Order of the Sinking Star, the new puzzle game from Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid and The Witness, sold 45% better than The Witness on Steam in its first week. This does not mean that the developer will earn more.
The game's development took about 10 years, during which the gaming industry changed significantly. Despite a successful launch, it is too early for the author to expect significantly higher revenue.
Blow noted that The Witness cost $40, while Order of the Sinking Star sells for $30 – 25% cheaper, not including bundle discounts and inflation. Therefore, to achieve comparable financial results, the new game needs to sell more copies.
Regardless, it looks like, from a financial perspective, the game is performing at least as well as The Witness, and possibly even a little better in the end, depending on how its future sales unfold.
He also noted that Steam independently promotes well-selling games, which could support future sales.
Blow added:
Thank you all for supporting our game, and I'm glad you're having a good time with it!