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About Order of the Sinking Star
Order of the Sinking Star, created by Jonathan Blow, presents a massive puzzle adventure with more than one thousand hand‑crafted puzzles. The game places you in a realm of curious magic, dangerous contraptions, and vicious monsters across four distinct worlds.
Each world introduces its own mechanics, characters, and stories, and as the worlds merge the puzzle systems intertwine, offering new gameplay possibilities. The single‑player experience lets you explore at your own pace, revisit areas, and uncover the deep mysteries of the interconnected world.
01 / THE GUIDE
Four Distinct Worlds
The adventure spans four mysterious worlds, each defined by unique rules, dangers, and secrets. Early exploration reveals the individual character sets and puzzle mechanics that belong to each world.
As you progress, the worlds begin to intersect, causing characters and mechanics from separate realms to overlap. This collision creates fresh puzzle configurations that encourage revisiting earlier locations to see how new elements affect old challenges.
- Track which mechanics belong to each world; later overlaps become clearer when you know the source.
- After unlocking a new character, return to previous worlds to test how their abilities interact with existing puzzles.
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Unique Playable Characters
A queen, a thief, a warrior, a wizard, and a talking boat are among the heroes you can control. Each hero carries complementary abilities and a personal storyline that unfolds as you progress.
When characters meet, their abilities can be combined, expanding the range of solutions for puzzles. The narrative ties these meetings to the broader mystery, giving context to the evolving gameplay.
- Observe how each character’s story hints at their special powers; clues appear through gameplay and the notes you collect.
- Experiment with pairing characters whose abilities naturally complement each other for complex puzzles.
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Evolving Puzzle Mechanics
Every puzzle builds on the previous one, introducing fresh mechanics that reward curiosity and persistence. Dozens of systems are woven together, forming a layered puzzle landscape that grows in complexity.
The design draws from a “game design supercollider” that merges ideas from several earlier puzzle titles. This approach produces intricate challenges that evolve as new mechanics are learned and re‑applied.
- Take brief notes when a new mechanic appears; they often reappear later in altered forms.
- Try unconventional uses of a mechanic soon after learning it; hidden solutions may rely on creative applications.
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Design Foundations
Development has been underway for nearly a decade since The Witness, aiming to push puzzle design beyond traditional limits. The team combined concepts from four earlier titles, calling the result a “game design supercollider.”
Additional contributions came from designers of Enigmash, Patrick's Parabox, Miegakure, and from Twitch followers over the years, enriching the puzzle ecosystem with diverse ideas.
- When you recognize a mechanic, consider which foundational title it may reference; this can clarify its intended behavior.
- Look for subtle design signatures from contributing designers, as they often hint at solution pathways.
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Platform and Support Features
Order of the Sinking Star runs on Windows and includes full controller support, covering DualShock and DualSense devices. Steam features such as Achievements, Cloud saves, and Family Sharing are also listed.
These features provide accessibility options and allow progress to be stored online, while the single‑player focus lets you explore without multiplayer constraints.
- Enable Steam Cloud in the client to keep your puzzle progress synchronized across installations.
- If you prefer a gamepad, connect a DualShock or DualSense controller to take advantage of the full controller support.
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