# Jonathan Blow

> American video game designer and programmer

**Wikidata**: [Q1154944](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1154944)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Blow)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jonathan-blow

## Summary
Jonathan Blow is an American video game designer and programmer. He is widely recognized for creating the acclaimed video games Braid and The Witness, and for his ongoing development of the Jai programming language.

## Biography
- Born: 1971-11-17 in California
- Nationality: United States
- Education: University of California, Berkeley; Mt. Carmel High School
- Known for: Video game design, programming, and the Jai programming language.
- Field(s): Video game design, programming, software engineering, screenwriting

## Contributions
Jonathan Blow has made significant contributions to the video game industry through his work as a designer and programmer. His most recognized creations are the critically acclaimed video games *Braid* and *The Witness*. *Braid*, released in 2008, is a puzzle-platformer known for its innovative time-manipulation mechanics and philosophical narrative, which garnered widespread praise and influenced subsequent independent game development. *The Witness*, a 2016 puzzle game, is celebrated for its intricate open-world design and complex, interconnected puzzles, pushing the boundaries of environmental storytelling and non-linear progression. Beyond game development, Blow is the creator of *Jai*, a high-level programming language that he has been developing with the goal of improving software development efficiency and expressiveness, though it is not yet officially named. He has also contributed his insights and writings to *Game Developer* magazine, sharing his expertise with the broader industry. These works collectively highlight his dual impact as a creative visionary in game design and a technical innovator in programming.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Jonathan Blow?
A: Jonathan Blow is an American video game designer, programmer, and screenwriter. He is recognized for his work on the video games Braid and The Witness, and for developing the Jai programming language.

### Q: What are Jonathan Blow's most famous works?
A: His most famous works include the video games Braid and The Witness. He also created the Jai programming language, which is a high-level programming language.

### Q: Where did Jonathan Blow study?
A: Jonathan Blow was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and Mt. Carmel High School.

### Q: What programming language did Jonathan Blow create?
A: Jonathan Blow created a high-level programming language named Jai, which is not yet officially named.

## Why They Matter
Jonathan Blow's work holds significant importance in the video game landscape, particularly within the independent game movement. His games, *Braid* and *The Witness*, are not merely commercial successes but are considered landmark titles that challenged conventional game design. *Braid*'s innovative time mechanics and mature themes demonstrated the artistic potential of video games, inspiring a generation of indie developers to explore unique gameplay concepts and deeper narratives. *The Witness* further solidified his reputation for crafting intricate, thought-provoking experiences, influencing how environmental puzzles and player-driven discovery are approached. Without Blow's contributions, the trajectory of independent game design might have been less experimental and less focused on intellectual challenge. Furthermore, his ongoing development of the *Jai* programming language underscores his commitment to improving the fundamental tools of software creation, aiming to leave a lasting legacy not just in what games are made, but how they are made. His influence extends to both the creative and technical facets of the industry.

## Notable For
*   Creating the critically acclaimed video game Braid.
*   Developing the puzzle game The Witness.
*   Inventing the Jai programming language.
*   His work as a programmer and game designer.
*   Being an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley.

## Body

### Personal Background
Jonathan Blow was born on November 17, 1971, in California, United States. He holds American citizenship. His full name is Jonathan David Blow. He attended Mt. Carmel High School and later pursued higher education at the University of California, Berkeley. His sex or gender is male.

### Career and Occupations
Blow is primarily known as a video game designer and programmer. His occupations also include screenwriter. He has contributed articles to the publication Game Developer. He is also identified as a software engineer.

### Notable Works
His notable works include:
*   **Braid**: A video game.
*   **The Witness**: A video game.
*   **Jai**: A high-level programming language he created, which is not yet officially named.

### Online Presence
Jonathan Blow maintains an active online presence. His official website is located at http://number-none.com/blow/. He can be found on Twitter as @Jonathan_Blow, with his account created on January 21, 2010. He also has a Twitch username, j_blow, active since November 17, 2013, and a YouTube channel (UCCuoqzrsHlwv1YyPKLuMDUQ) established on August 26, 2011.

### Aliases
He is also known by the aliases Jon Blow and Jonathan David Blow, among others in various languages such as 乔·布洛, Блоу, Джонатан, Джонатан Дэвид Блоу, 넘버 논 Inc., 조너선 블로우, and 조나단 블로우. His name in native language is Jonathan David Blow.

### Identifiers
Jonathan Blow has several unique identifiers across various platforms, including:
*   ISNI: 0000000474100354
*   VIAF ID: 5388154741651153110005
*   Freebase ID: /m/0bct0h
*   Quora Topic: Jonathan-Blow
*   TV Tropes ID: Creator/JonathanBlow
*   RAWG Person ID: jonathan-blow
*   BGM.TV Person ID: 19067
*   MobyGames Person ID: 188969
*   MutualArt Artist ID: E2A7EB812E8E80D5
*   Podchaser Creator ID: jonathan-blow-107to2YTB2

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Jonathan Blow",
  "givenName": "Jonathan",
  "familyName": "Blow",
  "jobTitle": ["video game designer", "programmer", "screenwriter"],
  "nationality": {"@type": "Country", "name": "United States"},
  "birthDate": "1971-11-17",
  "birthPlace": {"@type": "Place", "name": "California"},
  "alumniOf": [
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of California, Berkeley"},
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Mt. Carmel High School"}
  ],
  "knowsAbout": ["video game design", "programming", "software engineering", "screenwriting"],
  "sameAs": [
    "http://isni.org/isni/0000000474100354",
    "http://viaf.org/viaf/5388154741651153110005",
    "http://number-none.com/blow/",
    "https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow",
    "https://www.twitch.tv/j_blow",
    "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCuoqzrsHlwv1YyPKLuMDUQ",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Blow",
    "https://www.freebase.com/m/0bct0h",
    "https://www.quora.com/topic/Jonathan-Blow",
    "https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JonathanBlow",
    "https://rawg.io/creators/jonathan-blow",
    "https://bgm.tv/person/19067",
    "https://www.mobygames.com/person/188969/",
    "https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Jonathan-Blow/E2A7EB812E8E80D5",
    "https://www.podchaser.com/creators/jonathan-blow-107to2YTB2"
  ],
  "description": "American video game designer and programmer."
}

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. Quora
3. YouTube API