Order of the Sinking Star
| Order of the Sinking Star | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Thekla, Inc. |
| Publisher | Arc Games |
| Director | Jonathan Blow |
| Platforms | |
| Release | October 8, 2026 |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Mode | Single-player |
Order of the Sinking Star is an upcoming puzzle video game developed by Thekla, Inc. and published by Arc Games. It is the third game directed by Jonathan Blow after Braid (2008) and The Witness (2016). It was developed using Jai, a programming language developed in-house by Blow and his studio. The game is scheduled for release on Windows, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on October 8, 2026.
Gameplay
[edit]Order of the Sinking Star has four different sets of puzzle mechanics which combine over the course of the game.[1] Many of the mechanics are inspired by Sokoban-style games including Heroes of Sokoban (Jonah Ostroff), Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes & Mirror Isles (Alan Hazelden) and the Promesst series (Sean Barrett) (which were inspired by Corrypt and Game Title by Michael Brough).[2][3] Early puzzles in the game work on a 2D plane, but later puzzles are 3D.[4]
The mechanics can start off simple yet lead to unexpected consequences. For example, in the "Mirror Isles" world, a character can use a single mirror to teleport their reflection and change places with it. However, it is possible to use more than one mirror to cast more than one reflection, thereby making clones of the character that all move at once.[4] Blow said that like The Witness, there are multiple levels to the game's puzzles, first with the basic Sokoban mechanics, followed by how they combine, with a final abstraction level that Blow did not reveal prior to release.[5]
The reveal trailer stated that Order of the Sinking Star has more than 1000 puzzles; director Jonathan Blow has stated that the game has more than 1400 puzzles.[4] Blow stated that the game can take up to 250 hours to complete at a normal pace, and more than 500 hours to solve all puzzles.[6] However, the player need not complete all puzzles to reach the end of the game's story.[5]
Development
[edit]When announced, Order of the Sinking Star had been in development for nearly 10 years.[3] Thekla created a game engine for the game, which was itself created using a programming language developed by the studio.[1] Part of the motivation to create a new programming language was that by the end of development on The Witness, written in C++, director Jonathan Blow didn't like the language anymore, noting "I felt very sad that I had to go into the office every day and program on C++."[7] He said that the studio can now program faster with the new language than with C++.[7] Thekla has plans to release the programming language and engine with parts not related to game for free after it is released.[1] At the moment, the programming language is available only to a few thousand users in the closed beta.
On the choice to combine four different sets of existing game mechanics together, Blow noted that since the four games they came from all had a Sokoban-style, they all had an underlying grid structure, and so could all fit together when combined.[7] Unlike Thekla's previous games where most of the puzzles were designed by Blow, level design authors include Alan Hazelden (Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes, Mirror Isles), Sean Barrett (Promesst), Jonah Ostroff (Heroes of Sokoban), Patrick Traynor (Patrick's Parabox), Zach Polansky (Enigmash), and Marc Ten Bosch (Miegakure).[8] After Edge magazine noted that the sheer size of the map reminded them of Elden Ring, Blow noted that at some point he too started to think of the game "as the Elden Ring of puzzle games".[7]
In December 2025, Hazelden made a series of statements on social media both praising the game and lamenting that Blow's beliefs were not aligned with his own, specifically citing Blow's support for Donald Trump, negative views on diversity, equity and inclusion, and opinions on COVID-19 vaccinations. Ostroff and Barrett followed up with statements of agreement on their respective social media accounts. Hazelden announced that he would be using his profits from the game to fund and uplift less privileged creators.[9] After the game's demo was released and appeared to be missing credits from these contributors, Thekla said that all contributors will be acknowledged in the full game's credits as well as in information provided to MobyGames and press outlets.[5]
Release
[edit]The game was announced at The Game Awards on December 11, 2025.[10] The trailer revealed that the game will feature over 1000 puzzles and will be released in 2026.[3] In June 2026 it was announced that a PC demo would be globally available for one week as part of Steam Next Fest, starting from 15 June 2026.[11] At the conclusion of Steam Next Fest, it was announced that for a limited time the demo would continue to be made available.[12] The game is set to be released for PC, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 on October 8, 2026.[13]
Notes and references
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Braid and The Witness creator announces first new video game in nine years". Metro. Dec 11, 2025. Retrieved Dec 11, 2025.
- ↑ "PROMESST, by Sean Barratt".
A Windows puzzle game inspired by Corrypt and Game Title.
- 1 2 3 McWhertor, Michael (Dec 11, 2025). "The Witness creator reveals his next massive puzzle adventure, Order of the Sinking Star". Polygon. Retrieved Dec 11, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Pelliccio, Meg (Dec 11, 2025). "Jonathan Blow Says Order Of The Sinking Star Has "Much Higher" Puzzle Quality Than Braid Or The Witness". TheGamer. Valnet. Retrieved Dec 11, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Colantonio, Giovanni (August 18, 2026). "Order of the Sinking Star gets a release date, as Jonathan Blow clears up credits drama". Polygon. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- ↑ Higham, Michael (Dec 11, 2025). "The Witness and Braid Creator Jonathan Blow Announces New 250-Hour Puzzle Game, Order of the Sinking Star". IGN. Retrieved Dec 11, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "Order of the Sinking Star". Edge. No. 420. Future plc. March 2026. pp. 30–33.
- ↑ Stewart, Marcus (August 18, 2026). "Order Of The Sinking Star Launches In October". Game Informer. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- ↑ Schreier, Jason (January 22, 2026). "A Controversial Video-Game Designer Returns With a New Game and More Controversy". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Earl, William (Dec 11, 2025). "'Order of the Sinking Star' Puzzle Adventure Game From Jonathan Blow, Arc Games Set for 2026 Launch". Variety. Retrieved Dec 11, 2025.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (June 10, 2026). "Jonathan Blow's Order of the Shrinking Star - a puzzle game 10 years in the making - will get a Steam Next Fest demo". GamesBeat. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ Rad (June 22, 2026). "Surprise! The Demo is Available Longer". Arc Games. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
- ↑ Colantonio, Giovanni (Aug 18, 2026). "Order of the Sinking Star gets a release date, as Jonathan Blow clears up credits drama". Polygon. Retrieved Sep 8, 2026.