Order of the Sinking Star is Jonathan Blow’s enormous grid-based puzzle game, built around four distinct mechanics that eventually intersect. In a preview interview published December 11, 2025, Blow estimated that the game contains around 1,400 individual puzzles, with completionists potentially spending 400 to 500 hours on it. Those are developer estimates reported before release, not measured results from the finished game.
What is Order of the Sinking Star?
Order of the Sinking Star is a large-scale puzzle adventure based on navigating a two-dimensional square grid. Its design starts with separate regions, each introducing a different way to change movement or the space around the player. The regions later connect, allowing puzzles to combine rules that were first learned apart.
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That progression is central to the game’s scale: rather than simply repeating one puzzle format across a large map, the design builds toward combinations of mechanics. Blow described the result as a “combinatoric explosion,” in an interview with Kyle Orland for Ars Technica published December 11, 2025.
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How many puzzles are in the game, and how long might it take?
Blow estimated that Order of the Sinking Star has around 1,400 individual puzzles. He also estimated eight to 40 hours for the more linear opening portion, about 60 to 100 hours to reach the first ending, and 400 to 500 hours for completionists. These ranges reflect his estimates in the December 2025 interview; they are not guaranteed playtimes, and the interview does not establish independently measured completion data.
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The wide ranges reflect differences in puzzle-solving experience and how much optional or endgame content a player pursues. The first ending is not the same milestone as completing everything: Blow said additional endgame content remains beyond it.
What are the four puzzle mechanics?
The preview describes four variations on the game’s square-grid movement. It does not provide difficulty ratings or separate completion-time estimates for each system.
| Mechanic | What changes |
|---|---|
| Block manipulation | Blocks can be moved as part of solving a route or spatial problem. |
| Mirrors | Mirrors can teleport or clone the player, changing where movement leads or how the player occupies the puzzle space. |
| Stepping stones | Stepping stones alter the route available across a puzzle. |
| Exoskeleton and movable beam | An exoskeleton is affected by a beam that the player can move. |
The available description does not disclose every rule or solution. What it does establish is the structure: mechanics appear in distinct regions before later puzzles bring them together. That makes previously learned rules building blocks for more complex challenges, rather than isolated gimmicks.
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Why did development take nine years?
Blow said the project began as a proof of concept for a new game engine and programming language. He initially expected that work to take roughly 18 to 24 months; by the December 2025 interview, development had lasted nine years. He linked the expansion to pursuing a much larger design space than the original plan anticipated, and to the success of The Witness helping provide room for the effort.
“I don’t know why I convinced myself it was going to be a small game,” Blow told Orland. He also explained the escalation in terms of wanting to make the strongest version of the project: “But once we start things, I just want to do the good version of the thing, right? I always make it as good as it can be.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does Blow say the team needs playtesters?
The game’s size has made playtesting especially important. Blow said that he could no longer keep the complete system in his head, so the team needs fresh players to reveal how the design works in practice. “We have to playtest it because it doesn’t fit in my brain all at once, you know?” he said.
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He described this as a shift from his approach on earlier games, where he had not favored much playtesting. That is his account of the team’s process, not a claim that playtesting alone guarantees the game’s balance or quality.
What is confirmed about its release?
The Ars Technica preview described a planned 2026 release, but the interview did not establish a confirmed release date, platforms, editions, storefront listing, or current availability. Those details should be checked against an official current announcement before making a purchase decision.
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