Braid
Picked up Braid yesterday.
I’m pretty sure it’s the best game I’ve bought on Xbox Live Arcade so far (and I’m counting the time I re-bought Puzzle Quest even though I’d already beaten the DS version so I could play the Xbox-only expansion), and it’s in the running for best $15 I’ve spent all year.
The time mechanics are beautiful, and the way the game builds on them with each additional world is very smooth. World 2 seemed simple but pretty; then world 3 took that, twisted it around, and gave me my first “whoa, didn’t see that coming” moment. Then I hit world 4 and had to flail around for a while to un-stick my brain. Now I’ve solved that one, and world 5 is currently making me gibber a bit.
If you have an Xbox 360 and haven’t picked up this game, please do so immediately.