Order of the Sinking Star Breaks Steam Record After Nearly 10 Years in Development

Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid and The Witness, has returned with Order of the Sinking Star, a new puzzle adventure that has already surpassed his previous games in peak concurrent players on Steam.

Released on October 8, 2026, the game reached 8,247 simultaneous players on October 11, setting a new personal record for the developer after nearly a decade of development.

Order of the Sinking Star Surpasses The Witness and Braid

According to SteamDB, Order of the Sinking Star reached a peak of 8,247 concurrent players, exceeding the records of Blow's earlier titles.

For comparison, The Witness peaked at approximately 6,185 players, while the original Braid recorded 947 and Braid: Anniversary Edition reached 570. Together, those three games had a combined peak of 7,702 players, fewer than Blow's latest release achieved on its own.

The game also received a strong response from Steam users, with approximately 97% positive reviews shortly after launch.

A New Puzzle Adventure From Jonathan Blow

Developed by Thekla, Inc., Order of the Sinking Star features more than 1,400 puzzles alongside a story exploring emotional and philosophical themes.

Players explore a mysterious world, solve interconnected challenges, and discover characters with different abilities that influence how puzzles are approached.

The game is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Its early Steam performance marks a notable milestone for Jonathan Blow, whose previous releases helped establish his reputation for challenging puzzle games.

Sources: IXBT Games | SteamDB