It’s the final day of the TGR Awards -- time for the coveted Game of the Year awards. These games are the best of the best; shame on you if you haven’t played them yet!

(And don’t forget to check out our Genre Awards and Specialty Awards, too!)

Best Console Game
Winner: Braid
Runner-up: Metal Gear Solid 4

The limitless time-shifting mechanic is now up there with the celestial brush and portals as one of the most unique, inventive, and ultimately rewarding ideas in gaming that you cannot believe no one had thought of before (or at least pulled off with anywhere near this level of success). From the way the brilliantly metaphorical game design compliments the surreal, haunting prose, to the beautiful sights and sounds setting the somber, yet strangely playful tone. Or the way the design allows you to freely warp to anywhere you’ve been, so it transforms from a game to a virtual multi-media art gallery upon completion. Unlike most puzzle games, you’ll actually want to go back to Braid even if you already understand all the puzzle solutions, if only to gain further insight into the vague, poetic story. Even with competition like the riveting Metal Gear Solid 4, no game this year has conjured up such feelings of love, loss, and regret as Braid.