Order of the Sinking Star review: Braid creator's huge puzzle game
Jonathan Blow's new game with more than 1,000 block-pushing puzzles wins over critics: an OpenCritic average of 83 and 8/10 from GameSpot. The thin story and sheer size draw criticism.
Photo: Official GDC / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · PlayStation · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: OpenCritic 83 · GameSpot 8/10
- Platforms
- PS5 · Switch 2 · PC
- Studio
- Thekla
- Release
- 08.10.2026
+ Pros
- Many clever mechanics keep block-pushing fresh
- Clean puzzle design that teaches its rules well
- Generous undo feature cuts down frustration
- More than 1,000 puzzles – enormous scope
– Cons
- Thin, unengaging story
- At times an overwhelming number of rules
- Size sometimes feels like an end in itself
- Often only one solution accepted
Critics' verdict
A demanding, inventive puzzle giant for genre fans: most critics are impressed, but fault the story and the sheer size.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
Order of the Sinking Star has been available for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC since 8 October. The puzzle game was developed by Thekla, the studio of Braid and The Witness creator Jonathan Blow, and is published by Arc Games. When it was announced at The Game Awards in December 2025, the project had been in development for almost ten years. Viewed from above, players push blocks around a grid; according to the developer, more than 1,000 puzzles await in a freely explorable world.
GameSpot awards 8 out of 10 after around 70 hours of play. Four worlds with their own rules – such as mirrors that teleport objects or stones skipping across water – are gradually combined, constantly creating new challenges. The review praises the clean puzzle design and generous undo feature, but criticises the thin story, an at times overwhelming number of rules and a size that sometimes feels like an end in itself.
Nintendo Life also gives it 8/10, calling the game demanding and deep, but notes that often only one solution is accepted – and questions whether it is too hard for broad appeal. Push Square is more critical with 6/10: the puzzles are clever, but the game loses momentum because of its scale, and the characters and dialogue are bland. On OpenCritic, the top critic average stands at 83, with 85 per cent of critics recommending the game.