It wasn’t long into Jonathan Blow’s presentation of his latest game, Order of the Sinking Star, that my brain started to spin. Blow has built a reputation for taking seemingly simple puzzle concepts and expanding them until you must break out the notebook. His latest project has a lot of that same DNA, and for fans of his prior work (Braid, The Witness), the wait appears to be well worth it.
Thekla, Inc. Is Jonathan Blow’s new studio and Order of the Sinking Star is the developer’s latest project. It’s also the first game Blow is making with a publisher, with Fellowship and Remnant 2 backer Arc Games (formerly Gearbox Publishing) putting out Order of the Sinking Star. Gamers just got their first taste of the game during its The Game Awards debut, but we were treated to an extended look at the game guided by Blow, who dug deep into the process of designing puzzle games.
The idea behind Order of the Sinking Star is simple, on paper. It’s a grid-based puzzle game where players control a character (or characters) to complete a specific objective. Usually, that is reaching an exit or a specific tile, but the means of achieving that goal will vary across the game’s 1,000+ levels.
Order of the Sinking Star’s overworld is split into four distinct zones, where players are given specific puzzle-solving rules. For example, one area gives them control of different classes with unique abilities like pushing blocks or swapping position with an object or enemy. Another uses mirrors to create pathways forward using a nifty reflection mechanic.
Within those four distinct areas, Order of the Sinking Star already feels wildly complex. You can see how the puzzles ramp up from their nascent beginnings and eventually turn into real head-scratchers. Even within each area, it feels like there is a fully fleshed-out game, and the fact that there are four of them pushes things to an even greater level. But it wouldn’t be a Jonathan Blow project if there weren’t additional layers of intricacy.
Things get really spicy when Order of the Sinking Star starts mashing those worlds together. Now, the classes that had specific abilities start to work in a world with mirrors, or the light beams that create pathways intermix with the puzzles involving skipping stones. It’s the type of crossover that only a madman like Blow would consider, and for fans of his work, they wouldn’t expect anything less.
It’s hard to define Order of the Sinking Star in just a few words. The presentation felt like it only scratched the surface of the game, which, by the way, also has an overarching narrative and an endgame. For a developer who is known for his ability to push players’ critical thinking skills, Blow isn’t playing it safe with Order of the Sinking Star.
When my presentation concluded, and I was free to ask any questions, I didn’t know where to start. For someone who has built a reputation on challenging our brains, it feels like Jonathan Blow has cooked up another work of genius. It might not look it at first blush, but you can tell there is a thoughtfulness to Order of the Sinking Star that is built on slowly teaching players the rules of these worlds.
I asked Blow if there were multiple solutions to the puzzles, and while there are sometimes different ways players can tackle a puzzle, he says that he isn’t looking to trick players. He wants them to understand what is and isn’t possible within a given puzzle, teach them how to solve those puzzles, and then stack new challenges on top of what’s been previously taught.
With a 2026 release window, there are going to be more opportunities to dig into what makes Order of the Sinking Star unique, but for a first look, this still feels like something special. In talking to him, Jonathan Blow makes it clear that he isn’t interested in stumping the player, even if the latter portions of his games will put your thinking power to the test. I only saw a little piece of Order of the Sinking Star, but if my brief introduction is any indication, you'd better start stocking up on notebooks now.