For the uninitiated, Braid came out in August on Xbox Live Arcade to glowing reviews proclaiming it to be an artistic masterpiece. It was headed by a small team led by experiment designer Jonathan Blow, who put his own money into the game. The game proclaims such things as "Every puzzle in Braid is unique. There is no filler," and "Braid does everything it can to give you a mind-expanding experience." The way it’s described might seem more like some kind of outrageous hallucinogenic drug then a video game. It won numerous independent game awards and is slated for a future PC release.
World of Goo has a similar history. Created by a small group of former Electronic Arts employees, World of Goo is also receiving rave reviews. Mainly due to its artistic aesthetic and creative gameplay, two items that Braid was also hailed for. World of Goo also won numerous independent awards. Hell, both games are $15 on their respective console's download services. They're also both coming to PC!
While a lot of the comparisons are coincidences, these two games seem to be coming from a similar philosophy and represent much of the same things. Innovation, risks, proof that a small team can make a great game. It's also what these digital distribution methods are great for. Without WiiWare or XBLA, or even the Playstation Store, there would be no venue to showcase these great small games.
I'll end this by raising a question. Which one would you rather have? Would you rather have Braid or World of Goo? How about Pixel Junk Eden, which I haven't played but is supposedly a PS3 gem.
