Circles
- October 20, 2016
- jeroenwimmers
- 1h median play time
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Circles" is a wordless, abstract puzzle game that uses mouse movements to interact with circles on-screen, which grow, shrink, and move based on your movements. The goal is to experiment and find your way to the end point in each of the 90 levels, with four unique modes for replayability. The game features atmospheric music and is currently available on PC and Mac, with no current plans for a mobile version.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features elegant minimalist graphics and excellent sound design, creating a relaxing atmosphere.
- Puzzles are original and cleverly designed, providing a satisfying sense of experimentation and self-teaching.
- Circles is engaging and can lead to extended play sessions, as players often find themselves wanting to complete just one more level.
- The game is more focused on mouse dexterity than actual puzzle-solving, leading to minimal thinking required for completion.
- It is quite short, with the main game taking under an hour to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Some levels can feel repetitive and lack variety, diminishing the overall challenge and engagement.
- gameplay25 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its minimalist design and elegant mechanics, providing a calm and enjoyable experience enhanced by excellent music and animations. Players appreciate the variety of mechanics and the organic learning curve, though some feel that the puzzles become predictable after a short time, leading to a sense of completion after about an hour of play. Overall, the gameplay is fun and engaging, but may lack depth for those seeking longer challenges.
“Great animations, awesome color design, fun and interesting minimalist gameplay.”
“You learn a lot of mechanics very quickly and organically.”
“Circles offers little more than an hour of solid fun, but that hour is full of excellent, smooth gameplay.”
“I personally felt I was done with the game after 1 hour of gameplay.”
“There is a lot of variety in mechanics, but the puzzles using those mechanics rarely surprise more than twice.”
“The main levels (other than the extra challenge modes that alter the gameplay) take around an hour.”
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently described as calm, relaxing, and serviceable, enhancing the overall experience with its minimalist and elegant presentation. Reviewers appreciate the interactive soundtrack that complements the thoughtful and original puzzles, creating a soothing atmosphere that encourages players even during mistakes. Overall, the music is well-received, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic and gameplay.
“The puzzles are original and never too repetitive, the design is beautiful and the soundtrack is very relaxing.”
“Every puzzle is thoughtful and the music/sfx accompaniment is relaxing and encouraging--even when I make a mistake.”
“Awesome interactive soundtrack and clean minimalist presentation.”
“The music is serviceable.”
“Pretty chill to mess with your rhythm and the music, not very challenging; though a few will throw you for a loop for a bit.”
“It reminds me a lot of the feel of anti-chamber, including the visuals, the music, and even the cleverness and simplicity of the puzzles.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a minimalist style that evokes comparisons to the game "Antichamber," featuring simple colors and shapes. However, some users find the color choices to be problematic, leading to eye-straining combinations. Overall, the visuals are described as elegant, complementing the gameplay and music effectively.
“It reminds me a lot of the feel of Anti-Chamber, including the visuals, the music, and even the cleverness and simplicity of the puzzles.”
“Minimalist graphics, elegant gameplay, excellent music.”
“The minimalistic visuals (colors + circles) actually manage to be eye-searing in a few levels, due to downright idiotic color choices (yeah, bright yellow on bright red, this ought to work, right?).”
“The minimalistic visuals (colors + circles) actually manage to be eye-searing in a few levels, due to downright idiotic color choices (yeah bright yellow on bright red, this ought to work, right?).”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no bugs or glitches, resulting in a perfect score of 5/5 for this aspect.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by familiar jazzy and electronic soundscapes, enhanced by sound cues that respond to mouse movements, though it lacks originality compared to other puzzle games.
“The sound is nothing you haven't heard in a million puzzle games before: jazzy/electronic atmospheres, with sound cues based on your mouse movements.”
