The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom

I was a bit unsure about Winterbottom, in spite of its great reviews, because it looked like it might be a World of Goo-like: more fidgety than strategy. But with a simple control set and some very imaginative level design, it's actually a lot more like Braid, which is an extremely good thing.

Winterbottom's core gameplay mechanic is being able to record clones of the main character (that is, Winterbottom). The clone will play back its recording on an infinite loop, so you can do two - or N+1, where N is the level's maximum number of clones - things at once. You also have an umbrella attack, which launches a clone in an arc before your time paradox leads to its destruction. These concepts combine with a variety of environmental mechanisms, like springs and levers, to create timing- and thought-intensive puzzles.

In the first (of five) worlds, several stages were revisited in various ways - one had a recording of my first time through the stage in the background, and from my new vantage point, I had to strike levers to allow him safe passage through the stage. I'm not sure if this mechanic will return, or if, like Braid, each world has an entirely unique spin on the game's core conceit; but either sounds like fun.

The game's aesthetic is particularly remarkable, with film-grain effects, ominous olde-tymey music, and humorous rhymes to kick off each stage. Winterbottom revels in its presentation, and it really feels one-of-a-kind.

Also, it's $5. Amazing!

Progress: Level 2-3