Jonathan Blow Works on New Puzzle Game for Ten Years

American game developer Jonathan Blow has been working on a new puzzle game for ten years with a small team, which he claims is "the biggest puzzle game ever made". The project's sheer scale and complexity have taken a decade to complete.

Blow is known as one of the pioneers of the indie game movement, having created Braid in 2008, a puzzle-platformer that redefined its genre. His latest game, The Order of the Sinking Star, has a staggering number of puzzles - roughly 1,500 - which he estimates could take around 500 hours to complete.

The game's design approach is quite different from what might be considered practical or commercially viable. Blow admits to making "bad business decisions by prioritizing the game's creative vision over commercial considerations.

The game's mechanics draw on existing puzzle concepts, but with a unique twist. Four pre-existing free puzzle games have been used as inspiration for The Order of the Sinking Star, and their ideas are being combined in innovative ways. These include swapping places across islands using mirror reflections, based on the 2014 game Mirror Isles by Alan Hazelden.

Blow's approach to game design is centered around experimentation and pushing boundaries, rather than prioritizing commercial success or practicality.

The experimental approach to game design taken by Jonathan Blow has led to some unexpected interactions between his games and others. For instance, when combined with Hazelden's free game Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes, players can create new puzzle opportunities that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

Players throw stones into water in Skipping Stones to Lonely Homes, creating paths that don't exist in Braid. However, when these two games are played together, the rules of each game suddenly give way to brand-new puzzle possibilities. This is an example of how Blow's approach can lead to innovative interactions between different games.

Blow has spoken about the changing culture within the gaming industry, where developers are increasingly prioritizing commercial success over innovation. He believes that this shift in focus has led to a decline in experimentation and pushing boundaries in game design. As the industry grows, so does the pressure on developers to produce commercially viable products.

The outspoken designer's views have not gone unchallenged, however. Hazelden publicly distanced himself from Blow in December 2025, citing disagreements over diversity efforts and politics. The controversy has sparked debate about the role of personal opinions in game development, with some arguing that they can impact a developer's ability to create inclusive experiences.

Blow remains skeptical about the use of AI in game design, despite recognizing its potential as an interesting technology". He emphasizes the importance of focusing on creating good games rather than getting bogged down in arguments over politics or personal opinions.

The tech industry often touts the benefits of using artificial intelligence in game development, but Jonathan Blow is skeptical about its value. He questions whether relying too heavily on AI actually leads to increased productivity, pointing out that if a developer claims to be ten times more productive over three years, they should have accomplished an equivalent amount of work.

Blow's concerns extend beyond the creative process to the broader implications for the industry as a whole. He believes that the increasing reliance on AI in game development poses a threat to the availability of skilled programmers in the future. If AI is unable to fully replace human programmers, there may not be enough qualified individuals to create engaging and innovative games.

Blow's commitment to creating his own programming language and engine for The Order of the Sinking Star reflects his dedication to maintaining control over every aspect of game development. By building Jai from scratch, he was able to tailor it to meet the specific needs of his project. This approach also allowed him to integrate a custom engine that packed all necessary components into one place.

A custom-built engine is not a common choice for developers, who often opt for pre-built solutions like Unity or Unreal Engine instead. These engines provide a more straightforward and efficient way to create games, but they may also limit the level of control and customization available to developers. By choosing to build his own engine, Blow was able to push the boundaries of what is possible in game development.

The decision to create Jai and its accompanying engine represents just one example of Blow's willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and push the limits of what is possible in game development. His commitment to doing things differently has resulted in a truly unique gaming experience that sets The Order of the Sinking Star apart from other titles in the genre.

Creating his own game engine allowed Blow to tailor it specifically to his needs and vision for The Order of the Sinking Star.

This bespoke approach is a major factor in why the project has taken ten years to complete, despite starting as a relatively simple design experiment.

The challenges were compounded by Blow's decision to tackle multiple complex elements simultaneously, making the development process even more daunting.