Quarantine Circular

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 384 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Quarantine Circular Game Cover
A vast improvement from Subsurface Circular, Quarantine Circular is a standalone sequel that tells its succinct story through engaging characters, a nice storyline, and a shift in protagonists.
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"Quarantine Circular" is a narrative-driven game where players navigate conversations between a diverse group of scientists and government officials during the containment of an alien infectious threat. Decisions made throughout the game affect the story's outcome, leading to multiple endings. The game features a real-time dialogue system and a mysterious, atmospheric setting.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 384 reviews
story110 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Engaging narrative with thought-provoking themes about trust and morality.
  • Well-written dialogue and character interactions that draw players into the story.
  • Multiple endings and character perspectives enhance replayability.
  • Character switching can feel jarring and disrupt immersion.
  • Some dialogue choices may feel forced or lead to predictable outcomes.
  • Ending can feel abrupt and unsatisfying compared to the buildup.
  • story285 mentions

    The story of "Quarantine Circular" is a thought-provoking first-contact narrative that explores themes of trust and morality amidst a global plague, featuring multiple characters and branching dialogue choices that impact the outcome. While some players found the character development lacking and the plot linear, many appreciated the engaging writing and the game's ability to provoke reflection on contemporary issues. Overall, it is seen as a compelling, albeit short, interactive story that builds on its predecessor, "Subsurface Circular," with a more complex narrative structure and a focus on player choice.

    • “The story itself is pretty interesting and thought-provoking.”
    • “Quarantine Circular is a great game with a great story.”
    • “The story is thought-provoking, and each character is thoroughly thought out.”
    • “This story could have been entirely about humans, and the interstellar part was neither explored in any meaningful way nor added anything meaningful.”
    • “The characters themselves are poorly-developed stereotypes that seem to be shoehorned in solely as a gimmick to provide multiple paths rather than to fulfill logical roles in the context of the story.”
    • “The story is entirely linear and predictable from the beginning.”
  • gameplay74 mentions

    The gameplay of "Quarantine Circular" is primarily dialogue-driven, featuring simple mechanics that focus on conversation choices rather than traditional gameplay elements. While some players appreciate the engaging writing and character interactions, others criticize the limited branching paths and repetitive dialogue loops, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game is recommended for those who enjoy narrative-focused adventures and are looking for a thought-provoking story.

    • “The gameplay is all about getting information by asking the right questions or the right person, sometimes also at the correct time.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple, but it's well executed with great dialogue and a well-constructed score.”
    • “The way the game lets you maneuver conversations is wonderful and a step up from the already new and interesting mechanics in Subsurface Circular.”
    • “Branching mechanics are blatantly crippled – you get stuck in notorious endless dialogue loops until you choose the right option, you get hilarious utterances like 'we need a friendly face for a negotiator; let’s take *n*' (by far the most antagonistic and openly hostile character, which is absurd, and you (as a commander that makes final decision!) can’t object to this choice).”
    • “Because of the primitive branching system, gameplay is pretty much non-existent.”
    • “This 'game' has barely any gameplay and it is extremely short.”
  • graphics37 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers noting the visuals as a strong complement to the narrative. While some describe the graphics as simple or static, they appreciate the clean design and striking style that enhances the storytelling experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant asset, contributing to an immersive atmosphere despite the limited animation and gameplay mechanics.

    • “An excellent evolution of the formula presented in Subsurface Circular, with a bit of an expansion in scope, style, and aesthetics.”
    • “The graphics look great while doing so, especially for this kind of narrative game.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, and the way that the text and choices are presented are as clean and enjoyable as the first.”
    • “The visuals may seem a bit motionless and bland after a while, but the text and story itself is the focus, and rightly deserves praise.”
    • “The 3D models and graphics were pretty, but the character interactions could be more interesting with varied body or facial expressions.”
    • “The visuals are pretty bland compared to the first one.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. While some found it excellent and fitting, others felt it was merely good without being particularly impressive. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its ambient and classical elements, effectively mirroring the game's emotional tone and enhancing player immersion.

    • “The soundtrack was excellent - eerie and driving.”
    • “Special credit goes to an awesome soundtrack that responds beautifully to nuanced and subtle moments in the story.”
    • “The soundtrack isn't intrusive but perfectly mirrors the tension.”
    • “The music in quarantine is also an advancement over subsurface, less focus on catchy techno tunes and more grandiose classical pieces that change and become more or less prominent depending on the player's choice or situation.”
    • “Its soundtrack is a similar ambient chillwave style, and while the graphics of quarantine circular are a noticeable step up technically from those of subsurface circular, they're still simple enough that the game's system requirements are quite low.”
    • “Also special mention goes to the music, when the game is paused many of the musical elements fade out and you might be left with just a bass, or a synth part.”
  • replayability19 mentions

    The game offers notable replayability due to its multiple endings and decision-based outcomes, encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. While some reviewers found the experience short, they appreciated the engaging characters and dialogue options that enhance replay value. However, a few noted that the emotional weight of certain choices might make subsequent playthroughs challenging.

    • “Great story, compelling decisions that allow for replay value.”
    • “It's got a variety of endings based on the choices you make, so there's a lot of replayability here.”
    • “The first playthrough was captivating and there's replay value with its eight endings.”
    • “Not as tightly written as the first considering there are more characters involved and all of them are playable, which is something that wasn't entirely to my enjoyment considering you even have to play a character that is a murderer and torturer.”
    • “An utterly stunning experience with some pretty tough choices (though it seems I made the right ones) might lack somewhat in replay value as I at least will find it difficult to change choices on subsequent playthroughs.”
    • “The replay value mostly consists of trying different dialog options to expose more parts of the lore for the player to consume.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Quarantine Circular" is highlighted by its ability to evoke deep feelings through its narrative, which combines tension, light-hearted moments, and philosophical themes. Players experience profound emotional connections and moral dilemmas, particularly through the character dynamics, such as the self-centered nature of Gabriel, which contrasts with the game's overarching themes of empathy and humanity. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storytelling and the emotional weight of the choices players must make.

    • “The narrative is tense at times, touching at others, and overall left a big impression on me.”
    • “Quarantine Circular is a fantastic narrative, full of twists and turns, and demands that the player make moral and emotional choices.”
    • “A simple, thoughtful and heartfelt dialogue on what humanity chooses itself to be.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as engaging and occasionally funny, with characters that resemble humans in absurd ways, leading to comedic situations. While some players note a lack of humor due to the serious themes, others appreciate the witty dialogue and clever lines that provide levity amidst heavier topics. Overall, the game balances humor with serious undertones, delivering memorable and humorous moments throughout.

    • “The aliens just feel way too much like our own regular humans, except they look funny.”
    • “Good dialogue, humorous when it wants to be, and makes a brave stab at some big issues the rest of the time.”
    • “Gabriel and other people's lines are quite frequently wry and hilarious.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise its immersive visuals, engaging storytelling, and atmospheric music, others feel it lacks the fun and intriguing premise found in similar titles, resulting in a less compelling experience.

    • “Good twists, good atmosphere, compact story pacing, and your choices actually do matter.”
    • “Great storytelling, lovely interface and graphics, and very atmospheric music/audio too.”
    • “It was simple mechanics paired with pretty visuals and well-written content; the atmosphere was insanely immersive.”
    • “There was no atmosphere, no cool twists, no head-bopping tracks with headphones - I just couldn't feel the love in this one.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-executed, featuring masterfully written dialogue and a variety of choices that enhance player engagement. However, some characters suffer from a lack of depth, relying on stereotypes without significant growth or backstory, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visual appeal and UI are commendable, a bit more variety in character design and development could have elevated the narrative further.

    • “There are many choices to make, several outcomes to see, and a lot of enjoyment to be had from reading masterfully written dialogue, watching great UI and character designs, and admiring the freedom of choice.”
    • “You managed to make me dislike that character so much, but you did not use that in your writing at all; you just kept the stereotype going, no info, no character development.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the focus on quality and challenging puzzles, others feel that the slow pace and tedious replaying detract from the overall enjoyment, particularly as the game approaches its climax.

    • “My only complaint is, replaying through the game is incredibly tedious and slow.”
    • “Quarantine only really challenges you to a puzzle towards the finale, which brings the build-up to the end to a grinding halt.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game experiences some performance issues during mid-play, and players find Gabriel's voice clips somewhat grating. Additionally, the notes section feels underutilized, indicating room for improvement in overall optimization.

    • “There are some performance issues in the middle of the game.”
    • “Gabriel’s voice clips are a bit grating.”
    • “The notes section is still underutilized.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
1-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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