Thomas Brush

I chat with Jonathan Blow about his 10 year project The Order Of The Sinking Star, and the state of the industry.
► Play Order Of The Sinking Star: https://store.steampowered.com/app/499170/Order_of_the_Sinking_Star/
► Learn how to make a game studio from your bedroom, free: https://www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures
► Wishlist Twisted Tower: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro: Jonathan Blow Returns & Order of the Sinking Star Demo Launch
00:02:45 Course Promo: Full Time Game Dev Summer Sale
00:03:05 Game Overview: 10-Year Development, Custom Engine & Language
00:05:15 Demo Reception: 91% Positive Reviews & Early Reactions
00:06:07 Uncertainty vs Insecurity Before Launch
00:09:14 Why Review Scores Often Improve from Demo to 1.0
00:11:55 Steam NextFest Dynamics & Audience Behavior
00:13:09 The Rise of "Friend Slop" & Trend-Chasing Games
00:15:14 Jonathan Blow's Perspective on Viral Simpler Games
00:21:02 The Health of AAA vs Indie Industry in 2026
00:25:44 Why AAA Games Have Become 18x More Expensive
00:33:32 Feeling Irrelevant After Long Development Cycles
00:38:06 Standing Out as a Creative Developer (The Paradox)
00:44:13 Processing Demo Feedback: Optimization, Controls & Story
00:54:26 Live-Recorded Soundtrack & Final Polish
01:00:02 Closing Thoughts & Where to Play the Demo

Is The Indie Game Industry Broken? (w/ Jonathan Blow) — Ep 70

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