Jonathan Blow Responds to Order of the Sinking Star Credits Controversy and Reveals Release Date

The autumn gaming lineup just became considerably more crowded. Thekla Inc., the studio behind the critically acclaimed The Witness, has officially scheduled Order of the Sinking Star for launch on October 8. The monumental puzzle experience is slated for Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Conceived and directed by Jonathan Blow (famed for Braid), Order of the Sinking Star presents an intricate web of interconnected conundrums. Drawing fundamental inspiration from classical “Sokoban” box-shifting mechanics found in indie titles like Mirror Isles, Heroes of Sokoban, and Promesst, the venture is staggeringly massive—Blow previously estimated that fully solving every challenge could demand upward of 500 hours.

Despite that intimidating runtime, players need not feel overwhelmed. In a recent preview breakdown, Blow detailed the tri-layered architecture underpinning the design. The introductory phase—reminiscent of the playable Steam Next Fest slice—initiates players into core concepts. Much like The Witness, it patiently teaches rules: manipulating heavy stones, traversing reflective mirrors, and building stone paths, gradually establishing the visual syntax required down the road.

The intermediate layer ramps up complexity, challenging players to synthesize these isolated rules into cohesive solutions. This stage introduces structured progression milestones, requiring specific chambers across the map to be solved before opening the path toward a primary conclusion. While a hyper-advanced endgame awaits the most dedicated problem-solvers, players intimidated by the 500-hour metric can reach a definitive, satisfying finale without needing to exhaustively solve all 1,000+ puzzles.

While gameplay nuances remain carefully guarded, the developer has also addressed background scrutiny concerning the game’s attribution. Since its initial reveal, the project has faced outside discussion, with some designers whose earlier concepts inspired the title—such as Mirror Isles creator Alan Hazelden—distancing themselves due to Blow’s controversial public statements in recent years.

Questions flared up further when reporting from Game File highlighted that certain attribution markers present in earlier preview builds were missing from subsequent public demos. Addressing the issue, Blow clarified that earlier observations were based on placeholder builds and reaffirmed that attribution remains an essential element of the design. Much like the unconventional delivery in his prior works, the credits sequence is deliberately integrated into the game through a unique presentation method.

Representatives for the project subsequently verified that all contributors, including the authors of the licensed indie concepts integrated into the game, will receive full acknowledgment in-game, within official press documentation, and on archival databases like MobyGames.

Order of the Sinking Star officially arrives on PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 8.

Source: Polygon