When comparing Gateways vs Braid, the Slant community recommends Braid for most people. In the question“What are the best Puzzle games on Steam?” Braid is ranked 13th while Gateways is ranked 32nd. The most important reason people chose Braid is:
On the outset, Braid looks like any other platformer but once any time is spent with the game, users soon find that the puzzles are deviously difficult, forcing users to think outside of the box and even time itself.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Just the right amount of content
The game is long enough that the player gets to master each of the unique mechanics, but not so long that you get bored of any of them.
Pro Portal x 4
Gateways has the same formula as the great Portal, except that it's in 2D, BUT, they introduce 3 new types of portal guns, a gun that makes you smaller/bigger, a gun that shifts gravity 90 or 180 degrees, and the best one, a time travelling gun. The last part of the game lets you used all the 4 guns together for mind bending puzzles.
Pro Wonderfully challenging
On the outset, Braid looks like any other platformer but once any time is spent with the game, users soon find that the puzzles are deviously difficult, forcing users to think outside of the box and even time itself.
Pro Clever game mechanics
Braid utilizes a rewind mechanic wherein the player can rewind the action in the game at any time. This is coupled with puzzle layouts to each lever where the player has to use the rewind mechanics to reach certain spots in a level.
Pro Most brilliant puzzle mechanic and unique art style
Nearly the father of indies and an amazing experience that never gets old. A very unique experience.
Pro Unisual mechanics for genre
Time control is not much used in games of that type. Espesially when its used like core mechanic of the game.
Pro An ambiguous, yet impactful retelling of a man's downfall and a warning to others
Braid is a story about loss and obsessiveness and how those forces drive the hunt for redemption.
Cons
Con Lacks clean or clever puzzles
Unlike Portal, a game with high polish that shows in its puzzle designs Gateways has a clear lack of polish to its puzzles which makes for a subpar experience as it the games design can lead to problems interpreting the puzzles appropriately.
Con Story is depressing
There is a definite sense of melancholy while playing this game which can make for a depressing experience while playing the game, which may reduce the amount of time played.