Braid: Anniversary Edition "sold like dog s***", says creator Jonathan Blow

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Context & Expectations

  • Original game is widely regarded as an important early indie hit; many recall it fondly.
  • Some think it’s reasonable to expect “decent” sales for an anniversary edition of a “legendary” indie game.
  • Others argue expectations were unrealistic: it’s an old puzzle game many already played (and often acquired cheaply via bundles or promos) and puzzle games have low replay value.

Reasons Suggested for Poor Sales

  • Many commenters say they had no idea the anniversary edition launched; perceived marketing was weak, with little coverage in gaming news.
  • Title “Anniversary Edition” and store text emphasize remaster/HD art and commentary, which some read as minor changes rather than substantial new content.
  • Price point (~$20) is seen by many as too high compared to frequent deep discounts on the original and the going rate for remasters of older indies.
  • Puzzle games are viewed as “one and done”; without compelling new mechanics or a true sequel, a remaster is a hard sell.

Content of the Remaster

  • Includes higher-res art, new audio polish, dev commentary (~15 hours), and “40 new levels.”
  • Multiple commenters note that many of those “new” levels are alternate or developmental versions of existing levels or commentary index levels; only a subset are truly new puzzles.
  • Some players strongly praise the commentary as unusually deep and valuable for game designers; others say commentary is niche and not attractive to most buyers.

Broader Indie Market & Timing

  • Several note that the 2008 landscape favored standout indies; today’s market is saturated, with vastly more competition for attention.
  • Comparisons are made to other indies that thrived by focusing on new games rather than engines/languages, and to the decline of easy “evergreen” revenue.

Business/Strategy Critiques

  • Some suggest depending on a remaster as a major revenue source was a strategic mistake; a full sequel might have done better.
  • Others see the comments about “bad sales” as understandable worry for a small studio, not entitlement, but note that publicly calling sales “dogshit” may further hurt perception.