Key information
Jonathan Blow has released Order of the Sinking Star, a new puzzle game described as a game design supercollider. The title integrates concepts from four existing freeware puzzlers, including Jonah Ostroff's Heroes of Sokoban and Alan Hazelden's Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes and Mirror Isles, alongside a version of Sean Barrett's Promestt.
Mechanics vary by mode, featuring D&D-style characters with unique abilities like pushing multiple blocks or teleporting. Other challenges involve bouncing rocks to create paths, reflecting objects to traverse gaps, or manipulating light beams to push, destroy, or pass through obstacles. The game eventually forces players to combine these distinct styles, such as using mirror-pushing mechanics to defeat enemies.
The reviewer notes that while the game initially felt different from the first-person perspective of The Witness, the shift to a top-down, puzzle-book style became engaging due to its narrative elements. The critic praised the game for feeling fresh rather than attempting to replicate previous successes, noting that even the most difficult puzzles never prompted a desire for external assistance.
The game contains 920 solve counts, with the total number of individual puzzles reaching into the thousands. It is designed to be a cozy experience, with the reviewer expecting to continue playing well past 2026.
