Order of the Sinking Star, the massive puzzle adventure from Jonathan Blow — the award-winning designer behind The Witness and Braid — has been officially confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam, both launching later in 2026. The announcement comes from Arc Games and Thekla, Inc., and is accompanied by an overview trailer showcasing the game’s scale: over one thousand hand-crafted puzzles, four distinct interlocking worlds, and a narrative that evolves as characters and mechanics from different areas begin to collide.
Blow’s previous work, The Witness, set a bar for puzzle design that the genre still measures against — a dense, thought-provoking open island full of interconnected panel puzzles that rewarded patience and lateral thinking above all else. Order of the Sinking Star appears to expand that philosophy significantly in scope, adding distinct playable characters, evolving mechanics across worlds, and an explicit narrative thread rather than The Witness’s more ambient storytelling approach. Four worlds, each with its own rules, characters, and secrets, eventually merge — with the puzzle systems themselves intertwining as the worlds converge.
What Order of the Sinking Star Is
Players are transported to a realm of magic, dangerous contraptions, and monsters, exploring four expansive worlds at their own pace. The roster of playable characters includes a queen, a thief, a warrior, a wizard, and — in what may be the strongest single sentence in the press release — a talking boat. Each character has complementary abilities and individual story threads that converge as the game’s worlds begin to merge. Narrative delivery comes through both gameplay and collectible notes, with the mystery of the Order itself piecing together over the course of the full experience.
Why Switch 2 Makes Sense for This Game
The Nintendo Switch 2 platform announcement is the notable news hook here — it’s the first Switch 2 title Arc Games has committed to, and the match between the game’s design and the hardware feels genuinely considered. Blow addressed it directly in the announcement, noting that the game’s sheer size and puzzle volume makes portable play particularly valuable — sessions can be as short or as long as the player wants, and Switch 2’s instant-resume functionality means picking up exactly where you left off is seamless.
Key Features at a Glance
Order of the Sinking Star — Confirmed Features
No specific launch date beyond 2026 has been confirmed. More information is expected in the months ahead. The Steam page is live now for wishlisting, and the game has Steam Deck support confirmed alongside the Switch 2 release.