Jonathan Blow

Jonathan Blow

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Designer/programmer (Braid, The Witness); posts on engines, language design, and gameplay systems.

Can Gaming Industry Reclaim Its 2012 Peak?
SocialMay 8, 2026

Can Gaming Industry Reclaim Its 2012 Peak?

Peak video game industry was probably around 2012. Is it possible to ever get back there?

By Jonathan Blow
Modern Serif‑Style Chinese Fonts Replace Cheesy Options
SocialMay 7, 2026

Modern Serif‑Style Chinese Fonts Replace Cheesy Options

Readers of Simplified Chinese: we are choosing fonts for the subtitles of our new game. If our English font has serifs, what is a good equivalent Simplified Chinese font? Back in The Witness days, people thought the serif fonts we...

By Jonathan Blow
Weird Usernames Lower Chances for Compiler Beta Entry
SocialApr 4, 2026

Weird Usernames Lower Chances for Compiler Beta Entry

There are many requests to get into the compiler beta. And sometimes I am very busy, so it's a while before I add new people (this time, it's been 5 weeks). Just as a public service announcement though, on a day...

By Jonathan Blow
Looking for Game UI Prompt Icons Beyond Minimal Monochrome
SocialMar 27, 2026

Looking for Game UI Prompt Icons Beyond Minimal Monochrome

It’s time to design the real control prompt icons for Order of the Sinking Star. Many games have gravitated to this minimal monochrome style (like the Visual Studio icons etc) and I don’t much like this. Does anyone have favorite examples of...

By Jonathan Blow
Live Stream Launch: Debunking Simulation Hypothesis on Saturdays
SocialMar 26, 2026

Live Stream Launch: Debunking Simulation Hypothesis on Saturdays

As someone who programs game ("simulation") engines, I have a long-term project where I want to explain why the "simulation hypothesis" is nonsense in like 5 different ways (while pointing toward what a sensical version would look like). So this Saturday...

By Jonathan Blow
Read
SocialMar 24, 2026

Read

Anyone who thinks this Weir is "like 70% math equations" should read the Orthogonal trilogy. Then they will know where things really stand. https://t.co/9gN0sEE1VX

By Jonathan Blow
LLMs Safe in Code, Dangerous when Controlling Robots
SocialMar 17, 2026

LLMs Safe in Code, Dangerous when Controlling Robots

Theory: We don't let LLMs control robots and operate freely in the physical world (yet?) because they'd fall all the time, break everything, and cause massive damage. But in software the falling and the massive damage are invisible, so it's fine. https://t.co/HMltzq20lp

By Jonathan Blow
Plan to Open‑Source Game Servers Before Shutdown
SocialMar 3, 2026

Plan to Open‑Source Game Servers Before Shutdown

Normalize Open-Sourcing Servers for Multiplayer Games That Get Shut Down (Yes there are frictions and problems with this, but if you want your game to live on in history, plan for these problems in advance and minimize them) https://t.co/TZXrShYJEP

By Jonathan Blow
Preparing to Share Lessons on Surviving Long Projects
SocialFeb 20, 2026

Preparing to Share Lessons on Surviving Long Projects

It’s been a long time since I did a non-technical speech. After this game ships I’ll do a talk called Surviving Long Projects. It will be good and useful. (Not sure if there will be a suitable conference or I will do...

By Jonathan Blow
Silent Stamina Depletion Removes Player Control Unnoticed
SocialFeb 18, 2026

Silent Stamina Depletion Removes Player Control Unnoticed

Stamina Bar that silently goes empty so that you cannot dodge/jump/roll at all, and there is no audiovisual feedback about this change of state. (i.e. almost all games with a stamina bar) https://t.co/JFj7VMPgc8

By Jonathan Blow
ThinkPad X1 Beats Gamer Laptops for Game Development
SocialFeb 18, 2026

ThinkPad X1 Beats Gamer Laptops for Game Development

I have been using a Thinkpad X1 for almost a year, and it hasn't fallen apart yet, unlike the "gamer-class" laptops of the past few years that fall apart hardware-wise, and never even get to a working state software-wise. Though this...

By Jonathan Blow
Surprise Game Appears on Brand‑new Switch 2
SocialFeb 14, 2026

Surprise Game Appears on Brand‑new Switch 2

Hey everybody, guess what just showed up on the shiny new Switch 2 video game system? https://t.co/B4LVWiDEcu

By Jonathan Blow