B
Braid
braid-game.com
Time-manipulation puzzle platformer; an Anniversary Edition with commentary was released in 2024.
$4M+ lifetime by 2014
diff ~/p/jonathan-blow ~/p/tyler-glaiel
Jonathan Blow vs Tyler Glaiel
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
Designer of Braid and The Witness, creator of the Jai language, head of Thekla
@Jonathan_Blow United States
Jonathan Blow vs Tyler Glaiel at a glance
Both Jonathan Blow and Tyler Glaiel are bootstrapped. They overlap in Indie Game Makers. Jonathan is based in Boulder, United States, Tyler in United States. Jonathan started in 2004 and Tyler in 2002. Jonathan Blow has 5 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Tyler Glaiel's 4. On X, Jonathan has about 161K followers and Tyler about 63K.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- Jonathan Blow: Boulder, United States
- Tyler Glaiel: United States
- Started
- Jonathan Blow: 2004 (22 yrs indie)
- Tyler Glaiel: 2002 (24 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- Jonathan Blow: Not public
- Tyler Glaiel: Not public
- Products listed
- Jonathan Blow: 5
- Tyler Glaiel: 4
- Product status
- Jonathan Blow: 5 active
- Tyler Glaiel: 4 active
- X followers
- Jonathan Blow: 161K
- Tyler Glaiel: 63K
- Style
- Jonathan Blow: bootstrapped
- Tyler Glaiel: bootstrapped
- Courses & resources
- Jonathan Blow: 2
- Tyler Glaiel: —
Revenue figures are self-reported by each maker and not audited; dates and scope differ. Highlighted categories are shared by both.
Top products
T
The Witness
the-witness.net
Open-world first-person puzzle game on an island of line-drawing panels.
$5M+ gross in first week
Order of the Sinking Star
orderofthesinkingstar.com
Narrative puzzle adventure with more than 1,400 interconnected block-pushing puzzles, built in Jai by Thekla; released October 8, 2026.
Jai
youtube.com
Systems programming language for game development, designed by Blow since 2014 and in closed beta.
Mewgenics
store.steampowered.com
Cat-breeding tactics roguelite co-created with Edmund McMillen.
1M+ copies in first week
The End Is Nigh
store.steampowered.com
Precision platformer co-created with Edmund McMillen.
Bombernauts
store.steampowered.com
Multiplayer bomb-battle game where players destroy the arena.
Closure
en.wikipedia.org
Puzzle platformer where only illuminated objects exist.
Tech stack
No tools in common in their publicly listed stacks. See the indie maker tech stack.
JaiC++custom engine
No stack shared publicly.
How they build
- Games can explore deep ideas, and design should respect the player's intelligence.
- Self-fund your work so you keep full creative control.
- Software has become needlessly complex; programmers should understand and simplify their tools.
- Spend as long as it takes to make the game right rather than shipping something compromised.
- Build your own engine when it serves the game.
- Find a long-term creative partner whose strengths complement yours.
- Share development knowledge openly with other devs.
Learn from Jonathan and Tyler
- [youtube] Jonathan Blow on YouTube
- [youtube] j_blow on Twitch
No courses, books or communities listed.
Jonathan Blow vs Tyler Glaiel FAQ
Who makes more money, Jonathan Blow or Tyler Glaiel?
Neither Jonathan Blow nor Tyler Glaiel has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, Jonathan Blow or Tyler Glaiel?
Jonathan Blow has 5 products listed (including Braid, The Witness and Order of the Sinking Star); Tyler Glaiel has 4 products listed (including Mewgenics, The End Is Nigh and Bombernauts).
What tech stack do Jonathan Blow and Tyler Glaiel use?
Jonathan Blow uses Jai, C++ and custom engine. Tyler Glaiel hasn't shared a stack. They don't list any tools in common.
Where are Jonathan Blow and Tyler Glaiel based?
Jonathan Blow: Boulder, United States. Tyler Glaiel: United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, Jonathan Blow or Tyler Glaiel?
Jonathan Blow started in 2004 (22 years indie); Tyler Glaiel started in 2002 (24 years indie).
Are Jonathan Blow and Tyler Glaiel bootstrapped?
Yes, both are listed as bootstrapped founders on IndieMakerList.
Full profiles
Read the full story, timeline and links on Jonathan Blow's profile and Tyler Glaiel's profile.
Jonathan Blow vs Derek Yu
Jonathan Blow vs Dan Salvato
Jonathan Blow vs Edmund McMillen
Jonathan Blow vs Justin Stander
Jonathan Blow vs Eric Barone
Jonathan Blow vs Riley Testut
Jonathan Blow vs Lucas Pope