The ‘biggest puzzle game ever’ is being released – its creator explains why it took 10 years

Developer Jonathan Blow is releasing 'The Order of the Sinking Star,' a massive puzzle game featuring 1,500 puzzles that could take 500 hours to complete. The project emphasizes experimental design over traditional business logic, building on mechanics from existing indie titles.
Why it matters
It showcases the tension between artistic vision and commercial viability in the independent gaming industry.
Image source, Thekla, Inc., Arc Games By Laura Cress Technology reporter Published 43 minutes ago For ten years, Jonathan Blow has been working with a small team on what he believes is "the biggest puzzle game ever made".
The American developer is renowned as one of the fathers of the modern indie game movement, creating the genre-defining puzzle-platformer Braid in 2008.
Now, a decade on from his last project, The Witness, The Order of the Sinking Star is due to be released on Thursday - a game with roughly 1,500 puzzles that he estimates could take around 500 hours to complete.
So why make something the majority of players may never get even halfway through, let alone finish?
Image source, Thekla, Inc., Arc Games "Some people decide what to make based on what's practical or what makes business sense," Blow says. "It's never been the way that I think."
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