Photo: sijm2007 / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Blow is, to me, one of the most uncompromising minds in interactive media. Dropping out of Berkeley to found a studio, then delivering Braid and The Witness, he proved that games could be genuine vehicles for philosophy and difficult ideas rather than mere entertainment. His work demands patience and rewards it with insight, and his reputation for stubborn perfectionism is, I think, inseparable from that achievement. He chose conviction over commercial safety and helped elevate independent games into something close to art. I have deep respect for a creator who moves the medium forward through ideas rather than scale.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jonathan Blow
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョナサン・ブロウ
- Reading
- じょなさん・ぶろう
- Born
- November 17, 1971 (age 54)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Boar
- Origin
- California, United States
- Occupation
- programmer / game designer / screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Mt. Carmel High School
- University
- University of California, Berkeley
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Witness | — | |
| Notable work | Braid | — | |
| Notable work | Jai | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jonathan Blow born?
Born November 17, 1971 (age 54).
Where is Jonathan Blow from?
Jonathan Blow is from California, United States.
What does Jonathan Blow do?
Jonathan Blow works as programmer, game designer, screenwriter.
What is Jonathan Blow known for?
Notable works include The Witness, Braid, Jai.
Programmer — see all → · Game designer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.