lamenting the current state of the video game industry."

    Braid had some great game mechanics, but the whole "It's vague so it's art and since it's art it's interesting and beautiful" presentation thing just put me off. From the job advert alone, this seems worse.

    Yeah, it's a bit pretentious and over-stated really and could be easily written as "wanna help make a nice game? Something a bit different? TBH you won't get paid much." Rather than trying to evoke a "starving artist" image and baldly stating that the idea of getting paid a decent wage for your work is crass.

  • PlugMonkey #24 3 years ago

    We interpretted it as a trip through the mind of a pretentious cock trying to work out why his girlfriend had left him.

    We thought she probably left because he was a pretentious cock.

    Great game though. Really pleased I managed to resist the lure of Gamefaqs when trying to reach that last elusive puzzle piece. I'll definitely be up for buying whatever they come up with next.

  • ZuluHero #25 3 years ago

    Remember guys there's a reason it was called "braid". Its not just about one single element.

    EDIT: @RexRunti you've gotten it about as close as anyone else - I think different people take different things from the game, i guess that's why it works on so many levels :)
    Edited by 1 at 20/07/09 @ 14:09

  • MightyMouse #26 3 years ago

    So in other words Braid is a Lacanian platformer? That's awesome.

  • danjfor #27 3 years ago

    Braid was good and all, but it's kind of getting a bit old when people act as if it's something incredibly bold and original to make a relaxing game with twee music and sunny graphics where you explore and don't fight much. ICO was 7 years ago, you know...

  • m0thr4 #28 3 years ago

    @mungolikebeans: Is Braid coming to PS3??

    Maybe... maybe not. Right now, it's only available for PC, Mac and Xbox 360.