Quarantine Circular

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 395 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

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 395 reviews
story113 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Engaging narrative with thought-provoking themes about trust and morality.
  • Improved character interactions and dialogue choices compared to its predecessor, allowing for multiple endings.
  • Visually appealing with a well-designed user interface and atmospheric music.
  • Some characters feel one-dimensional and lack depth, making it hard to connect with them.
  • The ending can feel abrupt and unsatisfying, lacking the impact of previous titles.
  • The game can feel railroaded at times, with certain choices leading to predictable outcomes.
  • story298 mentions

    The story of "Quarantine Circular" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its engaging narrative and thought-provoking themes, particularly in the context of a global pandemic and first contact with an alien species. While some players found the branching choices and character perspectives to enhance the experience, others criticized the plot for being linear and the characters underdeveloped. Overall, it is seen as a solid, albeit short, interactive story that offers meaningful choices and a compelling premise, though it may not reach the heights of its predecessor, "Subsurface Circular."

    • “The story itself is pretty interesting and thought-provoking.”
    • “Quarantine Circular is an incredible story despite its flaws, and it successfully attempts to deal with its thematic concerns.”
    • “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 story is entirely linear and predictable from the beginning.”
    • “The characters do not have any development to speak of throughout the story.”
  • gameplay80 mentions

    The gameplay of "Quarantine Circular" is primarily dialogue-driven, featuring simple mechanics that revolve around making choices in conversations, which some players find engaging and well-executed. While it builds on the foundation of its predecessor, "Subsurface Circular," many reviewers note that it lacks the complexity and depth of gameplay, leading to a more passive experience that may feel repetitive at times. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its strong writing, immersive atmosphere, and the way it integrates story and gameplay, making it a recommended choice for fans of narrative-focused experiences.

    • “The gameplay is all about getting information by asking the right questions or the right person, sometimes also at the correct time.”
    • “The gameplay constitutes almost entirely of a Telltale-style dialogue system, giving the player options for how they wish the conversations they partake in to progress.”
    • “The simplicity of its gameplay, which is basically just choosing dialogue options, actually adds to the experience.”
    • “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 the 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.”
  • graphics39 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal and ability to enhance the storytelling experience, with many reviewers noting a significant improvement over its predecessor. While the visuals are described as clean and polished, some critics mention that they can feel static and simplistic at times, focusing more on the narrative than dynamic animations. Overall, the graphics effectively complement the game's narrative-driven approach, making it visually engaging despite some limitations.

    • “The graphics are stunning, and the way that the text and choices are presented are as clean and enjoyable as the first.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics, astounding soundtrack, thrilling plot.”
    • “Whether you tried Subsurface Circular or not, Quarantine Circular provides a tight narrative experience unlike any other, wrapped with great visuals and all for a low cost.”
    • “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 some players praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, while others find it unremarkable or repetitive. Notably, the soundtrack features a blend of ambient and classical elements that adapt to the gameplay, creating a fitting backdrop for the game's visuals and narrative. Overall, while many appreciate the music's contribution to the experience, opinions vary on its memorability and impact.

    • “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, with 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.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    The game offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily due to its multiple endings and decision-making elements that encourage players to explore different outcomes. While some players find the replay value limited unless they are keen on achieving all possible endings, others appreciate the engaging narrative and character interactions that invite revisits. Overall, the short playtime combined with varied choices provides enough incentive for players to experience the story from different perspectives.

    • “The game is short, but it has replayability.”
    • “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.”
    • “Despite having so many endings, I don't think there's much replayability here unless you really want to get all the achievements.”
    • “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, humor, 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 his mission. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storytelling and the emotional weight of the choices players must make, leaving a lasting impression.

    • “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 interesting and engaging, with moments of absurdity and wry wit, particularly in the dialogue. While some players note a lack of humor in more serious contexts, others appreciate the cleverness and comedic timing of certain lines, making for a mix of lightheartedness and deeper themes. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with serious undertones, providing both laughs and thought-provoking content.

    • “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 qualities, engaging storytelling, and atmospheric music, others feel it lacks the fun and intriguing premise found in similar titles. Overall, the game's visuals and audio contribute positively to the experience, but some users express disappointment in the absence of a compelling atmosphere and twists.

    • “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 fall into stereotypes without sufficient depth, leading to a lack of meaningful development for certain figures. Overall, while the visual appeal and freedom of choice are commendable, there are areas where character complexity could be improved.

    • “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, with no information and 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.”
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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