Understanding Order of the Sinking Star Budget and Development Scale

Development Background and Technical Foundation

Order of the Sinking Star represents the third major project directed by Jonathan Blow, following Braid and The Witness. The project, developed by Thekla, Inc., is notable for its extensive 10-year development cycle. A primary technical driver for this duration was the studio's decision to build a custom game engine from the ground up, utilizing a bespoke programming language developed in-house.

According to studio insights, the team moved away from C++—which was used for The Witness—because of dissatisfaction with the language's development experience. The new, proprietary language allows the team to iterate faster. Thekla, Inc. has publicly expressed intentions to release this engine and programming language for free following the game’s launch, aiming to contribute these tools to the broader development community.

Puzzle Mechanics and Gameplay Scope

The game centers on a grid-based structure, combining four distinct sets of mechanics inspired by the Sokoban genre. Contributors to the level design include notable puzzle game creators such as Alan Hazelden, Sean Barrett, and Jonah Ostroff.

The scope of the content is significant:

• Puzzle Count: While initial reveal trailers suggested over 1,000 puzzles, director Jonathan Blow later confirmed the final count exceeds 1,400.
• Playtime: Estimates suggest a standard completion path takes approximately 250 hours, with a full completionist run potentially exceeding 500 hours.
• Complexity: The game transitions from 2D plane puzzles to 3D environments, utilizing mechanics like mirror-based cloning to create complex, multi-layered challenges.

Economic and Industry Perspective

Discussions surrounding the game's "budget" often stem from its long development time and the ambition of its design. Industry observers have noted that the decade of R&D—including the creation of a custom engine and language—suggests a resource-heavy production cycle that deviates from typical independent project models.

While specific financial figures remain unverified, the sheer scale of the project, combined with the involvement of a veteran development team and high-profile publishing partnerships (including Arc Games and Playism for regional console releases), underscores its position as a major title in the puzzle genre. The game has been frequently compared to massive-scale titles in other genres, with Blow himself acknowledging that it could be viewed as the "Elden Ring of puzzle games" due to its sheer size and depth.

Community Reception and Credits

The development phase was marked by public discourse regarding the game's credits. In late 2025, several contributing puzzle designers expressed dissatisfaction with Blow’s public comments on social media, leading to discussions about the recognition of external contributors.

• Credit Transparency: Following community feedback regarding the initial demo, the studio confirmed that all contributors would be formally acknowledged in the full game’s credits and in information provided to databases like MobyGames.
• Platform Availability: The game launched on October 8, 2026, for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. Players can find the official store page at the Order of the Sinking Star Steam page.

Tip

If you are interested in the technical side of the game, watch for the studio’s planned public release of their custom engine and programming language, as they have indicated these will be made available for free to other developers.