Braid-creator Jonathan Blow on making the 'biggest puzzle game ever'

Jonathan Blow, a pivotal figure in the independent gaming scene, is preparing to launch his most ambitious project to date. After ten years of development, 'Order of the Sinking Star' is scheduled for release this Thursday. Blow, who gained fame for the genre-defining 'Braid' in 2008 and the critically acclaimed 'The Witness,' has spent the last decade crafting what he describes as the biggest puzzle game ever made. With roughly 1,500 individual puzzles, the game is estimated to take players around 500 hours to fully complete, a scale that stands in stark contrast to most modern titles.

When asked about the rationale behind creating a game that many players might never finish, Blow remains characteristically defiant of industry norms. He admits that his approach often defies standard business logic. Instead of focusing on market trends or player retention metrics, Blow allows the design process to dictate the final product. He believes that by prioritizing creative integrity over commercial practicality, he is able to deliver something truly unique to the gaming landscape.

The game is described by its creators as a 'game design supercollider.' It features four distinct worlds viewed from an overhead perspective, each built upon the mechanics of existing free puzzle games. With permission from the original creators, Blow has taken these established systems and combined them to forge entirely new, complex brainteasers. For instance, one world utilizes mechanics inspired by the 2014 game 'Mirror Isles' by Alan Hazelden, forcing players to interact with reflections and spatial logic in ways that feel both familiar and entirely fresh.

This method of 'smashing together' disparate design philosophies is central to Blow's vision. By layering these mechanics, the game creates a dense, interconnected web of challenges. It is an exercise in pure design, where the complexity is not just for show but is a fundamental component of the player's journey. Blow acknowledges that this is a risky endeavor, as the sheer volume of content could be daunting for the average player. However, he remains committed to the idea that the depth of the experience is its own reward.

Ultimately, 'Order of the Sinking Star' represents a culmination of Blow's career-long interest in the mechanics of puzzles. It is a testament to the idea that games can be more than just entertainment; they can be rigorous intellectual challenges. Whether or not the market embraces a 500-hour puzzle game remains to be seen, but for Blow, the success of the project lies in the integrity of the design itself. As the release date approaches, the gaming community watches with anticipation to see if this massive undertaking will redefine the puzzle genre once again.