Thekla Sets Order of the Sinking Star Release for October 8
The release marks the culmination of a roughly ten-year development cycle that began with a prototype shown at Reboot Develop 2017, making it one of the longest-gestating projects from a prominent puzzle designer.
Key Facts
- Order of the Sinking Star is scheduled for release on October 8, 2026, for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, and PS5.
- The game includes over 1,000 puzzles across four worlds, with dozens of game mechanics.
- A demo is currently available on Steam, and save data can be carried over to the full version.
- The game was first revealed as a prototype at Reboot Develop 2017, about ten years before the release date announcement.
- The Steam version supports Japanese interface and subtitles.
Reporting from 4 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, Game Spark.
Thekla announced on August 18, 2026, that Order of the Sinking Star, the new puzzle adventure by Jonathan Blow, will launch on October 8. The game, which has been in development for about ten years, will be available on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, and PS5. It features over 1,000 puzzles spread across four vast worlds, each with its own mechanics, characters, and story. Players control a queen exploring these worlds, while puzzle stages involve characters such as thieves, warriors, and mages, each with unique abilities. The thief can pull blocks or characters, the warrior can push them, and the mage can swap positions with a block or character. Puzzles incorporate dozens of mechanics that deepen as the game progresses, and some stages require all characters to stand on goal squares. As worlds intersect and characters meet, a mysterious story unfolds. A demo is currently available on Steam, and save data can carry over to the full version. The Steam version supports Japanese interface and subtitles. The game was first revealed as a prototype at Reboot Develop 2017.
- Arc Games is publishing the title, not Thekla itself, and announced it on August 18 alongside a new trailer.
- The release platforms named by 4Gamer.net also include Xbox Series X|S and the original Nintendo Switch, beyond the PC, Switch 2, and PS5 listed elsewhere.
- Thekla's official website reintroduced the puzzle designers who contributed foundational ideas and stage design: Alan Hazelden ("Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes," "Mirror Isles"), Sean Barrett ("Promesst"), Jonah Ostroff ("Heroes of Sokoban"), Zach Polansky ("Enigmash"), Patrick Traynor ("Patrick's Parabox"), and Marc ten Bosch ("Miegakure").
- Denfaminicogamer describes the game as a top-down puzzle adventure built over ten years since "The Witness," with handcrafted puzzles by designers gathered from the industry, offering several hundred hours of play.
- Exploration order and pace are left to the player; getting stuck in one world lets you move to another and continue.
- Special stage gimmicks include mirrors that teleport a character to a point reflected at a 90-degree angle, and monsters that attack adjacent or facing characters.
- Beyond the queen, thief, warrior, and mage, characters include a "talking ship."
- Collectible in-game notes gradually reveal the mystery hidden in the strange world.
- To mark the announcement, Jonathan Blow plans a Twitch stream covering the release date and answering viewer questions.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net 「The Witness」や「Braid」を手掛けたクリエイターによる新作「Order of the Sinking Star」，発売日を10月8日に決定
- Denfaminicogamer 『The Witness』開発者による新作パズルゲーム『Order of the Sinking Star』が10月8日に発売決定。1000個以上ものパズルが収録された広大な世界を舞台に、数百時間楽しめる
- Automaton 『The Witness』開発者が“10年かけた”新作『Order of the Sinking Star』10月8日に満を持して配信へ。広大世界に1000以上の「生きたパズル」が待ち受ける
- Game Spark 『The Witness』『Braid』開発者の10年ぶり新作『Order of the Sinking Star』10月8日配信！1,000超パズルを手作りした狂気