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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchJonathan Blow’s next major puzzle game after The Witness is Order of the Sinking Star, developed by Thekla. Recent reports give October 8, 2026 as its release date—the date is today. Coverage lists PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch, though those reports do not confirm that every store and region has a live listing or that all versions launched simultaneously.
What is Order of the Sinking Star?
Order of the Sinking Star is a large-scale puzzle adventure built around Sokoban-style block pushing: players move objects across a grid to satisfy each puzzle’s objective. It expands that familiar foundation with multiple worlds, characters, and rule systems, rather than relying on one puzzle language throughout. Push Square describes an explorable world map, varied puzzle types, and levels where mechanics converge; Engadget’s earlier preview describes territories with their own characters, stories, and mechanics.
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That makes the game structurally different from The Witness. The earlier game is known for line-drawing puzzles on panels across an island, while Order of the Sinking Star starts from movable objects and grid-based spatial problems. Both are puzzle adventures, but their basic actions and the way they teach rules are distinct.
When does it release, and what platforms are reported?
Push Square reported that Arc Games and Thekla set the release date for October 8, 2026. 4Gamer’s October 6, 2026 coverage also lists that date and reports PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch. These reports establish the announced date and platform list, not live availability in every storefront or region.
#1 Best Overall
How large is the puzzle adventure?
Push Square and 4Gamer both report more than 1,000 puzzles. 4Gamer additionally reports estimated playtimes of roughly 250 hours for a normal completion and more than 500 hours to solve every puzzle. Those are reported estimates, not independently measured completion times; actual time will depend on a player’s pace and which puzzles they choose to finish.
4Gamer describes four puzzle mechanics that combine over the course of the game. Engadget’s preview offers an earlier glimpse of the design: four territories with different characters and mechanics, including characters with different abilities to move objects. Those descriptions indicate how the systems can vary and overlap, but they should not be mistaken for a complete inventory of the game’s mechanics.
Rank #2
- Order Up: In this frantic tossing, fish flopping, order filling game, it's your team of fish mongers against the clock to fill orders by flipping cards and tossing the electronic fish back and forth.
- Flopping Fish Timer: Keep track of your time in each round with the wobbly fish timer that plays sound and flops around as you throw it between players!
- Fun, Cooperative Play: This cooperative game is perfect for your next family game night or group gathering as you play together to try and beat your score and climb the levels to Master Fishmonger! For 2-6 players ages 8 and up!
- 3 Levels: Once your team has mastered Level 1, there are 2 more levels of play, each with more fish, more orders, and more disruptions to try and beat the clock!
- Easy, Quick Play: With easy-to-follow setup instructions for each level of play, Order Up! Fish Market is quick and fun to play, so you can test your skills again and again to improve your score and try to beat level 3!
How does it differ from The Witness?
| Aspect | Order of the Sinking Star | The Witness |
|---|---|---|
| Core puzzle action | Sokoban-style movement of objects on a grid. | Line-drawing puzzles on panels. |
| Puzzle structure | Multiple rule systems, with mechanics that can converge in levels, set across an explorable world map. | Line puzzles encountered across an island. |
| Scale reported in the cited coverage | More than 1,000 puzzles; 4Gamer estimates roughly 250 hours for a normal completion and over 500 hours for every puzzle. | Not stated in the cited coverage. |
| Story | Blow told 4Gamer that it has more story than Braid or The Witness. The interview is presented in Japanese. | Not compared in the cited coverage. |
The contrast is about design, not quality: the available reporting supports a difference in puzzle grammar and structure, but not a verdict that one game is better.
What is known about its development?
4Gamer reports that Thekla built the game on its own engine, written in Jai, a programming language Jonathan Blow has been developing since 2014. MonsterVine’s interview coverage describes Blow’s view that Jai makes programming more enjoyable, including through faster iteration and useful language features. That technology is one part of the development story, not a complete explanation for the schedule: the reported game also brings together a large number of puzzles and rule systems.
In the 4Gamer interview, Blow also discusses his preference for finding gameplay first so that story does not constrain mechanics. The outlet reports that Order of the Sinking Star has more story than Braid or The Witness; because the interview is presented in Japanese, that characterization is attributed to 4Gamer rather than offered here as a direct English quotation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- FUN and fast-paced board game that will have players strategising and sabotaging. Sinking City can be enjoyed all year round and is a must-have addition to games collections for school summer holidays or cosy winter nights.
- PLAYERS : 2+6 or teams
- AGES: 13+
- CONTENTS: Game Board, Instructions, 1 x Wooden Die, 6 x Playing Pieces, tokens, tiles, cards
- Let the games continue, this product has been designed to keep , please enjoy, replay, and give away for further play
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