Jonathan Blow's Massive Puzzle Game Order of the Sinking Star Gets a Huge Steam Next Fest Demo
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jonathan Blow and Thekla have released a massive Steam Next Fest demo for Order of the Sinking Star, an open-world puzzle game featuring over 1,000 block-pushing challenges and hundreds of hours of expected content.
Developer Jonathan Blow is finally following up on his modern puzzle classic The Witness with an ambitious new project called Order of the Sinking Star, developed alongside the team at Thekla and Arc Games. While the game has faced some public controversy surrounding Blow's social media presence, the wider development team has built something genuinely remarkable that players can test right now. A massive free demo dropped on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest, offering a slice of gameplay that the creator claims is larger than many full commercial puzzle releases.
At its core, Order of the Sinking Star takes the classic block-pushing Sokoban formula and expands it into an interconnected open world containing over one thousand distinct puzzles. Thekla has integrated mechanics from several licensed indie puzzle games, weaving them into a sprawling structure where players explore freely and tackle challenges in any direction they choose. Early previews from events like Summer Game Fest suggest the scale is staggering, with estimates for total completion stretching into hundreds of hours for dedicated fans of the genre.
Beyond the sheer volume of content, the game layers complexity through distinct characters with unique movement rules, such as pulling objects instead of pushing them, combined with environmental tools like mirrors and light beams. Solving puzzles directly alters the overworld to open new pathways, creating a sense of progression reminiscent of The Witness. You can check out the massive preview build yourself during Steam Next Fest, as detailed in the original report by Polygon.
Polygon's hands-on preview highlights the impressive scope and clever mechanical depth of Jonathan Blow's long-awaited puzzle epic.
Tags: PC Gaming, Steam Next Fest, Puzzle Games, Thekla, Previews
Original article: Polygon