Seventh Circle
- September 19, 2019
- Rock Candy Games
Get on Steam"Seventh Circle" is an urban fantasy visual novel where you enter the world of arena battle mages as a modern-day mage, fresh out of college and ready to prove yourself. Engage in dynamic character routes with a diverse cast of LGBT characters, leading to over two dozen different endings, with options for both romantic and platonic relationships. Uncover a decades-old mystery as you navigate the uptight geniuses’ and hot-headed rivals’ big personalities. Will you join the Trillian?
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art is visually stunning and adds a lot to the game's appeal.
- The characters are charming and well-written, making it easy to get attached to them.
- The worldbuilding is intriguing, with a unique magic system that has potential.
- The game is riddled with bugs that can prevent progress, leading to a frustrating experience.
- Routes are very short and lack depth, leaving players unsatisfied with the overall story.
- The game fails to deliver on its promises of RPG elements and engaging combat, making it feel incomplete.
- story18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it for being shallow, disjointed, and lacking depth, particularly in the romantic routes. While some found the characters and initial premise engaging, they felt that the narrative was rushed and incomplete, leaving them confused and unsatisfied. Overall, the story seems to struggle with coherence and depth, failing to deliver a fulfilling experience for those seeking a rich narrative.
“An adorable story-rich game that was definitely worth the wait :) relaxing and thought-provoking in a way that isn't too taxing.”
“Now, I liked most of the characters, and the storyline seemed interesting (at least, what I could see of it).”
“Seems like there could be more to explore in the storylines and relationships.”
“Unfortunately, because of the sheer amount of game-breaking bugs and the rushed story, I can't recommend this game.”
“But then I finished my first route and only felt it was too short and lacking depth, like half the story was missing.”
“I felt like I only got pieces of the plot and was left a little confused or even got spoiled a bit, I think?”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized due to frequent bugs and glitches, particularly a recurring issue where the game freezes during character endings, rendering it unplayable for many users. While some players enjoyed the experience and connected with the characters, the technical problems significantly detracted from the overall enjoyment, leading to frustration and disappointment.
“There are no glitches that stop you from progressing.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or interruptions.”
“I appreciate the consistent performance; it makes for a much more enjoyable experience.”
“Unfortunately, I ran into what appears to be a not uncommon bug: every time I get to a character's ending phase and go to tell my aunt about it, the game freezes.”
“Unfortunately, once I was actually able to, I found it unplayable due to bugs - the game freezes at a specific point, and while you can go into the menu and save and such, it won't progress any further, and this has happened in all four routes that I tried.”
“When I started playing the game I thought it was great but now that I've played through it I can say it was a waste of my money, the game is full of bugs and glitches and the plot is non-existent, would not recommend.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a simplistic yet appealing art style with a soft color palette, which many players find enjoyable. However, the significant inconsistency between the in-game graphics and the character CGs, each created by different artists, disrupts the overall experience and can detract from the emotional impact of key moments.
“When you look at screenshots and the trailer, you can see a simplistic but rather pleasant art style and a soft color palette.”
“I love Aunt Jean and the aesthetics are great!”
“Imagine my surprise when I reached my first character ending (it was Bowie, by the way) and his first (and only) CG came up... in an entirely different art style.”
“Moreover, the art style difference was so immense that it totally broke the mood of the said good ending.”
“Inconsistencies between in-game art style and CG art style rarely co-exist well in visual novels, and considering that every CG in this game was drawn by a different artist, every new CG caused a significant shock.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique setting and diverse characters, but some mechanics feel unpolished and confusing, detracting from the overall experience. While the fighting aspect is lacking in both gameplay and narrative depth, there are hopes for a more engaging romance element.
“The setting and mechanics are cool, the characters are diverse and interesting, and I was a Kickstarter backer.”
“The gameplay is engaging and offers a unique experience that keeps you coming back for more.”
“The mechanics are intuitive and allow for a smooth learning curve, making it accessible for new players.”
“Some of the game mechanics were, for a lack of a better word, wonky.”
“It kind of appeared with no explanation and I felt a bit confused even though I've seen similar mechanics before.”
“When I first realized there is nothing to the fighting aspect of the game (both gameplay and story-wise), I had hoped that at least the romance part would manage to deliver.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the replayability of the game lacking, as switching magic classes results in minimal changes, primarily limited to dialogue variations. This leads to a perception that restarting the game offers little incentive, significantly diminishing its overall replay value.
“The only thing that changes if you decide to try out a different magic class is a couple of lines, and frankly speaking, there’s no point or replay value in restarting the game just to see some characters’ greetings change.”
“This also takes away greatly from the replay value.”
“The only thing that changes if you decide to try out a different magic class is a couple of lines, and frankly speaking, there’s no point or replay value in restarting the game just to see some characters’ greetings change from 'Oh cool, you are also a modification mage!'”
“I'm not basing this off of replayability; I mean how long it takes from beginning to end of one route.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game allows for flirting with various characters, each one carries significant emotional baggage, making the romantic interactions feel complex and often devoid of traditional romance.
“You can flirt a little with all the characters during the course of the game, but every - e v e r y - character has some emotional baggage, and thus there is nothing romantic about 'romancing' them.”
