17. Braid
Platform: XBLA, PSN, PC
Release Date: 2008
Video:
Braid is notable for a lot of reasons. It legitimized Xbox Live Arcade as a place for original content and not just simple arcade games. Braid's trippy, reality-bending atmospheric style created a ton of imitators. It took indie games to another level due to unprecedented success on a console, a place normally reserved for big-budget games. And it was made by essentially one person, making it a feel-good story.
But all of those things -- while notable -- aren't the reason Braid is so good. Its level design is second to none. Braid's designer thinks way outside the box to create some mindbending solutions that take a while to wrap your head around. The game is smarter than you and lets you know over and over by keeping it simple but challenging you mentally. It also has an abstract story woven in that stays with you for quite a while due to a really powerful ending scene. There are so many imitators of the Braid style that it's one of the most talked about games of the current gen. I can't even count the number of games that try to claim that they're 'like Braid'. There's only one Braid.
--
xyzzy