Braid Walkthrough

Braid is a 2008 indie videogame released for several platforms, including for Xbox LIVE arcade. Directed by Jonathan Blow, the game sees the player controlling "Tim", a nondescript everyman, through sumptuous environments and mind-bending puzzles that involve the manipulation of time itself. The game is also noted for deconstructing traditional gameplay concepts, particularly those from Super Mario Bros, as well as an excellent soundtrack and a strong showing at the 2006 Game Developer Conference.

Controls

1. Use the Left Analog to move on foot and climb on objects.
2. Press A to jump.
3. Press B to throw switches.
4. Hold X to rewind back time.
5. Hold X and tap the Left Trigger to increase rewinding speed.
6. Hold X and then hold Right Trigger to stop time in place.
7. Press Y to drop/pick up the Slo-Mo Ring (World 6 only).

Game Elements

1. Puzzle Pieces: The main goal of the game is to collect the Puzzle Pieces. Each level has a certain amount (or none); you must solve the puzzles inside the level to collect each one. Note that unless the piece itself is Timeless, you can undo your own collection of a Puzzle Piece with rewinding.
2. Portrait: Once you have all the Puzzle Pieces for a world, you can assemble them in a portrait outside the world you collected them in. You must assemble all the portraits in the game to gain access to the final world and finish the game.
3. Stars: These are very (and truly very) hidden in the game. You gain an alternate ending if you find them all. There's otherwise no gain to collecting them; not even an achievement.
4. Block Doors: Blocks with keyholes on them, usually blocking access to a section of the level. They can only be unlocked by Keys. Tim can stand on Block Doors, although they are normally too high to jump on.
5. Keys: Can be used to unlock Block Doors. Keys cannot be used again after unlocking a Block Door (unless you rewind time back to a point before you used the Key).
6. Trolls: Little round brown enemies you can jump on to kill and, at the same time, add height to your jump. They are often a big part of puzzle solving. Trolls otherwise kill Tim if he touches them from the sides or below.
7. Bunnies: Crazed rabbits that pop up out of the ground and chase after Tim. They attack with tackles. Tim can run underneath their tackles to dodge it; otherwise, they can be killed with a stomp. Unlike Trolls, they are more of a real threat rather than a part of solving the puzzles.
8. Deadly Plants: Chomping plant-creatures that retract up and down inside green tubes (a la Mario's Piranha Plant enemy). They are deadly to the touch and cannot be destroyed. Tim will usually need to either dodge these plants or find a route around them as part of solving puzzles.
9. Troll Cannons: Cannons that shoot out Trolls. Depending on the level, they will either shoot them out indefinitely, or simply replace any number of Trolls that have been killed. Some will also spawn "Timeless Trolls", of which are immune to all time effects such as Tim's rewind power.
10. Cloud Cannons: These cannons shoot out cloud-like platforms Tim can ride. The platforms drift forward at a set speed until they strike a solid object, after which they disappear.
11. Fireball Cannons: These cannons shoot out a stream of fireballs that kill both Tim and the enemy monsters alike; some Fireball Cannons shoot more rapidly and frequently than others. Slipping through (or helping an enemy slip through) their barrages is a notable part of solving many puzzles.

Techniques

1. Resurrect Tim: The most basic technique Tim can use with his rewind power. Even if Tim dies completely, you can simply hold X to rewind time to any point prior to his death, making him invulnerable.
2. Stomp/Bounce: Tim's only ability to kill enemies is by jumping on their heads a la Super Mario. However, the real purpose of most of the enemies is bouncing off their heads to reach areas above that are too high to jump to normally. Hold A after a stomp to get as much air as possible.
3. Dive-bomb Bounce: Stomping on enemies gives you much more height if you jump down from a great height and land on them; very handy for crossing wide gaps by bouncing off enemies from below.
4. Chain-stomp/bounce: If Tim stomps on multiple enemies without touching the ground, he will gain more and more airtime; this is especially useful in areas with Troll Cannons.
5. Enemy Stomp/Bounce: Tim is not the only one that can stomp and bounce off enemies; if an enemy lands on another enemy (or Tim himself), he will kill the victim and get propelled into the air. This is usually the only way to get an enemy to higher ground. It's rare, but there are some instances where this is useful or even necessary, especially since Tim can always resurrect himself after dying.
6. Ladder Stomp: Tim can kill enemies while clinging to a ladder by simply climbing down onto them; although this won't give Tim a boost, it is generally the safest way to kill enemies.
7. Enemy Key Fetching: Enemies such as Trolls will pick up and carry any Key they come across. This will be vital for collecting Keys that are trapped in tiny holes with no way to reach them; you can lead a Troll into the hole and have him drag the Key out for you.
8. Key Snatch: You can snatch Keys that are in the possession of enemies or Tim's Double (see section) by simply touching the Key. This lets you steal the Key without affecting the victim.
9. Quicksave: If you pause the game and select the Exit option ("yes, go to the clouds"), your progress for collecting Puzzle Pieces and Stars in the room will be saved instantly. Something to keep in mind in case you want to guarantee that the Puzzle Pieces and Stars you collect remain in your inventory forever.

Time Effects

1. Rewind: Tim will always have this power throughout the game, and it will definitely be his most useful one. Hold X to rewind time; all movement within the level will regress backwards, undoing everything that happened previously. Although it's used often in conjunction with other Time Effects in solving puzzles, its primary use is to undo mistakes made by the player, such as dropping Keys into spike pits, killing enemies you need later, or even resurrecting Tim if he's ever killed. There's no limit to the amount of rewinding you can do save that you can't rewind any further than when Tim first enters the level.
2. Fast Rewind: Tim can boost the speed of his rewinding by 2x, 4x, or at a blisteringly fast 8x speed, simply by pressing LT while rewinding. This is not only handy for speeding up the rewind process, but it will be useful or even necessary for solving certain puzzles where Tim must fast rewind back to a prior location.
3. Stop Time: Little-often remembered ability of Tim's; while it's not necessary to beat the game, it's very useful in key situations, especially when dealing with Stars or Timeless objects. To stop time, simple hold X to rewind, then hold RT. Time will halt in place, including Tim. The only things that are unaffected are Timeless objects.
4. Timeless: Anything that glows with a greenish-hue is considered "Timeless". Timeless objects and beings are completely immune to all Time Effects, including Tim's rewinding powers. For example: timeless enemies will ignore Tim's rewind and move forward, while Timeless elevators will operate even if time is stopped, etc. Tim himself can become Timeless if he's standing in any area emitting a green "Timeless Aura", granting him Timeless status for a full three seconds.
5. Tim-Time: A state of time all of World 4's levels operate in. When Tim walks to the right, time moves forward. When Tim walks to the left, time goes backward. The result is some bizarre effects, including Tim's inability to affect most objects when coming at them from the left (as time needs to go forward for cause-and-effect to occur). It helps if you picture levels with Tim-Time as operating based on Tim's current location in the level. Note that Timeless objects ignore the effects of Tim-Time.
6. Double-Time: A state of time all of World 5's levels operate in. During Double-Time, every object in the level will have a Double (which resembles a shadow). Doubles can affect each other and ignore the presence of "real entities" and vice versa.
7. Double-Free: Anything that glows with a pinkish-hue is considered "Double-Free". These entities can be affected by both "real entities" and their Doubles. For example, a "Double-Free" Block Door can be unlocked by either a real Key or the Double of a real Key.
8. Tim's Double: Tim's Double is unique in that, after using Tim's rewind ability, his Double will replicate all the moves Tim performed up to when the rewinding started (assuming nothing interferes with it). When it runs out of moves to perform, it will become motionless and eventually disappear. Tim's Double will often serve as a "second Tim" during the Double-Time levels, lending him an extra hand towards solving the puzzles.
9. Slo-Mo Ring: Tim has this ability on World 6 only. Pressing Y drops a ring that creates a bubble of "slow motion". Anything that approaches the bubble, including Tim, becomes slowed down, more so the more and more they reach the center. The ring can be picked up and reused by Tim at any time, however, it can only be set when Tim is standing on the ground. The ring itself ignores all physics except for gravity and terrain (i.e. it can fall and be pushed and carried around by moving platforms). Timeless entities are immune, as with all Time Effects.
10. Reverse-Time: A state of time World 1's levels operate in. Simply put: time will always flow backwards, while Tim's rewind power actually makes time flow as it normally should. This results in some odd effects, including reversing the effects of Tim's actions (for example, if he tries to kill a dying enemy, it will come to life).

This world introduces the basic concepts of Braid's gameplay, including rewinding, bouncing on enemies, Keys, dealing with Cannons, and more.

This world ironically also has the hardest Puzzle Pieces to find; World 2-2 has two Puzzle Pieces that require backtracking to collect, the only two in the game to do so.

This world is also infamous for having a Star that requires two hours of waiting to obtain. Be prepared to set aside some time if you plan on obtaining it.

2-1: Three Easy Pieces

Puzzle Piece #1, #2 , #3:

1. This is the basic tutorial level. The three pieces are in fact easy to get. Just run to the right, jumping up cliffs and climbing on the fencing to reach higher areas.
2. The first puzzle piece will be underneath a ledge. Drop down and follow the platforms to it. Rewind if you hit the spikes by mistake.
3. Keep going to encounter "Trolls" for the first time. Jump on them to kill them.
4. Ahead is the second puzzle piece. Jump on a Troll to get enough height to reach it. If you miss the piece, either wait for the neary Troll Cannon to spit out another one, or just rewind and try again.
5. The last puzzle piece is ahead. You will need to use the chain stomp techinique on the Trolls to get enough height to reach it: jump on a Troll, then bounce on another Troll before hitting the ground to fly further up and reach it.

2-2: The Cloud Bridge

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Jump on the islands in the spike pit to your first Key.
2. Climb the ladder and unlock the Block Door. Grab the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Hop along the row of clouds being spat out by the Cloud Cannon and ride them to the other side.
2. Ride the second "cloud bridge" you find there and collect the second Puzzle Piece by the second Cloud Cannon.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. Before you can get this, you will need to have at least collected either the Puzzle Piece from World 2-3 ("Hunt") and Puzzle Piece #1 from World 2-4 ("Leap of Faith"). Grab either or both and return to 2-2. It does not matter how far into assembling World 2's Puzzle you are. The lone Troll in World 2-2 must also be alive, so rewind or reset the level if necessary.
2. Stand in front of the portait by 2-2's exit and press B. Note that you can assemble the Puzzle Pieces here, just as you can in Tim's House.
3. World 2-3's and 2-4's Puzzle Piece depicts both sections of a table. Here's what's bizarre: the table in the puzzle pieces can actually be stood upon in the real game, as if it was there. In this case, you want to position the piece so that it extends the platform the Troll is standing on.
4. Move one or both of the table Puzzle Pieces to the upper left of the painting (or move the entire painting if it's already assembled). You want to position the table Puzzle Pieces so that it extends the Troll's platform; he will then walk onto the "table". You do not need to time this properly as the level pauses while you are assembling puzzle pieces.
5. Once the Troll is standing on the table, go back into assembly screen and move the "table" away from the troll (say, into the upper right corner). The Troll should fall down.
6. Follow the Troll to the exit door to World 2-3. Bounce on the Troll to reach the Puzzle Piece above the exit.

Puzzle Piece #4:

1. Before you can get this, you will need to have at least collected either the Puzzle Piece from World 2-3 ("Hunt") and Puzzle Piece #1 from World 2-4 ("Leap of Faith"). Grab either or both and return to 2-2; it does not matter how far into assembling World 2's Puzzle you are.
2. This is the same principle as Puzzle Piece #3. However, this time you want to position Tim on the ground in front of the portrait and jump in the air, then press B while Tim is airborne to go into the puzzle piece assembly screen.
3. While in the assembly screen, move the table piece(s) so that they will be directly underneath Tim after returning to the main game. When you return back to the main game, Tim will land on the table instead of falling back down to the ground.
4. Repeat this over and over, steadily "climbing" upward by having Tim jump and then moving the "table" underneath him while he's airborne. You should eventually reach the ledge holding the Puzzle Piece.

Star #1:

1. WARNING: This Star requires roughly 2 hours of spare time, so be prepared to wait. You must enter World 2-2 from 2-3 (i.e. enter World 2-3, then take the entrance door there to World 2-2's exit).
2. Once you enter 2-2, you will note a stationary cloud (the kind that come from Cloud Cannons) hovering above where you collected Puzzle Piece #4. While you may be forgiven for assuming it's a bug in the game, the cloud is actually in fact moving very VERY slowly, seemingly at a rate of a pixel a minute.
3. Your goal is to get on this cloud. Go to the left and climb the ladder. Head to the left along the cloud bridges to the spot between the still-locked Block Door and the Cloud Cannon and wait roughly an hour and a half. Do NOT unlock the Block Door. You'll need to kill time until the cloud finally arrives. When it does, jump onto the Cannon, then onto the Block Door, then onto the cloud.
4. At around two hours from when you start this endeavor, the cloud will reach a cliff you can jump up to to reach the Star at last.

2-3: Hunt

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. The goal is to open the Block Door. This one does not open via key; you need instead to kill all the Trolls in the room.
2. Start by killing the Trolls in the bottom left. Do NOT kill the Troll just above the bottom right ladder though.
3. Make your way as high as you can using the ladders within reach, killing the Trolls in your way except for the one by the bottom right ladder. You will eventually a gap you can't cross by jumping, on the other side being another ladder that leads to the Block Door.
4. The Troll you spared earlier will be wandering below. Jump down onto him from the ledge above and you will be flung high into the air (the "drop stomp" trick). Using the air you gain, guide Tim onto the ledge with the out-of-reach ladder; if you mess up, rewind.
5. Kill the last two Trolls and get the Puzzle Piece.

2-4: Leap of Faith

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Walk forward and climb the ladder. Throw the switch there to send the moving platform forward.
2. You want the moving platform to be positioned in mid-flight so that it catches a Troll being shot out of the Troll Cannon. Once a Troll lands on the platform, throw the switch to bring him back. Use rewinding to perfect your timing for catching the Troll.
3. The Troll should be safely on the other side of the spike pit if you did this right. Follow him to 2-4's entrance and use him as a bounce to the Puzzle Piece above the door.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Go past the Troll Cannon you used for Puzzle Piece #1. There's a second Troll Cannon behind it, firing in the opposite direction over the canyon.
2. You want to jump on a fired Troll in mid-air, bouncing over the canyon to the cliff on the other side where the Puzzle Piece sits. It will take some practice; if you mess up, simply rewind.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. You want to drop down into the canyon you jumped over to get Puzzle Piece #2.
2. Puzzle Piece #3 is in the canyon below. You need to guide a falling Tim past the various spike beds onto it. If you miss or die, just rewind and keep trying.

Puzzle Piece #4:

1. After getting Puzzle Piece #3, climb the ladder that leads to the level exit.
2. The Puzzle Piece will be in plain sight as you climb; just snag it and watch out for falling Trolls.

WARNING: DO NOT ASSEMBLE ANY PUZZLE PIECES FOR THIS WORLD UNTIL YOU HAVE COLLECTED THE STAR IN TIM'S HOUSE. SEE BELOW.

Star #2:

1. First, collect all the Puzzle Pieces for World 3, but do not assemble any until you get Star #2. You only need two in particular, but this ensures you aren't missing those two.
2. The two pieces you want make the bottom right and top left corners of the assembled painting; they have green-black triangle shapes on them. You want to arrange these pieces so that they form a "star shape" with the green-black triangle on the leftward shelving unit above the painting's canvas. If you've assembled either of them into other pieces, you'll have lost this Star.
3. First, take the puzzle piece with the black triangle on it that has a picture of a dinner plate in its artwork. Rotate the piece so that the dinner plate is on the left-hand side.
4. Take the other puzzle piece with the black triangle and rotate it so that the brown-colored rounded tips are pointing to the left. Put the two pieces side-by-side with each other; you'll note they make the base shape of a star.
5. Move the pair of pieces to the upper left corner of the canvas. You want their flat ends to be perfectly synced with the top of the canvas and the brown tips of the piece on the left to be poking out of the left-hand side of the canvas.
6. If done correctly, the Star will appear once you exit the canvas screen; if not, keep trying. However, you still aren't done with this insanity yet as you still need to find a way to reach the Star itself.
7. Go into the room holding the World 2 painting. If you haven't assembled that painting completely, do so now.
8. Move the entire painting so that the table in the artwork (the same one you used in World 2-2) is low enough for Tim to jump onto.
9. Stand on the table and jump straight up into the air. Press B while in mid-air to go into the canvas screen. Move the table slightly up, and then exit the canvas screen. The table will catch Tim as he rises and you'll will have gained height.
10. Keep repeating the above step to move Tim upwards, then jump onto the black wall that separates the rooms holding World 2 and World 3, then finally, at last, jump to the Star in World 3's room. Phew.

In addition to the strange rules regarding Star #2, World 3 will be your first encounter with "Timeless" objects. These objects glow green, signifying that they are immune to any and all strange time effects such as Tim's rewind.

Timelessness" can also be applied to enemies, who will also be immune to things such as Tim's rewind. Tim himself can become Timeless for a few seconds if he stands in a zone that generates a green "Timeless Aura".

3-1: The Pit

No Puzzle Pieces or Stars

1. This is your first encounter with "Timeless" objects. Jump into the pit with the Troll holding the Timeless Key, which glows green to show that it is indeed Timeless.
2. Kill the Troll and pick up the Timeless Key. Now rewind time; since the Timeless Key is immune to time changes, it will not go back in time but instead remain in Tim's grasp.
3. Rewind time until Tim is back out of the pit. The Timeless Key will still be in your hands once you stop rewinding. Now casually open the Block Door and take the exit.

3-2: There and Back Again

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Same theory as the previous level. Run along the fencing to the Timeless Key, avoiding the Trolls.
2. Grab the Timeless Key and rewind time back to the start of the level. Now simply run to the Puzzle Piece and unlock access to it before it is sealed off by the closing vault door.

3-3: Phase

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Here, you'll want to use the "stop time" time effect, which is very effective when Timeless objects are involved.
2. Climb up to the rows of cloud platforms moving to the left from the Cloud Cannons. You will note that one of the rows of clouds is Timeless.
3. Jump onto any cloud, then jump to the right and stop time while in mid-air by holding X and the right trigger. Since the Timeless clouds are not affected, they will keep floating forward, allowing Tim to unfreeze time and on them safely once they reach him.
4. Hop from Timeless cloud to Timeless cloud in this manner to reach the Puzzle Piece by the Cloud Cannons.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Same exact strategy as Puzzle Piece #1. Climb the ladder to where the clouds are coming from.
2. Use the same "stop time" trick described above to hop from Timeless cloud to Timeless cloud until you reach the Puzzle Piece.

3-4: The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. The Key you need is by the entrance door, but in a space too tight for you to reach it. You need the nearby suicidal lone Troll to grab it.
2. Run to the switch and platform nearby; they are Timeless, and will stay in place even if time is affected. Throw the switch to have it cover the spike pit.
3. Rewind time until the suicidal Troll is resurrected. With the platform in place, he can safely walk to the entrance door and get the Key for you.
4. Kill him once he grabs the Key and use the Timeless platform to reach the Block Door and the Puzzle Piece behind it.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Run to the right from the first Puzzle Piece; keep going right until you find a second switch and platform.
2. You'll note both the switch and the platform are Timeless. Move the platform so that it's parked above the Puzzle Piece near the spike pit.
3. Climb the ladder and simply stand above the Puzzle Piece for a few seconds. Now walk back down to the Timeless Switch.
4. Throw the switch to return the platform back to it's original position. Now rewind time; Tim will revert back to his former position, whether or not the Timeless platform is still there or even in his way.
5. Keep rewinding time until Tim is standing above the Puzzle Piece. Now stop rewinding; since the Timeless platform has been moved and never came back, Tim will fall down onto the Puzzle Piece.
6. The Puzzle Piece itself is also Timeless; once you get it, you will always have it, so simply rewind time back to safety or just reset the room.

3-5: Tight Channels

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Watch out for Bunnies popping up out of the ground; kill them when they appear.
2. Keep running to the right to the Fireball Cannon shooting out a stream of fireballs. The piece is below the Fireball Cannon; you need one of the Timeless Trolls coming from the left to bounce up to it, except that they keep getting shot by fireballs.
3. The Timeless Trolls are not affected by time, unlike the fireballs. Stand under the Fireball Cannon for about seven seconds or so, then slowly rewind time (tap X rhythmically) so that the fireballs are slowly returning into the cannon. If you did this right, the fireballs will essentially fly to the right, in the same direction as the Timeless Trolls, instead of crashing into them.
4. As long as you keep the fireballs flying backward without hitting a Timeless Troll, one of them will reach you safely, where you can then bounce off of him to the Puzzle Piece. If you hear a Troll die off-screen as you try to lead one to you, try again.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. From Puzzle Piece #1, just keep running to the right. You will be chased by a horde of Bunnies; most of them will die off from various hazards as they chase you, including a Fireball Cannon shooting fire to the right.
2. Keep running to the right, dodging hazards, until you encounter a Timeless Fireball Cannon firing projectiles at an angle into the ground.
3. Assuming it's not doing so already, adjust time using Tim's rewind so that the Timeless Fireball Cannon's shots are striking every other shot of the Fireball Cannon that is firing to the right. Now continue heading right after doing so.
4. When you reach the end, you will find the Puzzle Piece atop a network of ladders; because the Timeless Fireball Cannon is disrupting the shots of the other cannon, you can easily slip through the barrage and grab the piece.

3-6: Irreversible

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Right above you from where you start, there's a platform extending out to the left to reach a Puzzle Piece above a spike pit. However, a Timeless wall is rising up at the same time; if you rewind time at all from when you start to when the platform extends out, the platform will get blocked by the Timeless wall and you will not reach the Puzzle Piece.
2. At the start, kill the two Trolls and the Bunny as best you can, without rewinding time. If you do rewind time, reset the level.
3. Once the main threats are dead, wait for the platform to extend out properly, then climb the ladder and battle your way over to the platform and grab the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Go to the right from Puzzle Piece #1. Kill all the Bunnies in sight and climb down the ladder leading underground.
2. Grab the Key near the Deadly Plant, then open the Timeless Block Door nearby.
3. Rewind time after opening the Timeless Block Door. The Key will become usable again, but the Timeless Block Door will naturally stay open.
4. Open the Block Door behind the Timeless Block Door and grab the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. Go down the ladder from Puzzle Piece #2. There's three more Block Doors, but only two Keys left. Do NOT grab the regular Key by the three Deadly Plants.
2. Slip past the Deadly Plants but do not grab the Key they are close to; rewind time to put it back down if you do. Instead, get past them and dive down the pit nearby.
3. You will land in a hole where a Timeless Key sits. Grab it and rewind time so that you are back by the ladder.
4. Open the first Block Door with the Timeless Key. Now grab the regular Key by the Deadly Plants and open the Timeless Block Door.
5. Rewind time to renew the regular Key so you can open the third Block Door, then grab the Puzzle Piece.

3-7: Lair

No Puzzle Pieces or Stars:

1. This level has a boss battle of sorts. At the start, let the Troll carry the Timeless Key into the spike pit.
2. Drop onto the Timeless Key into the spike pit. Rewind time to carry Tim out, still grasping the Timeless Key. Open the Block Door ahead to fight the Troll King.
3. To wake up the Troll King, you need to climb the mesh fencing and stand by the ropes holding the chandeliers. Press B to cut the rope, sending the chandeliers crashing down and waking up the Troll King.
4. The Troll King is Timeless, but the chandeliers are not. Rewind time to renew them, then cut the chandeliers' ropes so that they land on the Troll King's head.
5. The Troll King needs five hits from the chandeliers to die. Keep rewinding time to renew the chandeliers so that you can drop them on his head.
6. Once the Troll King is dead, collect the Timeless Key he drops and open the Block Door. Head to the exit.

3-8: A Tingling

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Ignore the vault door slowly closing, you'll deal with that later. Instead, run to the nearest climbable ladder and go up.
2. Run over to the Timeless switch guarded by the Troll. Throw it to move a Timeless platform over to the right.
3. Make your way over to the Troll carrying a regular Key. Kill him and take it.
4. Drop down to the ground near the entrance door and run back to the Timeless switch. Throw it again.
5. While the platform is moving back, you want to rewind time so that you are back on the ledge above the entrance door, so you can jump from the platform to the ladder leading up to the Puzzle Piece. However, if you use the basic rewind speed, you'll never make in time. The trick is to use the increased rewind speeds: tap the left trigger to increase rewind speed to "8x". Time will rewind so fast that you will be at the correct ledge long before the Timeless platform can slide back into place.
6. Quickly jump onto the Timeless platform to the ladder when it is in range and grab the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. If you don't already have the Key the Troll was carrying, get it and open the Block Door. The vault door will ALWAYS seal shut before you can reach it, but no worries, just keep going to the right.
2. Scale the mesh fence and dodge the various hazards being fired at you. Get to the ladder and drop down to the mesh fence below.
3. Climb that fence to the left to a Timeless switch. Throw it, then rewind time so that you are back on the fence again.
4. The switch raised a Timeless platform that has a Timeless aura on it. If you stand in the aura, Tim himself will become Timeless. Now just simply rewind the entire level backwards at 8x speed while standing in the Timeless aura.
5. Once the rewinding stops automatically (you cannot rewind any further than from when you first entered the level), quickly head to the vault door and grab the Puzzle Piece before it closes.

This world, as you soon find out, runs on "Tim-Time". When Tim runs to the right, time moves forward. When Tim runs to the left, time moves backward. This results in some insane effects: for example, Trolls can't be killed by Tim if he's coming from the left, because for them to die, time needs to progress forward. The same problem extends to locked doors and picking up objects.

Note that this does NOT apply to Tim if he is moving directly up or down vertically, either by ladders or from jumps/falls. Instead, time will simply cease moving if Tim is going up or down; this is a handy trick in the levels with ladders in them.

Timeless objects are just as immune to Tim-Time as they are to rewinding, however. Tim's rewinding ability also still works, and it still has the same affect as it did in other levels.

4-1: The Pit

No Puzzle Pieces or Stars

1. To start, jump over the pit and run to the Block Door. The Troll in the pit will walk forward in time in grab the Timeless Key in the hole nearby.
2. Now rewind Tim-Time by running back over the pit. The Troll will go backwards in Tim-Time, still holding the key.
3. Drop down and kill him, then rewind time to where Tim was standing by the Block Door. Open it and exit.

4-2: Jumpman

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Nice Donkey Kong reference; the beginning of this level is structured like the first level from Donkey Kong. Unfortunately, you'll need to ignore it for now.
2. Run to the right past the Donkey Kong homage to the network of ladders and platforms with the Fireball Cannons. The fireballs are easy to dodge thanks to Tim-Time, simply jump over them (for the second level, jump over the fireballs at the last possible moment).
3. Grab the Puzzle Piece atop this network of platforms and Fireball cannons

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Grab the Timeless Key near Puzzle Piece Piece #1 and go back to the "Donkey Kong" homage. Do NOT open the Block Door on the right from Puzzle Piece #3.
2. Once at the DK homage, go up the first ladder, then up the second ladder.
3. From the second ladder, jump to the left onto the small platform and then onto the Troll falling down/up. You want to boost Tim up from this Troll onto the "Donkey Kong" cannon shooting out more Trolls.
4. Go to the right from "Donkey Kong" and jump to the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. If you have the Timeless Key from nearby Puzzle Piece #1, you can simply jump to the Block Door nearby Puzzle Piece #2 and unlock it, then grab the piece beyond it.

4-3: Just Out Of Reach

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Climb the nearby ladder and throw the nearby switch.
2. Run to the next ladder leading up and run to the left. Jump on the Troll falling upwards in Tim-Time to leap back to the ledge you just jumped from. The real goal is to get the switch below to reset via Tim-Time and still stay on your current ledge.
3. Follow the Troll on your platform and use him to bounce over the movable wall to the Puzzle Piece. This piece is Timeless, so you don't have to worry about Tim-Time botching up you acquisition of it.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. From Puzzle Piece #1, go forward in Tim-Time, jumping off the ledge onto the Troll falling down in mid-air. You should use the bounce to land on an out-of-reach ledge.
2. However, you still need that Troll you just killed alive, so jump to the left off the ledge you just landed on and land on the Troll in mid-air from the left. You want to ressurect the Troll in mid-air using Tim-Time, then swing Tim back to the ledge while the Troll is alive. If you did this right, Tim will still be standing on the ledge and the Troll will still live.
3. Walk to the right to make the Troll grab the Timeless Key, then run back to the left and kill the Troll. Take the key from him.
4. Now go through the first structure just like you did for Puzzle Piece #1 and use the Troll from the first two steps to bounce up to the out-of-reach ledge again.
5. Climb the ladder atop the out-of-reach ledge and open the Block Door; grab the Puzzle Piece there.

4-4: Hunt!

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. It's the same level from World 2-3; kill all the Trolls to open the Block Door. Only this time around you have Tim-Time making this a lot harder than it was before. The key is to remember how the Trolls move relative to Tim's position in the level. Also, the Block Door you need to open is Timeless; all the Trolls need simply be dead at the same time at one given moment to permanently leave it open.
2. Ignore the Trolls for now and make your way up to the Troll in the topmost floor of the room (use the Troll by the bottom right ladder as a boost up as before).
3. Kill the Troll on the topmost floor of the room. Thanks to Tim-Time, he will always be in the top-left corner; try to arrange it so that he dies as far to the left as possible.
4. Go down the ladder on the topmost floor and use the Troll below to bounce up to the floor to the left.
5. Kill the Troll on this floor; thanks to Tim-Time, he too will be far to the left, however, you want to carefully kill him so that the Troll above you does not ressurect in the process.
6. Go down one floor via the gap to your right (NOT the left-most ladder) and jump to the floor across the gap. Kill the Troll here and again take care not to go too far to the left doing so.
7. Now kill the Troll on the ground floor, then head over to the Troll by the rightmost ladder.
8. Thanks to Tim-Time, it's possible to bounce up this Troll from his own floor to the floor above him. This is done by jumping on his head from the left; he will stay alive thanks to Tim-Time and allow Tim to chain stomp the same creature repeatedly, gaining more and more height.
9. Once you get enough height chain stomping on this Troll, go to the right to fly to the ledge above him and killing him at the same time.
10. If you did all this right, all Trolls should be dead except for the one right by the ladder leading up to the Puzzle Piece. Just kill him; the Block Door will now permanently stay open regardless of what the Trolls do and you can grab the Puzzle Piece.

4-5: Movement By Degrees

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. The trick is to get the Troll to cross the Timeless Deadly Plants safely using Tim-Time so he can snag the Timeless Key in the hole by the entrance door. Step on the rightmost edge of the tube of the first Deadly Plant; the Troll should be fine where he is.
2. While the second Deadly Plant is hidding, run to the right and jump over the Troll. You should park Tim right behind the Troll's rear; this should allow both of you to survive.
3. Move forward and stop the Troll by the tube of the first Deadly Plant. While the Deadly Plant is down, climb the ladder; the Troll will die as you climb, but this is ok.
4. Atop the ladder, run to the left until Tim is stopped by a wall. The Troll will ressurect and backtrack out of the Deadly Plant's way.
5. Now run to the right when the Deadly Plant goes down again. The Troll should safely slip past the Deadly Plant; now keep moving to the right as far as you can (climb down to the bottom floor if need be) until you hear the "ding" sound of the Troll grabbing the Timeless Key.
6. Now go back and the Troll will have drug the key out of its space and die by the first Deadly Plant. Get the key.
7. Go up the ladders nearby and open the Block Door guarding the Puzzle Piece. Watch out for the pesky Bunny along the way.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. The next section has the reverse problem: you need to guide at least one Timeless Troll from the Troll Cannon through a gantlet of Deadly Plants. However, Tim-Time is somewhat of a red herring here; for the most part you need to simply use rewinding.
2. First, you need to "record" a certain series of steps; start from the ledge atop the ladder underneath the platform holding Puzzle Piece #2, and position Tim so that the Deadly Plant closest to you retracts into its tube via Tim-Time.
3. Once the Deadly Plant retracts, go right down the next ladder and walk to the right until the rightmost of the three Deadly Plants above you hides in its tube.
4. A Timeless Troll from the cannon should be able to walk past the rightmost Deadly Plant safely if it's retracted down. Now rewind time at high speeds and stop precisely when the middle Deadly Plant retracts. This will get the Timeless Troll past the second hazard; don't rewind too far or he will die from this plant.
5. Once the Timeless Troll slips past the second Deadly Plant, rewind time quickly back to Tim's starting point, where the first Deadly Plant has retracted. Your Timeless Troll should safely reach the platform with the puzzle piece.
6. Now simply stay on the ledge connected by the two ladders and wait for the Timeless Troll to drop down to you. Bounce off of him to the Puzzle Piece above.

Star #3:

1. This is going to be a series of strange variations on the same steps you did to get Puzzle Piece #2. To start, get Tim onto the platform where Puzzle Piece #2, using the same steps above.
2. This time, run back down to the bottom floor and go right until the farthest-right Deadly Plant retracts. You now want to lead a Timeless Troll through the Deadly Plants, exactly as you did before using rewinding. This time though, your rewinding will put Tim and the Troll on the platform holding Puzzle Piece #2.
3. Use the Troll to bounce to the cliff above Puzzle Piece #2. Now repeat the same process once again to get a Timeless Troll through the Deadly Plants. Your rewinding will want to put another Troll on Puzzle Piece #2's platform and Tim on the cliff above it.
4. Jump onto the Troll from the cliff to bounce high in the air over the first Deadly Plant. Now you are inside the Deadly Plant gauntlet itself, in between the first and second plants. You still need another Troll to bound over the second plant.
5. Intentionally try to jump over the second Deadly Plant using just Tim's regular leap. As Tim dies and is flung forward, Tim-Time will advance long enough to retract the third Deadly Plant. While it's retracted, stop time itself and a Timeless Troll will slip past it.
6. Now quickly rewind time back prior to Tim's death and move Tim-Time back far enough so that the second Deadly Plant retracts and your Timeless Troll can get past it.
7. With the Troll through, use him to bound over the second Deadly Plant. Now simply use a Troll or two to bounce to the ledge above the Timeless Troll Cannon and grab the Star.

4-6: Movement, Amplified

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Like before, you need to get a Troll past the Timeless Deadly Plants using Tim-Time to grab a Timeless Key in a hole by the entrance door.
2. Use the cloud bridges above you as running-space to adjust Tim-Time so that the Troll makes it past the Deadly Plants. Have him grab the Timeless Key out of the hole, then collect it.
3. Make your way to the top of the cloud bridges. Watch out for the pesky Timeless Deadly Plant guarding the Block Door and open it. Grab the piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Deceptively simple; just use the ladder to the right of the Deadly Plants to climb onto the topmost Cloud Cannon shooting out the third-floor cloud bridge.
2. Jump to the right off of the very edge of the Cloud Cannon. You should land on a giant cloud that appears from nowhere.
3. Use the giant cloud to jump to the ledges holding the Puzzle Piece.

4-7: Fickle Companion

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. The main problem here is dealing with carrying objects (in this case, a regular Key) while under the spell of Tim-Time. When going back in Tim-Time, the Key will try to replicate its past movements even if Tim is not, warp around the map if it has to.
2. First, grab the Key. Jump over the spike pit and head to the right. Ignore the Block Door guarding Puzzle Piece #2.
3. There's a Timeless Troll Cannon shooting out Timeless Trolls, one at a time. Ignore them for now and open the Block Door near where the Timeless Trolls land.
4. Now walk to the left back in Tim-Time till the door closes again. Next, stand in front of the walking path of a Timeless Troll and let him kill Tim. He will take the Key as he does so.
5. Rewind Tim to AFTER Tim has opened the Block Door. The Timeless Troll will still have the Key, and will carry it for you through the small tunnel underneath the Block Door.
6. Kill the Timeless Troll when he catches up to you and use it to open the second Block Door. Grab the Puzzle Piece inside it.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. From Puzzle Piece #1, walk back out of the tunnel; Tim-Time will automatically shut the Block Doors on the way out, and you will still have the Key.
2. Run to the switch below the Timeless Troll Cannon. Kill any Timeless Troll still alive, then go to the switch and throw it.
3. Now quickly run forward to move the platform forward in Tim-Time. You want the platform to catch one of the falling Timeless Trolls. Once you caught one, carry him back to the switch by running to the left.
4. The Key meanwhile will automatically warp back to the switch's position once you reach it as, thanks to Tim-Time, it is trying to replicate its recorded movements. This will cause the Timeless Troll to grab it instead as he moves to the left past the switch; you want this to happen as he can overwrite Tim-Time.
5. Climb up after the Timeless Troll and follow him to the very end of the platform you are on. Kill him just before he drops off the ledge and take the key.
6. Now you can climb the nearby ladder to the Block Door guarding the Puzzle Piece you skipped earlier and use the Key to reach it.

Star #4:

1. This is going to be insane, so patience is needed. First, reset the level before starting.
2. Next, grab the Key and climb the tall ladder to the top floor. Run over to the Timeless Troll Cannon and stand on the muzzle.
3. Kill any Timeless Troll wandering about below and rewind time so that Tim is back on the cannon's muzzle. Next comes the tricky part; if you make a mistake, make sure to kill any extraneous Timeless Trolls wandering about before trying again.
4. You must now bounce off of two Timeless Trolls in mid-air to a secret area above the main level, all while still holding the Key. The only way to do this is through Tim's stop-time power.
5. Start by bouncing off a Troll flying out of the cannon and send Tim forward. As he begins his descent, stop time so that Tim is stuck in mid-air.
6. You want to wait for another Timeless Troll to come flying out of the cannon; when it does, it will go soaring through the air while Tim stays still. The goal is to unfreeze time at the right moment so that Tim drops onto the Troll as it flies by. This second bounce will fling Tim up into a new area; you MUST be still holding the Key by this point.
7. This new area has two Block Doors, one with a switch operating a vault door. You need to unlock the top door to get the Star, but Tim-Time makes carrying the Key impossible without help from the Timeless Troll; the next goal is to get one up to you.
8. First, stand still in this new area while Tim is still holding the Key. You want to wait for several seconds, so that you can find it easily when rewinding back to it.
9. Ignore the Key as you perform the next few steps as Tim-Time will cause it to rebound around time and space. Walk to the right and drop down back to the main level below.
10. Stand on the edge of the platform that's on the opposite side of the gap across the Timeless Troll Cannon. Drop down and kill any Timeless Troll wandering around, then rewind Tim back to the same ledge.
11. The next step is to launch a Timeless Troll using two instances of the "Enemy Bounce" trick up to the secret area. Position Tim on the edge of the ledge and when a Troll goes flying, drop down and catch his shoes with Tim's forehead. The creature will go flying up; the INSTANT you connect, rewind Tim back to the ledge.
12. With the Timeless Troll still airborne, jump into him from below to perform a second Enemy Bounce on the same Troll. He should belly-flop into the secret area.
13. Now you must get the Key into the clutches of that Timeless Troll. Rewind time all the way back to when Tim was holding the Key in the secret area (this is why you stood around for a few seconds). Let the Troll kill Tim and take the Key from him.
14. Revive Tim but do NOT kill the Troll with the Key yet. Instead, run to the ladder leading to the first Block Door and climb it. Wait for the Troll to pass by and try to grab the key out of his hands from the ladder without hurting him. If successful, you will have saved a lot of time here.
15. With the Timeless Troll still alive, you must next open the Block Door, throw the switch, then move right far enough so that the vault door fully opens, letting the Troll through. However, the Timeless Troll must get the Key back as he moves past the vault door, so go back down the ladder with the Key and let the Troll take it, then rewind time so that Tim is back by the switch where you can keep the vault door open. If you accidentally killed the Troll earlier, you will need to bounce another Troll up there first.
16. Meet up with the Timeless Troll while he is still to the left of the vault door. Climb the tall ladder nearby and grab the Key from the Troll as you did before. You can also use a Ladder Stomp attack to simply kill the Troll and take the Key (you don't need him anymore).
17. Now that you have the Key, you can finally climb the ladder and run to the second Block Door; open it, grab the Star and quicksave.

This world runs on "Double-Time". Everything has a "Double" running parallel to it in the form of a shadow; Keys, Trolls, Block Doors, etc. The Doubles can affect other Doubles but not "reality", and vice versa; for example, having the "real" Tim open a real Block Door will not open the Double of the same door.

Tim himself also has a Double; thanks to his rewind power, he can rewind time and have his Double replicate all the moves he did up to when Tim first rewound time. To "cancel" his Double, just tap X.

If Tim' Double runs out of moves to mimic (i.e. up to the moment when Tim rewound time), it will stop moving and eventually disappear. If it's in mid-air, it will continue any forward momentum until it lands. This also applies to other Doubles. Doubles will also disappear after being separated from their real counterparts by more than several seconds.

Be on the look out for "Double-Free" ("DF") objects, including Puzzle Pieces, which glow pink. Double-Free objects can be affected by both reality and Doubles alike; for example, a DF Puzzle Piece can be grabbed by either Tim or his Double, where as normal Puzzle Pieces can only be collected by Tim.

5-1: The Pit

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. The solution to this pit is to have Tim jump down into it, grab the DF Puzzle Piece, then rewind time to before he jumps in.
2. After doing this, Tim's Double will then replicate Tim's moves, jumping into the pit and grabbing the Puzzle Piece for him. Since the Puzzle Piece is "Double-Free", the Double can collect it for you while Tim can simply leave the level.

5-2: So Distant

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. First, have Tim stand by the switch, then raise the vault door.
2. At the height of the vault door's rising, mash the B button to keep the vault door open. Mash for about five seconds.
3. Rewind back in time for five seconds, then run past the vault door; your Double will mash the switch for you, allowing you to slip past the vault door and grab the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Go to the right to the next section. Use the Troll to bounce to the platform with the switch.
2. Throw the switch, then rewind time back to before you killed the Troll.
3. Your Double will now bounce off of the Troll's Double and hit the switch. Now you can bounce off of the real Troll to the vault door.
4. Once your Double opens the vault door, head past it and grab the piece.

5-3

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. This first one can be tricky. Climb the mesh fence and run down the ladder to the DF Key.
2. Now run to the spike pit to the left and jump at the last second; you want to jump as far as you can, even though this will kill Tim.
3. After you die, rewind to where you began this level and stand on the edge of the left-most cliff of the spike pit. Your Double will replicate your past moves, and if everything was done correctly, Tim will snatch the DF Key out of his Double's hands when he jumps into the spike pit.
4. If the Double did not jump far enough and the DF Key is stuck in the pit, you can still get it out. Just keep throwing Tim onto the Key and try to mimic the Double's movements after rewinding so that when the Double touches the Key, Tim is touching him. Keep repeating this and you will eventually drag the Key out of the spike pit through an insane combination of Doubles and rewinding.
5. Once you have the DF Key safe in hand, take it to the Block Door above and open it for the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Get to the ledge above where the DF Key was originally positioned. Go over Puzzle Piece #2's position and drop down the right-hand side of the structure.
2. Go towards the ladder through the tunnel in the structure; a DF Bunny will appear. He guards the ladder and makes it impossible to reach normally. Lead him to the edge of the tunnel where he will guard it.
3. Go back in time so that Tim's back on top of the structure. Now head down to the left-hand entrance of the DF Bunny's tunnel. Your Double meanwhile will distract the DF Bunny.
4. While the DF Bunny is distracted by your Double, break for the ladder, climb it, and grab the piece, then rewind time back to a safe point or simply Quicksave.

5-4: Crossing the Gap

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Here we have a DF Troll Cannon shooting out DF Trolls, instantly replacing each one killed. Since the Trolls are Double-Free, they can walk on both real platforms and "double" platforms.
2. Start by running to the ladder and climbing up to the switch. Once you are by the switch, jump down and kill the DF Troll.
3. Rewind time so that Tim is by the switch again. Now throw the switch while Tim's Double kills the DF Troll.
4. You should now have a fully connected bridge for the DF Troll to cross to your side. Follow him across the bridge and use him as a bounce up to the Puzzle Piece above the block covered in carpet.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. If you just got Puzzle Piece #1, you can get this one right away; your goal is to reach the DF Troll Cannon and use a DF Troll to bounce up to it.
2. If you have the "full bridge" set up to get Puzzle Piece #1, you can get this easy. Just jump to the "real" platform and then to the DF Troll Cannon, then bounce on a DF Troll to the Puzzle Piece. Otherwise, you may want to reset the room and do the steps for Puzzle Piece #1 first, as it can be a pain to arrange the platforms properly while keeping a DF Troll from falling to the floors below while trying to get Puzzle Piece #2.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. This last one requires BOTH the real platform and its double to be parked on the side of the ledge where the DF Trolls are launched from. Use rewinding and your Double to make this happen.
2. Once this is set up, the DF Trolls will fall to the ramps below. Run ahead of them.
3. The path ends into a platform with a ladder that leads down to the ground floor, with the exit door nearby. You want to get ahead of the DF Troll before he beats you to there and jump into his body as he's falling down, performing a "suicide enemy launch". This will kill Tim and launch the DF Troll into the air.
4. Now rewind time back far enough and get to the ledge above where you did the suicide enemy launch. Your Double will instead sacrifice himself to do it for you; use the launched DF Troll to bounce over to the ledge with the Puzzle Piece.

Star #5:

1. It's best that you reset the room before starting this one; this one requires a lot of practice as you'll be literally juggling Trolls using the Enemy Bounce technique.
2. Start by running over to the switch next to the platform; drop down and kill any DF Troll wandering below, then rewind Tim back to the switch.
3. Wait for Tim's Double to go down and kill the first DF Troll, then when a second DF Troll appears from the Troll Cannon, position Tim on the ledge right below the switch.
4. Wait for the DF Troll to walk off the ledge and then jump into the Troll's feet to launch him into the air at the expense of Tim's life, then rewind time back to when Tim was standing by the switch.
5. Tim's Double will now launch the DF Troll into the air for you. When he does, launch that same Troll again in mid-air with another Enemy Bounce.
6. Rewind time to just after the first time the DF Troll is bounced up. The Double will once again fill in for the real Tim, launching the Troll further upward and to the right.
7. Keep repeating this technique of launching the Troll, resurrecting Tim, and having the Double launch the Troll for you. You want to keep bouncing the Troll over to the platform where Puzzle Piece #1 was located, however you do NOT want the Troll to land on that platform.
8. The trick is to bounce the Troll against the wooden "square" on the left-hand edge of the platform that holds Puzzle Piece #1; the Troll should rebound off the wooden square and start flying to the left. If you are having trouble, try to get as much air as possible with each bounce so that the Troll lands too close to the platform to be able to fly up onto it.
9. Once the Troll bounces off the wood square and starts flying leftward, keep bouncing the Troll along to the left using the Enemy Bounce trick with your Double. Your goal is to land this Troll on the platform holding Puzzle Piece #2, located right above the Troll Cannon.
10. Once the Troll lands on the platform holding Puzzle Piece #2, he'll get stuck up there and a SECOND Troll will pop out of the Troll Cannon (this always occurs if you get a Troll stuck on the platforms holding the two Puzzle Pieces). Now all you need to do is use any one of these extra Trolls to bounce up to Puzzle Piece #2's platform as you did before, and then use the Troll from earlier to launch up to a secret area holding the Star.

5-5: Window of Opportunity

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Climb up to the structures above the Puzzle Piece trapped underneath the platforms. Head to the right to find a Troll holding a Key.
2. Kill him and take the Key, then drop down and go left, unlocking a DF Block Door (do NOT unlock the regular Block Door yet).
3. Rewind time to when you got the Key, and while the Double goes to unlock the DF Block Door, you will now go unlock the regular Block Door, then use the DF Block Door as a step up to the ledge above. You must use the DF Block Door as a step-up before your Double unlocks the door, otherwise, you must start over.
4. Now stand by the switch and throw it, then backtrack to where the Puzzle Piece you passed was; the platform will have moved out of the way, unsealing it.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Go to the second section of this map. Stand by the topmost switch, closest to the puzzle piece, then run into the tunnel with the floating switch.
2. Stand underneath the switch, count to four seconds, then press B.
3. Rewind in time back to where you were standing by the first switch. Your Double will go down into the tunnel; throw your switch as he reaches the platform underneath the floating switch, then stand on the elevator next to you. #The platform in the tunnel will rise and position your Double next to the floating switch. He will then mimic your B button press, this time within range of the floating switch. This will rise up your elevator, putting you within range of the Puzzle Piece.

5-6: Lair

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Time to kill the Troll King again. This time he is Double-Free. You still only have two chandeliers to work with.
2. The key is to slam a chandelier on his head, then rewind time to before you drop the chandelier. Your Double will then drop a Double of the chandelier on the Troll King's head, which hurts him just as well as a real chandelier.
3. Keep repeating this until the Troll King dies; he will drop a Key.
4. Grab the Key and run to the left. Open the Block Door and stand by the switch. Count to 10 seconds, then throw the switch.
5. Rewind time to before you opened the Block Door. Your Double will now sprint through the Block Door (since he only has to unlock the Block Door's double with the double of your Key), then he will throw the switch after waiting ten seconds. Meanwhile, you should be sprinting towards the exit past the Block Door in the Troll King's room.
6. Right by the exit is a vault door. If you timed this right, your Double will be throwing the switch as you reach it, allowing you access to the Puzzle Piece it guards. Grab it and get out of there.

5-7: Fragile Companion

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Pretty simple; first, kill the Troll and take his Key.
2. From the Troll's ledge, jump to the right towards the first DF Block Door, then rewind back in time to return Tim before the jump. Do NOT unlock the door; just jump towards the door and rewind before you unlock it.
3. If you did this right, your Double will jump forward into the DF Block Door and crash into it, unlocking it for you. Now just unlock the second DF Block Door and grab the Puzzle Piece.

Tim gets a new power here: the Slo-Mo Ring. By pressing Y, Tim drops a ring that creates a powerful "slow-motion field". The closer to the center of the field, the more time slows down. Tim can only set one at a time and must pick up the Slo-Mo Ring to use it again elsewhere.

As always, Timeless objects are immune to any time-effects, including the Slo-Mo Ring. The Slo-Mo Ring itself can never be Timeless, even if Tim is.

One more important rule about the Slo-Mo Ring: it's subject to the laws of gravity and motion. While Tim can't drop it in mid-air or while on ladders, nor can the enemies can't move it, the ring can otherwise fall and be carried along by moving platforms.

6-1: The Pit?

No Puzzle Pieces or Stars:

1. Test out the Slo-Mo Ring here. There is otherwise no point to this level; just jump over the pit and exit.

6-2: There and Back Again

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. A repeat of World 3-2, only this time we will be using the Slo-Mo Ring. Run to the closing vault door and drop the ring underneath it.
2. Book it up the mesh fencing to the Key. Don't waste too much time killing enemies, just grab it and head back down to the vault door.
3. Open the Block Door and grab the Puzzle Piece, then get out of there.

6-3: Phase?

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. And here's a repeat of World 3-3, but this time we're dealing with Slo-Mo. Jump on the nearest cloud coming from the Cloud Cannon.
2. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring on the rightmost edge of the cloud platform. Wait for another cloud to come into jumping range, grab the Slo-Mo Ring, and jump to it.
3. Repeat these steps for every cloud coming your way and you will eventually reach the Puzzle Piece above the Cloud Cannon.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Run to the next section. As with Puzzle Piece #1, you'll need to use the Slo-Mo Ring on the row of clouds coming from the second Cloud Cannon.
2. You must time this all perfectly; use rewinds to perfect your timing. Stand on the platform and time your jump towards an incoming cloud so that you land just barely on the leftmost edge.
3. Quickly set the Slo-Mo Ring on the rightmost edge of this cloud. Wait for another cloud to come your way and time your jump that you just barely make it.
4. Run straight across this cloud and jump at the last second. You should just barely land on the Cloud Cannon. Grab the piece.

6-4: Cascade

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Run to the nearest ladder and climb it to the spectacle of the Troll Cannon firing endless Trolls into the spike pit.
2. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring about a few "Tims" from the Troll Cannon. This will slow things down long enough for Tim to chain stomp off a group of Slo-Mo'd flying Trolls to the Puzzle Piece above.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Get your Slo-Mo Ring and run to the right to another Troll Cannon. Use the same strategy to slow the falling Trolls in mid-air so you can bounce to a ledge holding the Key.
2. Grab the Key and your Slo-Mo Ring and head to the right and downward. There is a Fireball Cannon here shooting up the Trolls coming from the Troll Cannon. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring by the muzzle of the Fireball Cannon.
3. With the Fireball Cannon's firing rate slowed down, one or two lucky Trolls will live long enough for you to use them as a bounce up to the Timeless Puzzle Piece floating out of reach.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. Leave the Slo-Mo Ring by the Fireball Cannon as described in the steps for Puzzle Piece #2. You must have also gotten the Key described in the same steps; if not, go get it.
2. With the firing rate of the Fireball Cannon slowed down, Trolls should eventually be able to reach the bottom floors. When one does, grab your Slo-Mo Ring and follow him.
3. Follow your Troll till he drops down to the bottommost floor, then use him as a bounce to the second Fireball Cannon shooting down the corridor with the Block Door. Your timing must be good; if you miss, rewind and try again.
4. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring on top of the cannon's muzzle, then run down the corridor after it fires a volley. Open the Block Door and throw the switch.
5. Now go back to the first Troll Cannon near where you got Puzzle Piece #1; you can now drop down the cliff to the left of it to land on Puzzle Piece #3.

6-5: Impassable Foliage

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Immediately run underneath the vault door rising above you and drop a Slo-Mo Ring. Kill any enemy coming your way.
2. Wait for the platform to move above the vault door, then collect your Slo-Mo Ring; you will have successfully prevented the vault door from blocking the platform from moving to the left, allowing access to the Puzzle Piece.
3. Now you need simply reach the platform; go underneath the tube for the fast-moving Deadly Plant (the "impassable foliage") and drop the Slo-Mo Ring.
4. Now the Deadly Plant will move slow enough for you to slip past; do so and run through the rabble of Trolls to the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. As in World 4, you will once again have Timeless Trolls coming from a cannon into a gauntlet of Deadly Plants. This time, you must guide at least two Trolls through the through the plants by timing it using the Slo-Mo Ring and Tim's stop time ability.
2. Get underneath the plant tubes and use the Slo-Mo Ring to adjust the rhythm of the Deadly Plants until you cause them to sync together. Arrange them so that all three simultaneously hide in their tubes (i.e. all three of them retracted), then immediately stop time by press X and holding RT.
3. With the Deadly Plants forced down, the Timeless Trolls will cruise by the danger. Now just accumulate as many Trolls as you need to chain stomp your way to the Puzzle Piece; you will need at least two to bounce up to the Puzzle Piece. It IS possible to use just one Troll although you will need to time the mother of all perfect jumps off a Troll falling directly from above.

Star #6:

1. Get onto the same platform holding Puzzle Piece #2, as described above. Make sure you have the Slo-Mo Ring with you. From Puzzle Piece #2's platform you want to bounce off two Timeless Trolls onto the roof above Puzzle Piece #2, which is a secret area.
2. Stand on the plant tubes and use the Slo-Mo Ring to sync up the plants if need be, then position Tim near the closest plant tube to Puzzle Piece #2.
3. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring on that plant tube right after the Deadly Plant retracts, then stop time. Let several Timeless Trolls cruise past Tim, then un-stop time during any point when one of the Trolls is halfway across the plant tube.
4. With the Slo-Mo Ring in effect, the Deadly Plant will not pop out in time to eat the Troll. Meanwhile, jump on the Troll while grabbing your Slo-Mo Ring. Bounce off that Troll and try to land on one of the other Trolls you let through to leap up onto the roofing above Puzzle Piece #2 while still holding the Slo-Mo Ring.
5. Next, run along the roof to the left to find a C-shaped platform, with the Star underneath it and out of reach. The bend of the platform is above the Troll Cannon next to Puzzle Piece #1; you need to bounce off two airborne Trolls to reach the underhang of the platform, but the Troll Cannon will not be firing Trolls fast enough to do so normally.
6. Stand on the left-most edge of the C-shaped platform and walk five or six "Tims" to the right. After doing so, stop and put down the Slo-Mo Ring.
7. Jump onto the Troll Cannon, then time a perfect jump so that Tim stomps on a flying Troll right underneath the Slo-Mo Ring.
8. As Tim sails upward into the Slo-Mo Ring's sphere of influence, he will slow down, but the Troll Cannon is still going. Once Tim reaches the peak of his jump, swing Tim to the left out of the sphere of influence so that he escapes the slo-mo effect. You should be able to drop down onto a second Troll in time.
9. Once you bounce on that second Troll, you'll gain enough height to land on the underhang and can from there simply walk to the Star.

6-6: Elevator Action

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. First, get through the gantlet of ladders and Fireball Cannons to the top of the gantlet.
2. Next, throw the switch and ride down the elevator. Grab the Key; a Bunny will attack you. Note that if you kill him, you will not be able to get a Star hidden in this level; however, this means dodging him while performing the next few steps.
3. Hit the switch next to the key and ride the elevator back up. Drop the Slo-Mo Ring on the leftmost edge of the elevator.
4. Throw the switch to lower the elevator again and run through the Fireball Cannon gantlet. This time, the lowering elevator will be Slo-Mo'd, inadvertently slowing the cannon's down with it.
5. Slip through the gantlet and grab your Slo-Mo Ring from underneath the elevator by jumping up and pressing Y. Now simply climb the nearby ladder and open the Block Door for the Puzzle Piece.

Puzzle Piece #2:

1. Run to the right to the next section. Climb the ladder and drop the Slo-Mo Ring underneath the muzzle of the Fireball Cannon above, right next to the switch.
2. Throw the switch; the two platforms with the Timeless Aura's on them will meet. Jump onto the rightmost edge of the one with the ladder.
3. Rewind time to the point before you threw the switch. The platform you are on will rise up, but Timeless Tim will stay put.
4. Now wait for a fireball to streak over Tim's head before making a break for the Puzzle Piece above the Fireball Cannon; if you time it right, you should just slip through the barrage and reach the piece.

Puzzle Piece #3:

1. First, lower the platform you stood on for Puzzle Piece #2 and set the Slo-Mo Ring on it, then raise it back up without Tim.
2. Throw the switch to bring the platform back down; thanks to the Slo-Mo Ring, it will move too slowly to block the second Timeless Aura-emitting platform from floating all the way to the left, as desired.
3. Climb the ladder on the first platform, collecting your Slo-Mo Ring, and throw the switch up top. This will drop a second ladder by the second platform's current location.
4. Climb onto the second platform using the ladder that dropped down and stand in the Timeless Aura it emits.
5. Rewind time while standing in the Timeless Aura until the ladder that drop down is starting to rise; when it does, jump onto the ladder and keep rewinding. While Tim is still glowing with the "Timeless Effect", the ladder will rise up to a cubbyhole where the Puzzle Piece sits.
6. Before the Timeless Effect expires, jump off the ladder as it's in mid-air into the cubbyhole and grab the piece.

Star #7:

1. You need the Bunny guarding the Key in this level alive for this; reset the level first if it's been killed previously. This walkthrough assumes you have just reset the level.
2. Head to the Key where the Bunny is lurking. Wake him up and get him onto the elevator.
3. Ride the elevator upward with the Bunny still alive. You'll need to dodge under his tackles and jump over his charges as the elevator rises.
4. Once the elevator reaches the top, lead the Bunny to the right and get ready to "rehearse" some steps you will be rewinding to later. Your goal is to get the Bunny to make leaps in this area and you want him doing it while under the effect of the Slo-Mo Ring.
5. Get the Bunny to leap at Tim, and when he starts jumping, drop the Slo-Mo Ring and let the Bunny slowly dive through it's sphere of influence (make sure Tim survives of course). Repeat this several times; for each "rehearsed" Bunny tackle, you want the Bunny to be airborne and just to the right of the ladder next to the second and third Fireball Cannon below.
6. When ready, leave this area through the Fireball Cannon gauntlet and head to the area where Puzzle Piece #2 and #3 are.
7. Repeat the same exact steps you did to reach Puzzle Piece #3. However, this time, when you grab the falling ladder while Timeless, you want to rewind at 8x speed so that the ladder shoots back to it's original position and stays there, carrying Tim up there with it.
8. If you did this right, Tim will be stuck on the ladder while it sits in its original spot; you can then climb it to a secret area. Head to the left and you will spot a Timeless Aura pad that overlooks the platform where you left the Bunny. The Star will be floating on a ledge to the left out of reach.
9. You need to bounce off the Bunny while it's airborne to reach the Star, so stand in the Timeless Aura and rewind time back to one of your "rehearsals" with the Bunny. Stop rewinding when the Bunny has just started one of the rehearsed leaps and jump onto him from your location.
10. If you positioned the rehearsed leap correctly, as described above, Tim will catch enough air from the bounce to land on the ledge holding the Star.

6-7: In Another Castle

Puzzle Piece #1:

1. Climb the first ladder and set the Slo-Mo Ring by the Key on the platform. Stand there for ten or so seconds, then pick it up.
2. Go to the second ladder that is under a barrage of fireballs from a Fireball Cannon. Set a Slo-Mo Ring on the cannon's muzzle.
3. Slip past the slowed barrage and stand on the Timeless Aura by the switch. Do NOT throw the switch yet.
4. Rewind time until your Slo-Mo Ring pops up by the Key. Now rewind time to roughly after you've set the Key down (about 8 or 9 seconds if you counted ten).
5. Now throw the switch and run to the spike pit underneath the Key; you have however many seconds you gave yourself using your recorded steps to get to the spike pit and catch the falling Key and your Slo-Mo Ring before they land in the spikes. You do NOT have to climb down the fireball'd ladder; just jump down using the open passage to the right of the top of the ladder.
6. As the Key and Slo-Mo Ring falls, you want to catch them both in mid-air during one leap over the spike pit. Remember, pressing Y catches the Slo-Mo Ring.
7. Now just set the Slo-Mo Ring on the Fireball Cannon again and scale the ladder. Open the Block Door and grab the Puzzle Piece.

To gain access to World 1, you must build all the portraits using all the Puzzle Pieces you collected for each level. You can then climb the ladder in Tim's Hosue to the attic where the door to World 1 is.

In World 1, time flows completely backward; the only thing moving forward in time is Tim. This puts everything in reverse: everything falls upward, dying Trolls come back to life if Tim jumps on them, etc.

Tim's rewind ability is still the same, although in this case it is technically a "play normal" ability as time is normally going backwards here.

1-1, 1-2, 1-3

No Puzzle Pieces or Stars

1. There's no Puzzle Pieces at all in World 1, nor Stars save for the final Star in the game in 1-4. The goal for the first three levels is to just get to the exit, each of which is simple.
2. World 1-1: Just jump on a dying Troll as they fly upwards to their "undeath" on the spike pit above. This will bring it to life; use the live Troll to bounce Tim to the exit.
3. World 1-2: Like before, jump on a dying Troll as it flies up, then quickly race to the ladder and climb it to the top. The Troll you jumped on will bound his way up the ledges, putting him in position for a bounce to the exit.
4. World 1-3: Same as 1-2, except that the ladders are gone. You will need to essentially jump on a Troll and ride it upwards to the exit in the upper right. Jump on a few Trolls at the start to give yourself a few extra chances at this.

1-4: Braid

Star #8:

1. This walkthrough assumes you have all the Stars up to this point. If you did, all the switches on this level will be Timeless, which will be key to getting Star #8. If not, the level plays mostly the same save for the final sequence that you will be forced to skip, which will cost you the star. The final level is ultimately more of a action sequence than a puzzle.
2. After the animated sequence, the Princess will flee from the Villain and run to the right. Follow after her in the tunnel below using the slabs of rock the stomping Villain knocks down; you'll need to hustle as some auto-scrolling will kick in and Tim will be pursued by a wall of flame. The Princess will open the passages and blockades for you.
3. After a while, Tim will have a few close calls. One is a drawbridge that will lower at the last second. Another is a rising platform that will lift up to save Tim from a bed of spikes; Tim will need to jump into the bed of spikes at the last possible moment to get rescued.
4. Past those last two close calls is a Fireball Cannon barrage. Slip through it and climb the nearby ladder. Throw the switch to open the exit; if you have seven stars, the switch will be Timeless, and the exit will stay open even if you rewind.
5. Run forward, moving as fast as you can. Drop down ladders by pressing the A to shortcut on time. You will eventually find a small spike bed; jump over it and watch for undying Trolls coming back to life out of the pit.
6. You will need to use one of the undying Trolls to first bounce over a tall wall, then again on the same Troll onto a platform holding another Timeless switch. Throw it to permanently open the exit .
7. After throwing that second Timeless switch, rewind time all the way back to before you enter the room with the Fireball Cannon, and start running through the course again. This time, since the two switches are already thrown, Tim can race through the course unimpeded, without having to stop to throw switches. This allows him to run far ahead from the wall of flame, enough to completely scroll it off screen and put Tim in the right-hand side of the scrolling screen.
8. You still want to race as fast as you can; take shortcuts on the ladders whenever possible. If you are moving fast enough, when you reach the spike bed with the undying Trolls, one will appear right as you jump over the pit. Ride him over the tall wall and keep legging it.
9. Keep running as fast as you can past the Troll area, up the stairs. Two Deadly Plants will attempt to block your progress. You should be able to slip past or jump over the first one, and wait out the second, without the Princess getting ahead of Tim; if this is the case, you are doing fine, keep moving. Otherwise, rewind time back to the Fireball Cannon and try again.
10. Once you get past the Deadly Plants, you'll enter a wine cellar and see a wrecked chandelier on the floor. You want to wait for it to reform and as it does, time a leap so that Tim jumps onto the chandelier as it "reverse-falls" back up to the ceiling.
11. If you do this correctly, Tim will ride the chandelier up to a mesh fence, smacking into the Princess who will always be waiting right there. The screen should flash white and explosions will be hearrd; hold up on the left analog so that Tim grabs the mesh fencing next to the chandelier and doesn't fall down during the hysteria.
12. After the hysterics, just climb out of the chandelier area into the very area the Princess was running around in. Walk to the right and pick up the Star in the Princess' bedroom, then walk all the way to the left to the level exit and the Epilogue.

If you don't have seven Stars: The level plays the same, except that the switches will not be Timeless, making it pointless to rewind and improve Tim's speed running through the course. Without improving Tim's speed run, you will never make it to the chandelier room in time to catch it falling upwards.

Once you reach the chandelier room, just keep going to the right and, at the end of the course, jump onto the Timeless Aura-emitting pad outside the Princess' bedroom. Afterward, the game essentially forces you (including through the game controls themselves) to rewind the entire level at 1x speed, revealing what exactly the Princess has been trying to do this whole time.

After your are forced to rewind the entire level back to the very start, a gong will sound and Tim will jump in the air. After this, simply enter through the level's entrance door to go to the Epilogue.

Epilogue

1. Not much to do here, but there's still some secrets. Each "room" has one red book and multiple green books. The red books, when opened, give you story text, making it appear on your screen. The green books have nothing to read and simply force the red books shut and the text to disappear.
2. Each room has "secret text" you can read; you can tell you've found the location of the secret text when you hear a lady screaming/singing. The secret text will appear when Tim is standing on a point that makes the voice sing/scream and the red book in the room is open. The secret text areas are listed below.
3. First room: Simply open the red book and stand behind the rock to the right.
4. Second room: As you pass by a rock, you should hear the singing. Drop down into the pit and open the red book, then rewind Tim back to the ledge above and stand where you hear the voice.
5. Third room: The secret text is behind the statue of the scared boy, but the green book next to the red one will prevent you from using it. Instead, go into the fourth room and stand on the Timeless Aura-emitting platform. Rewind time till you hear the green book in the third room shut, then go back and stand behind the boy statue.
6. Fourth room: Next to the Timeless Aura platform is a switch. Use it to raise then lower the platform. Stand on the platform, open the red book, and rewind time so that the platform rises. After it does, jump down and find the secret text behind the rock to the left of the books.
7. Past the fourth room is a castle area. Not much to do here but read the green books (which actually provide texts, unlike the others) and officially end the game by entering the door inside the castle. This will put Tim in an alleyway outside of his house.
8. You will still have all the Stars and Puzzle Pieces you collected, and can replay any level in the game. You may also play Speed Runs by pausing the game and selecting the Speed Run option in the pause menu; this will NOT erase your progress, instead simply start an official speed run of the levels or the entire game, after which you can log your time into the leaderboards on Xbox Live.

1. Basics

2. World 2

3. World 3

4. World 4

5. World 5

6. World 6

7. World 1