Players can now experience one of the most ambitious puzzle games in development as Order of the Sinking Star launches a brand-new playable demo during Steam Next Fest: June Edition. Available from June 15 through June 22, the demo gives players an extensive look at the upcoming adventure from acclaimed game designer Jonathan Blow, best known for creating the critically acclaimed puzzle classics Braid and The Witness.
Rather than offering a brief teaser, the Order of the Sinking Star demo delivers a substantial slice of the full experience. Players will have access to more than 100 handcrafted puzzles, providing a meaningful introduction to the game’s intricate mechanics, interconnected world design, and overarching mystery. Considering the full release will feature more than 1,000 handcrafted puzzles, the demo represents only a small glimpse of the enormous adventure awaiting players later this year.
Order of the Sinking Star places players in a realm filled with magical forces, dangerous machines, strange creatures, and hidden secrets. The game is built around exploration and discovery, encouraging players to solve puzzles at their own pace while unraveling a larger narrative that spans multiple worlds.
The demo introduces players to the game’s non-linear structure, allowing them to freely travel between a central Overworld and three distinct magical worlds. Each location features its own unique characters, puzzle mechanics, visual style, and challenges. Rather than following a strict path, players can choose where to go and what puzzles to tackle, creating a more open-ended experience that rewards curiosity and experimentation.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the game is how its worlds gradually become interconnected. As players progress, mechanics and puzzle systems begin crossing over between regions, creating increasingly complex challenges that require knowledge gained throughout the adventure. This layered design is expected to become a major focus of the full game as players uncover the deeper mystery surrounding the world’s transformation.
Those who invest time in the demo won’t have to worry about losing their progress. Everything accomplished during the Steam Next Fest demo will carry over to the full game when it launches later this year, allowing players to seamlessly continue their journey.
The demo experience will also continue to grow during the festival. A major content update scheduled for June 19 will introduce additional puzzles and new content that showcases what happens when the separate worlds of Order of the Sinking Star begin colliding. This evolving structure gives returning players even more reasons to revisit the demo before Steam Next Fest concludes.
Players looking for flexibility can also experience the demo through NVIDIA GeForce NOW, allowing the game to be streamed across a variety of devices. In addition, the demo currently runs smoothly on Steam Deck, although official Steam Deck Verification for the full release is still pending. Developer Thekla, Inc. says optimization efforts will continue throughout development with the goal of achieving Steam Deck Verified status by launch.
This huge game has been the most ambitious project of my career. The demo gives a taste of the full game, offering players a sense of its scale and depth of design. After working on this thing for 10 years, I am very happy that players can finally try it out.
Jonathan Blow, Founder of Thekla, Inc. and award-winning game designer behind Braid and The Witness
Order of the Sinking Star has been in development for a decade and represents Blow’s first major project since the release of The Witness. The game combines puzzle-solving, exploration, storytelling, and interconnected gameplay systems into what appears to be one of the largest puzzle-focused adventures ever created.
The Steam Next Fest demo is available globally now and will remain accessible until June 22 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Players interested in tackling its challenging puzzles can download the demo today and begin exploring the mysteries hidden within its ever-changing worlds.
Order of the Sinking Star is scheduled to launch later this year for PC and Nintendo Switch 2.