Jonathan Blow's New Puzzle Epic 'Order of the Sinking Star' Priced at 98 Yuan
One of gaming’s most respected puzzle designers is back. Jonathan Blow, the American creator behind Braid and The Witness, has set an October 9 release date for his next project, Order of the Sinking Star, a large-scale puzzle adventure arriving simultaneously on Steam, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. The pricing was revealed this week, and the numbers say a lot about how the global games industry now views China.
On Steam, the game costs 98 yuan in mainland China, 148 Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong and 561 New Taiwan dollars in Taiwan. On the Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 storefronts, only the Hong Kong and Taiwan prices were listed at launch. For context, 98 yuan is roughly 14 US dollars, a modest sum for a game from a designer whose earlier titles are considered landmarks of thoughtful, systems-driven design.
Blow first became famous in 2008 with Braid, an indie platformer that bent time and expectations in equal measure. Eight years later, The Witness placed players on a gorgeous island covered in line puzzles and quietly became one of the most discussed games of its generation. Both titles earned a reputation for trusting players to figure things out without hand-holding, and both found devoted audiences far beyond the English-speaking world, including in China.
Order of the Sinking Star appears to continue that tradition. Details remain deliberately sparse, but it is described as a large-scale puzzle adventure, suggesting a sprawling structure rather than a short, focused experience. Releasing on three platforms at once, including Nintendo’s newest console, signals that Blow and his collaborators are aiming for the widest possible audience this time rather than a slow rollout.
The 98 yuan price point is the detail Chinese players are discussing most. Regional pricing has become a standard tool for publishers hoping to convert interest into purchases in a market where spending power varies widely and where mobile free-to-play games dominate daily play habits. A well-known premium title priced below 100 yuan lands in an attractive zone: affordable enough for curious newcomers, serious enough to signal quality.
That strategy matters because China is now one of the world’s largest markets for PC and console games, and its players have grown increasingly sophisticated. International hits regularly trend on Chinese social platforms within hours of release, and word-of-mouth from Chinese communities can lift a game’s global profile. For a puzzle game that rewards patience and note-taking, that kind of organic discussion is especially valuable.
October 9 will also test a broader question: whether a deliberately cerebral, non-action game can still command attention in a season crowded with big-budget releases. Blow’s track record suggests it can. His fans have waited years for whatever comes next, and the simultaneous launch across PC and consoles means there will be no region left wondering when their turn arrives.
For now, the game’s Steam page is live, wishlists are accumulating, and Chinese players already know exactly what they will pay. If Order of the Sinking Star delivers the kind of intricate, rewarding puzzles its creator is known for, that 98 yuan may end up looking like one of the year’s better bargains.