Braid/World 3: Time and Mystery

Important Note!
Putting puzzle pieces from this world together will cause a collectible to be lost forever.
See the Stars page for more information.

3-1 The Pit

The Pit

This is an introduction level to the new Green Glow feature. It contains no puzzle pieces.

Jump into the pit and get the green-glowing key from the Monstar. Rewind time, and jump over the pit and open the gate.

3-2 There and Back Again

Stuck?

If you get stuck behind the metal door, simply rewind time till you're not stuck behind it anymore.

At this level you'll spot a glowing green key at the top of the screen and a locked gate with a puzzle piece behind it on the right hand side. Climb to the top while dodging the Monstars and grab the key. Rewind time, open the gate and grab the piece. You're done with this level so continue through the door.

There's only the one puzzle piece on this level.

Puzzle Piece
Green-glowing objects are not affected by rewinding time. So when Tim has grabbed the key, rewinding will not make him drop it. Use this feature to your advantage by climbing all the way to the top and grabbing the key. You'll notice that a big metal block has sealed off the path to the locked gate. Rewind time to the point where the metal block is at its highest point, stop rewinding time and run for the gate. Tim will still have the key in his hand and will unlock the gate. Grab the piece and continue on.

World 3-2 – Puzzle Piece

3-3 Phase

Begin the level by going up the ladder and bringing the two cloud levels in phase by rewinding time, jump along them to reach the puzzle piece on the other side. Jump down and continue right. Repeat the same pattern as before on the lower platform of the next part. Only this time you will have to pause the flow of time and wait for the glowing clouds to catch up.

There are a total of 2 pieces on this level.

Puzzle Piece #1 To reach the first puzzle piece, you need to manipulate the green clouds. By pausing or rewinding time you can make the glowing clouds (not affected by time manipulation) lie in phase right between the non-glowing clouds. Jump over them when they're in phase and you'll reach the first puzzle piece.	Puzzle Piece #2 The way to get the second piece is similar to the first, although there are fewer green clouds. So this time around you'll have to jump onto a regular cloud and pause time, wait for a green cloud to catch up, jump onto it, and jump onto the next regular one. Pause time again and wait for a green one, rinse and repeat until you get to the second puzzle piece.
World 3-3 – Puzzle Piece #1	World 3-3 – Puzzle Piece #2

3-4 The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Starting this level you'll watch a Monstar fall to his death. Move up the ladder and jump down to the glowing lever. Rewind time and let the resurrected Monstar land on the platform and get the key and use it to get the piece.

Moving on, you'll find a ladder blocked off by a metal platform. Move the platform by using the lever and climb up on top of it. Wait for a second above the puzzle piece and go back and operate the lever again. Rewind time to the point you are mid-air above the piece. Stop the rewind and get the piece. Rewind back again, use the lever and continue onward.

There are 2 puzzle pieces on this level.

Puzzle Piece #1 This piece requires you to climb up the ladder and jump down to the glowing lever. Operating it will make and equally glowing platform move to the left. Rewind time to the beginning of entering the level and stop the rewind. The Monstar who fell to his demise before will land on the platform. Let him go grab the key from the small crevice and steal it from him when he gets out again. Flip the lever, open the gate and grab your puzzle piece.

Puzzle Piece #2 When you find your path blocked by another glowing platform, go flip the nearby lever. The platform will move and open up the path up the ladder. Climb on up only to find your path to the piece being blocked instead. Lucky for us, it's a green-glowing platform. Go to the spot directly above the piece on the platform and wait there for a wee bit. Now, go back down the ladder and flip the lever again. Start rewinding time until you are back at the point directly above the puzzle piece. Stop rewinding and fall down and collect your piece. Rewind back to the lever and flip it yet again, and continue to the exit.

World 3-4 – Puzzle Piece #1

World 3-4 – Puzzle Piece #2

3-5 Tight Channels

When you enter this level there won't be much to do other than to move right, so do just that. You'll soon encounter a bunny-like creature; the Mimic. It will attack when you're getting close to it, so be ready to jump upon it. Continue your way right until you reach a ladder, disposing of any more Mimics you find popping up from the ground. Climb up the ladder. You'll not be able to reach the puzzle piece above you, but you'll see a cannon firing fireballs. Jump down the left side of the platform and make your way back. See the Monstar being fired into the path of fireballs? Guide him along the balls by rewinding time. When he falls to the platform under the piece, use him to reach the puzzle piece and continue on right.

You'll soon get attacked by a whole nest of Mimics. Jump over the Claw and hopefully it'll snatch most of them. Kill of any stragglers and move on. A new nest will pop up, dispose of them if you want or move on. Drop down in front of the cannon and continue on, jumping over any fireball that might hit you. When you get to the next fireball cannon, rewind time and try to get the fireballs from the two cannons to hit each other mid-air. Go right and climb up the ladder and grab the next piece and exit the level.

Two puzzle pieces are placed on this level.

Puzzle Piece #1 The first puzzle piece you've surely found just out of reach. Luckily there is a Monstar just around the corner to help us with a boost. From the platform just underneath the puzzle piece, backtrack a bit to the left of the screen until you see the cannon firing green-glowing Monstars out of it. Now, by carefully rewinding time you can guide the Monstar between the fireballs all the way to the platform under the puzzle piece. Be quick and stop rewinding time and jump on the Monstar. The boost he give you should be enough for you to reach the puzzle piece, no problem.

Puzzle Piece #2 Having found the second puzzle piece at the end of the level, go back left until you reach a green-glowing cannon firing fireballs down into the ground. You'll surely spot that there is also a stream of horizontally moving fireballs moving above you. This is the same stream of fireballs which block off access to the puzzle piece. By carefully rewinding time you can get the two fireball streams to phase, hitting each other mid-air and destroying each other. Move on back to the ladder up to the puzzle piece. Every other fireball will be destroyed on its way here, giving you just enough of a gap to be able to sprint between ladders and climb all the way to the piece up top.

World 3-5 – Puzzle Piece #1

World 3-5 – Puzzle Piece #2

3-6 Irreversible

As the name of this level implies, you might end up deadlocking your road to some of the pieces on this level. If you find yourself in such a situation, simply exit the level through any of its doors and go back again, or exit the world via the pause menu and enter the level again.

The first piece which you should spot as soon as you enter this level requires you to not use rewind for more than a very short period of time, as a green-glowing barrier will block a platform you need to use if you do. Simply deal with the Monstars and the Mimic as soon as you enter the level and wait for the platform to move past the barrier, then go grab your piece.

Further into the level you will find a ladder leading down into a cavern underground. Climb down and you'll see the second puzzle piece. Get the key to your left, use it to unlock the green gate, rewind, and unlock the second gate. The piece is yours.

Continue down the ladder found next to the second piece. To your far right you'll catch a glimpse of the third and final piece of this level. The third piece is a bit more complex to get at, as the initial key found should be skipped. Instead, continue past the Claws and jump down the long shaft. Get the green-glowing key and rewind past the Claws. Open the first gate. Next, get the non-glowing key and use it to unlock the green-glowing gate, rewind, and use the non-glowing key to unlock the third gate. Grab the final piece and climb up the ladders again.

Whence up above ground again, move to the right exterminating all the Mimics attacking you. After a bit you will find a puzzle wall in which to connect the puzzle pieces you've collected into full painting. Remember that if you want to collect that secret, hidden collectible, you may not connect any pieces just yet. If you do, the secret will be irreversibly lost forever. So continue onward through the exit door.

There are 3 puzzle pieces on this level. In some cases, if you make an error while trying to get to the puzzle pieces, you will be irreversibly locked out from them until you restart the level. But you can always come back to the level again later and pick them up.

Puzzle Piece #1 The very first puzzle piece of the level is actually really simple to get, albeit perhaps requires a few tries anyway. The trick is simply to not rewind time until the horizontally moving platform has moved past the vertically moving, green-glowing barrier. The simplest way to do this is probably to wait it out on the ground level. Jump over or kill the two Monstars and dispose of the Mimic attacking you here. If any one of them kill you, rewinding time might break the puzzle, and you'll have to reset the level. When the platform's gone past the green barrier, climb up the ladder and kill the Mimics and Monstars in your way, jump down onto the platform and get the puzzle piece.	Puzzle Piece #2 The second puzzle piece is found underground. It will be locked behind two gates this time, but there is only one key. Jump over the Claw and grab the key. Jump on back to the gates and open the first, glowing one. Rewind time to the point the key is whole again (the glowing gate will stay open) and use it on the second gate. Now, you've opened two gates with one key and you can grab the puzzle piece as your reward.
World 3-6 – Puzzle Piece #1	World 2-1 – Puzzle Piece #2
Puzzle Piece #3 The final puzzle piece on the level is a tricky one. It requires you to open three gates with only two keys. You will probably spot a key almost as soon as you spot the piece, but resist your temptation to pick it up. Instead, jump over the three Claws and hop down the shaft. Here you'll find a glowing key, There's no way to climb back up, so rewind time to get back up again. Use the glowing key to open the first gate. Get the other key you skipped before and open the glowing gate with it. It'll break, but don't worry. Rewind time and it'll be restored, and the second gate will remain open. Use the restored key to open the last gate and reap the spoils.
World 2-1 – Puzzle Piece #3

3-7 Lair

Get the key from the Monstar (or from the pit), rewind, and open the door.

The boss is defeated by dropping the chandelier on its head. As it's glowing green, you can rewind as necessary as soon as you make a hit. Additionally, quick reflexes and timing allows you to hit the boss multiple times from the same chandelier.

When the boss is defeated, collect the key and reach the exit.

3-8 A Tingling

A Tingling - first piece

The first puzzle piece requires jumping on the platform. To do so, you'll have to approach the jump point, backtrack to the switch, and quickly rewind when you flip the switch. As the green platform moves, you should be able to jump and reach the piece.

The second piece is behind a closing door, which is timed from the level start. However, you can enter the cannon area and flip the switch, then stand on the glowing white platform to rewind (with you remaining in the position.) Once you finished the rewind, you can rush towards the puzzle piece before the door closes.