Order of the Sinking Star: what to know before its October 8 launch

Nearly a decade after The Witness, Jonathan Blow (Braid) returns with Order of the Sinking Star, a puzzle adventure developed by his studio Thekla. It launches on Thursday, October 8, 2026 (Friday the 9th in some regions) on PC via Steam, where it is Steam Deck Verified, and on PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. It costs $29.99. Bundles at 10% off pair it with Mewgenics, Animal Well or its original soundtrack.

Four worlds, one map

The studio promises over 1,000 handcrafted puzzles and dozens of distinct mechanics. Everything starts from a central overworld, with four paths heading toward the cardinal directions. Each has its own heroes and rules:

• the North: a fantasy moving company (Warrior, Thief, Wizard, Bard, Cleric, Druid), each member able to push, pull or teleport;
• the East: a Trader crossing an archipelago where magic mirrors swap him and objects with their reflections;
• the West: a cave Explorer who channels colored light beams to phase through walls or smash boulders;
• the South: a marooned Sailor who hops from island to island by skipping giant stones and rerouting rivers.

Stuck on a puzzle? You can switch paths at any time.

When worlds collide

The game starts as an anthology, then everything blends together. Clearing "Gold Rooms" bridges two worlds and opens six large hybrid areas: the Explorer's light beams meet the Trader's mirrors, the moving crew meets the Sailor's stones… The story follows the same logic: no cutscenes, but crossing character arcs, hidden audio logs and a Queen's backstory to piece together. Emily O'Brien (Death Stranding) voices her, alongside Liam O'Brien, Darin De Paul and Anjali Bhimani.

What the press says

Early previews focus on the game's scale. Gamereactor calls it "simply huge": after many hours, the writer still hadn't grasped every element. They note there are multiple endings that don't require solving every puzzle, but wonder whether some players will burn out. CGMagazine finds it "unapologetically niche, which might be precisely why it seems so compelling". In the same preview, Jonathan Blow explains that the hardest puzzles, "maybe harder than anything in The Witness", are optional.

If you want to go in blind: press and creator reviews go live on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:00 a.m. PT (3:00 p.m. CEST).