Do you want to spend a long time discovering new uses for a few grid-puzzle rules? The reviews below support that purchase. Do you need frequent story rewards or a short campaign? Their criticisms are a reason to pause, even if the overall scores look strong.
Order of the Sinking Star reviews: what each verdict helps you decide
These four reviews were published October 7, 2026. We keep each outlet’s score and reviewed platform together because a design verdict and a port-performance verdict answer different questions. This is a selected comparison, not an average of every review.
| Reviewer / platform / score | What they value | What could change your decision |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Gaur, Nintendo Life[1] Switch 2 · 8/10 | Simple rules stretched into demanding puzzles. | Difficulty and restricted acceptance of an alternative solution. Suits readers who enjoy being challenged. |
| Stephen Tailby, Push Square[2] PS5 · 6/10 | Thoughtful puzzles and interacting mechanics. | Scale, dialogue and loss of momentum. Useful if you need a strong narrative reason to continue. |
| Noah Kupetsky, SteamDeckHQ[3] PC, tested on Deck · content 9/10 | Variety from evolving puzzle rules. | Can become overwhelming; some Deck hitches. The separate Deck score is 4/5, not the content score. |
| Leo Faria, WayTooManyGames[4] Switch 2 · 7/10 | Inventive puzzles and a large amount to solve. | Launch frame-rate and docked display problems. Check the installed build rather than assuming the score settles performance. |
Buy or wait: separate the puzzle appeal from pacing
If Sokoban is the attraction, the evidence is encouraging. Nintendo Life and SteamDeckHQ both describe simple mechanics developing into a substantial challenge. Our recommendation is to buy for that activity itself, rather than for a promised number of hours.
If you are coming from Braid or The Witness, check what you liked about those games. Jonathan Blow’s involvement does not make this the same kind of experience. Push Square’s criticism concerns motivation and dialogue even while praising the puzzles. If story discovery kept you playing the earlier games, that disagreement matters more than an aggregate rating.
If Switch 2 is your only option, separate patience with puzzles from patience with a port. WayTooManyGames reports technical problems at launch, while Nintendo Life reaches a positive design verdict. We have not established that a current console patch resolves the reported issues. See the platform evidence before deciding.
How long is Order of the Sinking Star?
We do not have a verified typical completion time. The Steam description, checked October 15, 2026[5] advertises over 1,000 puzzles and hundreds of hours of gameplay. That describes scale; it does not separate reaching Endgame from clearing optional content, or establish an average player’s time.
For a buying decision, choose the stopping point first: sampling the four initial worlds, reaching the later progression milestone, or attempting everything. Our progression table distinguishes those stages without giving puzzle answers. A video’s duration, an individual player’s hours and a campaign completion estimate each measure something different.
If you need a short game with a predictable finish this week, the evidence here cannot give you that assurance. If you enjoy returning to difficult grid puzzles over many sessions, the scale may be an advantage. Treat exact 250- or 500-hour claims cautiously unless the source explains its completion scope and method.
Steam reviews and Metacritic: read the labels
On October 14, the Steam store page[5] displayed 97% positive from 1,829 reviews and an 83 Metacritic badge. The latter is the badge shown by Steam; we could not directly verify the current platform breakdown on Metacritic.
A positive-review percentage is not a score out of 100. Steam users, individual critics and Metacritic aggregates are different groups and scales. Do not average 97%, 83 and the review scores above to invent an overall verdict. The review details tell you whether the disagreements concern your priorities.
Common questions
Is this a hands-on review?
No. This site compares named reviewers’ findings and draws conditional buying advice. We have not played the game for this site and do not assign our own rating.
Does a high rating mean it is a relaxed, easy puzzle game?
No. The positive reviews still describe substantial challenge. Read our starting route to see the structure before committing.
Does the Metacritic badge prove the Switch 2 version runs well?
No. Steam’s badge supplies no measured Switch 2 performance result. Read a report for the platform and mode you intend to use.
Order of the Sinking Star reviews give a clearer decision when you read them by concern: challenge, pacing and platform behavior. Choose the game when the repeated puzzle work sounds rewarding to you.
Sources & verification
New material checked October 15, 2026. Earlier review, achievement and player-report snapshots keep their dates in the guide. This site has not played or retested these answers.
- Ryan Gaur, Nintendo Life (external site, opens in a new tab). Ryan Gaur, October 7 Switch 2 review: design verdict and challenge; no frame-rate benchmark.
- Stephen Tailby, Push Square (external site, opens in a new tab). Stephen Tailby, October 7 PS5 review: puzzle design and pacing criticism. Not a comparative frame-rate test.
- Noah Kupetsky, SteamDeckHQ (external site, opens in a new tab). Noah Kupetsky, October 7 launch review: default settings, Deck performance and separate review scales. Reused October 14 snapshot; current-build performance not tested here.
- Leo Faria, WayTooManyGames (external site, opens in a new tab). Leo Faria, October 7 Switch 2 review: launch performance and docked-display observations; current fix unverified.
- Steam description, checked October 15, 2026 (external site, opens in a new tab). Steam app 499170. Windows requirements and game-scale claims checked October 15; review-count snapshots retain their stated date.