Price and Pre-Orders

A lot of people have been asking about the price, so: The price of the game on both Steam and PSN will be $39.99 / €36.99 / £29.99.

A lot of people have been asking about preorders too. Preorders will go live on Steam and the Humble Store (and on this web site) today at noon PST. Unfortunately we won't have preorders on PSN, because apparently developers have to set those up months in advance and we didn't know that!

The preorders are regular price! They contain an amazing bonus pack-in: the warm fuzzy feeling that you have pre-ordered the game. (And that's all). So it's exactly the same as buying the game at launch, except earlier.

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If you buy from the Humble Store, 10% of the price goes to the Against Malaria Foundation. For a lot of us in developed nations, malaria seems like a far-away thing that you only think about when you go on a really adventurous trip, but in many parts of the world it's a serious problem. The good news is that we are making great progress in reducing incidence of malaria, see this report:



The Against Malaria Foundation is rated one of the most cost-effective charities in the world by both Giving What We Can and Givewell, two organizations focused on ensuring that charitable donations do maximum good in the world. Giving What We Can has a good high-level description of the philosophy behind this movement.

130 Comments:

  1. I am so stoked to be finally able to play this game. In addition to purchasing my PS4 for Destiny, your game (and its exclusivity to the console) was one of the driving forces for my justification in picking up the console way back when.

    • Since there are no pre-order bonuses, whatever money you make before January 26 is a direct result of people’s faith in your talent as a game developer. That’s not something the incentives-focused AAA studios could ever claim. I hope you guys are already piling it in :)

    • Not to pop your happiness bubble.
      But the Witness is also on PC.
      I bought it on steam yesterday.

      • Not to be as much of cad as you, but there’s something called context that you must have missed in elementary school english class, as well as punctuation. Hector is saying, in regard to CONSOLES, it is exclusive to the PS4. As in it’s not on Xbox or Nintendo etc… Time to get that G.E.D. thats been holding you back?

        • I laughed out loud at this reply.

        • He says it’s exclusive to PS4, which it isn’t.
          Because it’s also on PC at the moment, so it doesn’t exactly justify buying a PS4, its “console exclusivity” really doesn’t matter.

          • He said that the exclusivity WAS one of the reasons he purchased a PS4 a while ago, back when it still was PS4 exclusive.

          • Jeez dude… Garrison literally just got done explaining it to you, and you go and do the exact thing again. Granted, he may have been a little mean in his explanation, and I may have found it a little hilarious, but it doesn’t make what he said wrong.

            Everyone on here knows that Hector MEANT console exclusivity, except for you apparently. And so rather than let it go, you have to condescendingly correct him on something that wasn’t even incorrect. As a matter of fact, he said “exclusivity to that console”, swap the words around a bit, and you literally have “console exclusivity” as in “it’s not on Xbox or Nintendo etc”.

            As for your second point. “its “console exclusivity” really doesn’t matter.” While I appreciate your belief that it falls on you to tell everyone what should and should not matter to them, there are literally millions of gamers who play on a console everyday who have never touched a gaming PC. To them, which console holds CONSOLE exclusivity to a game that will also be on PC absolutely “really does matter”. I own an XB1 and a PS4, if I hear a game is coming out on XB and PC, in my mind, it is basically and Xbox exclusive.

          • *an XB exclusive

        • @ Mr. Garrison

          MMMMMMM-ONSTER KILLL!!!

  2. So excited! If we preorder the game on Steam, will it be available for predownloading before release, or will we only be able to start downloading after it unlocks?

  3. What a downtime… Somebody mad about the price tag? :D

  4. It’s happening guys \o/
    Still not sure about getting the pre-order irony edition though :)

  5. By release date, do you expect there to be an option to buy the game directly from Thekla, DRM free?

  6. Great, can’t wait to play it!

    Do any of guys know if the game is going to be launched in the 26th at other PSNs besides the american? Brazilian, maybe?

  7. Thanks for all the hard work Thelka. I can’t wait to play!

  8. Back on track.

    Thank you for the humble store option, it’s great. And good luck with the launch and with the steam hub moderation.

  9. Is there any meaning to the string of discoloured pixels in the top-left-hand corner of the picture of the island in this post, or am I seeing ARGs where there are no ARGs?

    P.S. I’ve been waiting for this game to come out for 5 years. Can’t wait. :)

    • Not an ARG! That is a location stamp that we have built into the development version of the game so that we can drag the screenshot into the game to move the camera to that location.

      We just don’t tend to disable it when making screenshots for the public.

      • Hey, that’s pretty neat – although I wasted an hour messing around with it in hex editors and photoshop, thinking it was a lead to another Steam key. Oh well. Thanks for clarifying!

  10. Does anyone know if preordering on Humble Store will allow preloading from Steam with the Steam key they provide? Not that I want to play this game the instant it is released or anything…. ;-)

    Congrats on the upcoming release, Thekla.

  11. I’m really looking forward to this; Braid is my favorite game! Do you know what time it will go up on PSN?

  12. I already bought the game on steam before I knew of the offer in the Humble Store.
    Silly me.

  13. I guess my earlier comment was lost to the ether when the site was up and down. I just wanted to say good luck with the launch and I am super excited to finally get my hands on the game after so many years of following its progress.

    Was there ever a final puzzle tally?

    Congratulations to you, Jon and the entire Thekla team.

  14. the anticipation is killing me

  15. John, did you setup Steam price for Russia manually, or was it brought by Steam automaticly? Because in dollars it’s like *really* cheap. I was ready to spend full price in dollars with currect coversion rate or so, but Steam gived me 5 times less…

  16. Is there any chance of a Mac version any time soon?

    I’m wondering if I should pursue another platform if I want to play it sooner. (Does it work under wineskin?)

  17. Hello.
    Congratulations on releasing and I have one question.
    Does anybody know when the game will be released in Asia?
    -comment from Korea-

    • I mean, PS store of Asia.

      • Yes, does anyone know the release date in ASIAN play stores (South-East Asia specifically)

        • On Steam it will go live at the same time as it does everywhere else in the world.
          On PSN it will be a while if ever. The situation on the PS4 is very complicated and requires a lot of extra things to happen.

          (We would like to get it on PSN in Asia as soon as we can, of course! The problem is it is not really up to us.)

  18. Preorder for PC in, just waiting to buy again on PS4! Good luck with the launch!

  19. Preordered on Chinese steam. Waiting for ps4 version, too. Thanks for your hard work!

  20. Well done everyone, I can’t wait to play this game!

    Any news on supported screen resolutions though as my desktop is 3440 x 1440 and it would be great if the game supports it.

  21. Will the game be available on PS4 as soon as the clock hits midnight on Monday night (technically the first minute of Tuesday)?

  22. Looking at this site, I can’t find a link to Humble Store nor Steam. Shouldn’t the mentions of these words be links? I know I could type “Humble Store” into google, but let’s not give up on HTML standards, OK?

  23. VR support?

    • You can see Jon’s answer to this in a recent post. He said no VR support at launch but they might get it going at some point.

  24. So excited that after all this time, in a mere five days we’ll be able to play this game for ourselves :-)

    Regarding the price, from everything you’ve described it sounds well worth it, to me. And it’s refreshing to see not all games need to subscribe to the false dichotomy of $60 AAA or <$20 indie with nothing in between.

    Here's to a successful launch 1/26!
    ~Paulogy

  25. Humble Bundle page says that we will receive a “DRM-free OR Steam version”.

    Could you clarify this? How to proceed to acquire the DRM-free version?

  26. What are the technical specifications that are need on PC to play this game? I don’t have a PS4 and I don’t know if my computer can handle this game.

    • Scroll down this page to see system requirements: http://store.steampowered.com/app/210970/

      • Thank you! I am still confused though. I am not great with computers and am not sure if my stuff matches the needed requirements. This is my computer’s specs:

        Computer: SONY Vaio
        OS: Windows 7
        Processor: Intel (R) Core (TM) i3 CPU M 350 @ 2.27GHZ
        Memory: 4.00GB (3.67 GB usable)
        Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics
        Direct X: 11
        Storage: 366 GB

        Here is a link to what computer it is: http://liliputing.com/2009/10/sonly-introduces-vaio-l-all-in-one-touchscreen-desktop.html

        Can anyone tell me if this will work? I really want this game and have been waiting for 3 years to play. Now I am worried my computer might not be able to hack it.

        • It looks like you meet the minimum requirements. So it’ll run, just not necessarily at maximum settings. Hope that helps you! :)

        • The stickler here is the graphics card; the minimum GPU requirement for The Witness as listed on the Steam page is the Intel HD 4000.

          The i3-350 seems to have the original HD graphics (predecessor to HD 2000 and 3000).

          The linked article mentions that you might have an additional discrete card (NVIDIA G210M); however, this is only around as fast as the Intel HD 3000, which is a generation behind the minimum spec.

          Without the game in our hands, it’s hard to definitively say it won’t run, but it looks like it likely won’t (at least very well, especially at the native 1080p of your screen).

          You might want to wait for reports on performance after release — I have a 2011 Macbook Air (HD 3000) that I will be testing the game on.

          • I don’t actually know if the game runs acceptably on HD2000 or 3000 as we haven’t tested it; the lowest chipset we have available to us right now is HD4000.
            If we ran on a 2000 and found it okay, we might lower the minimum spec. We just don’t know.

        • Hi Nathan,

          While it will run, I’m afraid it’s unlikely to be a good experience on those specs.

          Our minimum required GPU is an Intel HD Graphics 4000. Annoyingly, Intel have released multiple GPUs, both before and since the 4000, that just report the name “Intel HD Graphics” with no version number. They also reset the number sequence to lower numbers a short while ago. In all cases, the no-number GPUs tend to be non-gaming focused.

          So in that case, it’s probably easiest to go by year. The 4000 was released in 2012, so any Intel part much older than that (or from around the same time but with a lower number) is unlikely to run the game well.

          Here’s more info about Intel GPUs than you could possibly want, but basically the further down the list it is, the newer it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_graphics_processing_units

          I’m going to put together a post to simplify some of this stuff on the steam forums once they start working again…

          -Andy

          • Thank you everyone that weighed in on my question. I really appreciate the information. I am assuming it isn’t going to work well. I can’t really buy a new computer to play this game even though I want to very badly. I guess I will jsut ahve to wait or see if I can borrow someone’s PS4. Thanks again!

  27. I’ve pre-ordered on Humble and again on Steam, will pick it up again on PS4. This type of game is still underrepresented, so I am voting with my wallet.

  28. It all looks like a joyless husk to me :-D

  29. I love the price! I was fully expecting the game to be $59 (despite its indie roots) due to the quality that the released media exudes. But $39 is a very well positioned price especially given the game’s size and the obvious care in crafting it.

    I wish you and your team the best of luck! I really hope that The Witness is a huge success!

  30. One of my most anticipated games of the year. I cannot wait to get my hands on this game. Thinking about all of the colors throughout the world and all the different terrains is getting me super excited. It’s going to be a hard beat though given he says only 1% of players will be able to beat one puzzle!

  31. Hm… I was going to wait to see whether it would be released on GOG, since I have grown skeptical of Humble ever since they decided to support corrupt companies like THQ and I have not stumbled across GOG doing something I find similarly questionable but… that Malaria Foundation thing sure makes me wonder whether I shouldn’t buy it through the Humble Store straight away…

  32. I am ecstatic! Cheers to the entire team! If you ever make it into the SoMa district in the city, stop by Kate O’Briens. Drinks on me!

  33. Let’s see, I have been counting down the days one by one since Day 96. Preorder is absolutely going to happen because I need that “good preorder” feeling. I just need a few more details about how to purchase. In the post, it is written that “Preorders will go live on Steam and the Humble Store (and on this web site) today at noon PST.” Where is the option to purchase “on this website”? I do not want Steam to take any commission fees and to pledge directly to this website! OMG I CAN’T WAIT FOR JANUARY 26th!!!!

  34. Bit of an off question maybe:
    Will there be several save files?
    Like with Braid I can see myself pushing my friends to play this which is a whole lot easier if you can have an extra save file.

  35. Bit of an off question maybe:
    Will there be several save files?
    Like with Braid I can see myself pushing my friends to play this which is a whole lot easier if you can have an extra save file.

  36. My most anticipated game this year, which makes it all the more delightful that it’s coming out so early. Following this blog for six years as it came together was a delight. Can’t wait for Tuesday.

  37. I keep asking but no one wants to answer.

    What’s the deal with VR?!

  38. BURNING QUESTION!!!! Is there a run button? Or is this the one and only puzzly walking simulator?

  39. The question is: Which side gives you the biggest cut? I want to support you as much as possible!

    • Just get it wherever is most convenient for you! If a deal is ever bad enough for us that we don’t feel it’s fair, we just don’t sign it.

  40. Great choice, with AMF. I’m sure you already know this, but Givewell tracks their money moved (http://www.givewell.org/about/impact), so assuming you identified AMF through their work, and The Witness sells reasonably well (as you and I both hope), you should definitely report the numbers to them!

  41. Is really 4GB of RAM okay to play in good conditions?
    What is the best choice between play on PC with minimum requirements or PS4 édition? Is the game better with mouse control?

    • The PS4 version is better than a minimum-requirements PC by quite a margin.

      A high-spec PC is better still than the PS4.

      Mouse vs. controller is really personal preference, but with the PC you can choose either.

  42. This is coming out on a holiday here in Australia. Saves me a sick day. :)

  43. Will the PC version have the ability to look better than the PS4? Like some advanced settings. Or are both versions going to be pretty much on par with one another. Just want to know where the best place to play the game is if there is a distinction. Super pumped to get my hands on it. thanks

  44. (Question bumped due to no answer)

    Humble Bundle page says that we will receive a “DRM-free OR Steam version”.

    Could you clarify this? How to proceed to acquire the DRM-free version?

  45. Congrats on the launch, and props to you for the Against Malaria donations; I’m going to buy the game from the humble store as soon as I get home :)

  46. It seems that the default charity on Humble Bundle is random right now. AMF can be selected from this link: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/select-charity/charity/113632

    • It is random at the top of the page, but not random at the bottom of the page. I dunno wtf is going on, I was hoping they would fix it, but hey whatever.

  47. Shame, I was looking forward to this but this is way above what I will pay for a digital download game. Regardless of how good this game might be, digital data is a worthless commodity in my eyes and I assign value to it accordingly. I’ll get it when it hits 60% off on Steam, as that is the most I will pay.

    As to why I have that attitude… I started developing games back in the mid 80’s and gaming has always been a tangible industry to me. Boxes, discs, manuals etc… it’s all part of the product. I get that some people are okay with buying bits and bytes, but I expect more if I am to pay £30. I only buy music on CD, I only buy films and TV shows on Blu Ray or DVD, so it’s not just a gaming thing.

    The digital age suits some people, I’m not one of them. Put this on a disc, in a box, with some printed media, something that I can hold in my hand… something that *feels* worth £30 and you can have my money gladly.

    I mean, let’s put this into perspective… this is only £5 less than I paid for my disc version of GTAV, seven discs and a printed map in a quality package… and that *was* a triple A title. Heck, this is £5 *more* than I paid for my disc version of Project Cars. Digital gaming has done exactly what I predicted 10 years ago, created a market and then exploited it to the point of being obscene.

    • Fine, but you have to realize that most of the games you can download on Steam / PSN / etc would not exist at all if we were still in the age of retail, because nobody would take the risk to fund and publish those games.

    • If the plastic box, disc, and manual is really worth more than half of the full price you pay for the game to you, that’s fine. But most people value those items at almost nothing and indeed many even prefer not having them so they don’t have to store them anywhere or mess with exchanging discs when they want to play a game. Many people are willing to pay more than $40 for the right to play an outstanding video game; that’s not obscene, and they’re not being exploited.

      This is coming from someone who generally prefers buying physical copies of things.

    • Though Jon didn’t mention anything new concerning a potential physical version of the game, last I heard they were still considering it. Jon apparently didn’t have a great experience doing this process with Braid…

      But remember that a DRM free version is also available, if you really care about physical copies, you could get a blue-ray or similar and burn it on the CD, copy it as much as you want!

      Like many others here, I’m sure many people would love to get some extra goodies (limited edition artbook etc.). Maybe this will come up in the near future once things settle down a little :)

    • People pay for experiences without tangible products all the time: going to a movie, a concert, a tour, a museum. Often these paid experiences are much shorter than games and are much more expensive. I don’t think paying for an experience is strange, new, or exploitative.

  48. fantastic!!!!!!Does it support win10??

  49. Whenever I’m in the mood to feel inspired I use the word “capacity” to search your site to find the entry you did December 30th 2012, “What I did on my Christmas Vacation,” where you discuss working at full capacity after so many years of burnout recovery… It’s my favorite entry you’ve ever done…

    At some point in the future, if just through coded message or some such, will you please reveal the area you were talking about in the game that you worked on over that “vacation?”

  50. I’ve been so excited for thus game to come out, and i’ve been reportung news and stuff about it on all Iranian sites and people are so interested now about it.

    Good job Mr.Blow and the rest of your team i hope you have a wonderful launch day!

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