Jonathan Blow, the visionary behind acclaimed titles such as Braid and The Witness, has finally unveiled his long-anticipated project at last year’s Game Awards. Titled Order of the Sinking Star, this ambitious endeavor has been in development for nearly a decade. Blow describes it as a “game design supercollider,” an intricate fusion of four distinct puzzle games, culminating in a vast puzzle chimaera that promises an impressive 500 hours of engaging solving content.
Reflections on the Puzzle Game Landscape
In a recent conversation, I had the opportunity to discuss the current state of puzzle games with Blow, whose name has become synonymous with the genre. I inquired about his perspective on whether the genre is thriving or if it has lost its innovative edge in today’s gaming landscape.
Among the titles that have caught his attention, Blow highlighted Stephen’s Sausage Roll, which he described as “brutally hard and not very accommodating to the player.” Despite its challenging nature, he considers it one of the best puzzle games ever crafted. He also mentioned his experience with Trifolium: The Adventures of Gary Pretzelneck, noting its deceptive simplicity. “It starts out looking like a normal, boring snake game, but it’s actually really interesting,” he remarked.
However, aside from these notable exceptions, it appears that Blow has not encountered many recent titles that have truly impressed him. His discerning eye for innovation in puzzle design continues to set a high bar, leaving fans eager to see how his own creations will shape the future of the genre.
