Jonathan Blow's Order of the Sinking Star Launches October 8, 2026
The Witness creator returns with a massive puzzle adventure featuring over 1,000 handcrafted challenges.
Arc Games and Thekla have announced that Order of the Sinking Star, the latest puzzle adventure from developer Jonathan Blow, will launch on October 8, 2026. The release marks Blow's first major project since 2016, signaling a return to the spotlight for one of the indie industry's most influential designers.
The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PC via Steam—including full Steam Deck support—and the Nintendo Switch 2. The experience features more than 1,000 handcrafted puzzles distributed across four interconnected regions. For those looking to start early, a demo is currently available on Steam; developers have confirmed that all progress made in the demo will carry over to the full game upon release.
A Decade in Development
Order of the Sinking Star has been in development for roughly 10 years, following the 2016 launch of Blow's previous hit, The Witness. This extended production cycle reflects the scale of the project, which Thekla estimates will require hundreds of hours of gameplay for completionists to fully exhaust. The narrative scope is equally ambitious, featuring a diverse cast of characters that includes a queen, a thief, a warrior, a wizard, and a talking boat.
A 'Super-Group' of Design
This launch is viewed as a pivotal moment for the puzzle genre due to the pedigree of the team involved. Beyond Blow's leadership, the project incorporates design contributions from other high-profile puzzle architects, including Marc ten Bosch and Patrick Traynor. This collaborative "super-group" approach suggests a level of mechanical depth and complexity rarely seen in single-developer indie titles. Yoon Im, CEO of Arc Games, described the announcement as a "major moment" for Jonathan Blow and his team, noting that it sets the stage for an exciting year ahead.
What to Watch
As the October 2026 date approaches, the industry will be watching to see how the game's massive puzzle count translates into a cohesive player experience. While the core platforms and release window are locked, further details on the specific narrative connection between the four regions and the role of the game's eccentric cast remain to be fully detailed. For now, the Steam demo serves as the primary window into the game's mechanical direction.