A fantasy library can be filled with warm light and towering shelves, but players still need to see where they can move. That balance shaped the art of Order of the Sinking Star, Thekla's expansive puzzle adventure.
In a November 3 interview with Creative Bloq, director Jonathan Blow and art lead Ethan Scheu describe the work of keeping grids and interactive elements readable across the game's detailed environments.
Making the playable area stand out
Scheu says the team used differences in lighting, colour, value and scale to emphasize the play area and essential puzzle elements. The goal was to make the grid and interactive objects understandable without letting the background compete for attention.
A second puzzle scene uses a tiled floor and vivid markers inside an ornate hall.
Project: Order of the Sinking Star
Production: Thekla, Inc.
© 2026 Thekla, Inc. Published by Arc Games. Separate editorial reuse permission unconfirmed.
Blow describes several kinds of spaces the visual approach had to accommodate: open areas against a backdrop, islands and cliffs, and irregular paths that define where players can move. Each presents a different relationship between the puzzle and its surroundings.
A shared language for four worlds
The game's four worlds have distinct geography and cultural influences, but Scheu says they share guiding principles of style and construction. Artists used a common library of assets and materials, a modular approach and regular feedback to keep the many levels coherent.
Individual artists could still bring different instincts to the work, provided those core principles remained intact. Scheu says the team also uses designer notes and player feedback after launch to address confusing visual choices.
Thekla's official site describes more than 1,000 handcrafted puzzles across four worlds. The game launched on October 8 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
Comments