Subsurface Circular

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,610 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Subsurface Circular Game Cover
Subsurface Circular is a lovely, short exploration game on the kind of people you might sit next to on a metro. It's thoughtful, engaging and thought-provoking.
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In "Subsurface Circular," play as a detective investigating disappearances among robotic workers on a subterranean monorail. Solve dialogue puzzles using a unique vocabulary-based inventory system to uncover the world's secrets. This polished, one-sitting game features a graphical twist on classic text-based adventures and includes an original soundtrack, art gallery, and unlockable developer commentary.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,610 reviews
story903 positive mentions
replayability12 negative mentions
  • Engaging and well-written narrative that explores themes of AI and human interaction.
  • Unique gameplay mechanics that involve solving puzzles through dialogue choices.
  • Beautiful visuals and sound design that enhance the overall experience.
  • Very short playtime, typically around 2 hours, which may leave some players wanting more.
  • Limited replayability due to the linear nature of the story and choices.
  • Some puzzles can feel simplistic or arbitrary, lacking depth in gameplay.
  • story1,805 mentions

    The story of *Subsurface Circular* is a compelling and thought-provoking narrative centered around a robot detective navigating a futuristic society where robots coexist with humans. Players engage in dialogue with various characters, uncovering a mystery that explores themes of automation, morality, and identity, all within a tightly woven plot that culminates in a significant choice. While the game is relatively short and linear, it is praised for its strong writing, engaging characters, and immersive atmosphere, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.

    • “Subsurface Circular is a fantastic visual novel that has brilliant storytelling.”
    • “The story and ideas presented here are fascinating, the worldbuilding is utterly imagination-capturing and I know I won't stop thinking about this game for quite some time.”
    • “The story is engaging, a group of faceless robots are far more entertaining and engaging than you'd expect, and the final choice you have to make had us debating it for a while.”
    • “The story is disappointingly linear, with the exception of one major plot point at the end of the game.”
    • “The story has a bit of a reveal that is thought-provoking, but otherwise, it is somewhat stale.”
    • “The story builds veeerrry slow at first, and then comes to a slamming halt by the very end, giving you a giant exposition dump and quickly rushing to tie-up every loose end it set up.”
  • graphics414 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and polish, effectively enhancing the immersive atmosphere of the narrative. Many reviewers noted the art style as striking and well-designed, contributing significantly to the overall experience, despite the game being primarily text-based. While some mentioned the simplicity of the visuals, they appreciated how this approach allowed the story and dialogue to take center stage, creating a compelling and engaging environment.

    • “The art and sound design are great, the visuals look pleasing and the music, while subtle, gives an amazing sense of atmosphere to the story.”
    • “The stunning visuals make it more lively than most text-based games and help tremendously with the immersion.”
    • “Graphically, it's absolutely beautiful, with the teks having a quite unique style to each of them, and the lighting effects being very nice.”
    • “☐ An Excel spreadsheet is more graphically stunning than this.”
    • “The visuals are almost completely meaningless, with most entities the player interacts with not moving at all throughout their conversations.”
    • “Graphically, the game isn't anything you'll call home about.”
  • gameplay380 mentions

    The gameplay of "Subsurface Circular" is primarily dialogue-driven, focusing on selecting conversation options to progress the narrative, with minimal mechanics and only a few light puzzles. While some players appreciate the engaging writing and innovative dialogue tree mechanics, others find the gameplay simplistic and linear, often feeling more like an interactive story than a traditional game. Overall, the experience is described as compelling and immersive, but it may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay elements.

    • “I love the interactions in this game; the mechanics of switching back and forth between different characters' dialogue to progress is a really fun and engaging one.”
    • “The gameplay is intuitive and somewhat addictive in a rather unexpected way, with the tactile feeling of each click on a text option satisfyingly locking in your decision, leaving you on the edge of your seat awaiting a response even in relatively innocuous conversation.”
    • “The gameplay consists entirely of dialogue choices and sometimes feels more like a puzzle game than anything else.”
    • “Gameplay is just dialogue, so not much to it.”
    • “There isn't much gameplay, and there are maybe 2 puzzles of sorts to work through.”
    • “The story is strong, but gameplay takes the backseat.”
  • music218 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the storytelling and overall experience. While many players enjoyed the catchy and well-composed soundtrack, some noted a desire for more extensive use of music or voice acting to alleviate moments of monotony. Overall, the combination of music, sound design, and visuals creates a compelling ambiance that resonates with players, making it a memorable aspect of the game.

    • “The art and sound design are great, the visuals look pleasing and the music, while subtle, gives an amazing sense of atmosphere to the story.”
    • “The music is amazing (already added to my playlist) and the story is very interesting and well thought out.”
    • “It's beautiful and the music is great.”
    • “Criticisms I have for the game is that it needs either more extensive use of background music or voice acting to help break up the monotony.”
    • “I only wish there was more voice acting or at least more music playing to break up the quiet humming of the train.”
    • “The music that plays is chosen well, but is mostly background.”
  • humor86 mentions

    The humor in the game is frequently praised for its clever writing and engaging dialogue, with many players finding the interactions with characters, particularly the robots, to be both funny and insightful. While some reviewers noted moments of self-referential humor that felt forced, the overall consensus is that the game successfully balances lightheartedness with deeper themes, making it an enjoyable experience. The humor is described as well-integrated into the narrative, enhancing the storytelling without overshadowing the game's more serious elements.

    • “One of the best games I've ever played, absolutely hilarious at times, and the story is super great!”
    • “It's a funny, thoughtful, and well-written game about being a robot detective, and it's cheap as hell.”
    • “Each encounter with a new robot is memorable, and the dialogue sparkles with the high-quality wit and humor I've come to expect from Bithell's games.”
  • replayability86 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, primarily due to its short length of around two hours and a linear narrative structure. While there are some branching dialogue options and two different endings that offer a degree of replay value, many players feel that the experience is best enjoyed in a single playthrough. The inclusion of developer commentary and the opportunity to explore different dialogue choices may entice some players to revisit the game, but the consensus is that it lacks significant replayability.

    • “The art and storytelling is beautiful and original and has a lot of replay value just for the art and developer commentary alone.”
    • “Difficult decisions that affect gameplay and conversations, and surprisingly good replayability to explore different outcomes.”
    • “The game is quite short, but two endings make it replayable.”
    • “Some replay value with two wildly different endings, but I think this is one of those games you play once and feel attached to that first playthrough as the 'real' story.”
    • “The game's a little short, clocking in at around two hours, and outside of viewing different endings or playing through different dialogue options, there's not a tremendous amount of replay value.”
    • “No real replay value if that's something that's important to you, but it's great to have a simple, well-written and self-contained story that you can see through in one sitting and leave feeling satisfied.”
  • atmosphere82 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by excellent art and sound design that create a compelling and engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of music, visuals, and well-crafted dialogue, which together evoke a strong sense of place and mood, particularly in its cyberpunk setting. Overall, the combination of narrative depth and atmospheric elements makes for a memorable and profound gaming experience.

    • “The art and sound design are great, the visuals look pleasing and the music, while subtle, gives an amazing sense of atmosphere to the story.”
    • “The story had my undivided attention through the entirety of my playthrough, thanks not only to the witty and realistic dialogue, but also to the immersive atmosphere and setting.”
    • “The atmosphere is perfect, from the music to the sound effects, from the graphics to the font and even the way the text pops up and you ask questions.”
    • “Though I admit the charm from 'Thomas Was Alone' has not carried over to 'Subsurface Circular', the new atmosphere that the devs have brought to the table is every bit as enticing.”
    • “A relaxing atmosphere that hides what appears to be a not-so-relaxing world.”
    • “A fairly short piece, but the atmosphere has enough legs that I wish we could spend more time in the Tek universe.”
  • emotional60 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its thought-provoking narrative and heartfelt moments that evoke genuine feelings, while others criticize the lack of emotional investment in the characters due to insufficient depth and personal connection. While certain games like "Subsurface Circular" manage to deliver strong emotional beats and engaging stories, they often fall short compared to others that create a more profound emotional impact. Overall, the effectiveness of the emotional experience varies significantly among players, with some finding it deeply touching and others feeling disconnected.

    • “Its thought-provoking narrative, well-crafted characters, and minimalist design contribute to a game that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.”
    • “Although all characters are supposed to be AI, you do get to feel for the characters, and some choices in the game are hard to make and slightly heart-wrenching.”
    • “The entire artistic aesthetic really felt authentic to me and allowed me to immerse myself and empathize completely with the robots I was talking to - something that's really important to take any genuine emotional impact from the ending.”
    • “I'm sure that example alone is enough for me to prove that this is not a game, but rather a linear, boring story conveyed through a chat.”
  • character development20 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its distinct personalities and engaging dialogue, particularly among the robots, which enhances the overall experience. However, some reviewers criticize the lack of world-building and limited opportunities for deeper character exploration, suggesting that while the design and writing are strong, the narrative could benefit from more substantial development. Overall, the game excels in character design and interaction, but falls short in providing a rich, immersive story.

    • “The dialog and character development are great.”
    • “This game takes everything I love about text-based games: character development, relationship development, and eventual story development, and brings it to a perfect compound.”
    • “The character design, the small puzzles within dialogue, the ambient subway noise, the small motions... every aspect of this game is spot on.”
    • “Between almost zero world building, no time for character development, cliched writing, and limited text choices brings the game down for me.”
    • “The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “There is a significant lack of meaningful choices that affect character growth, which makes the experience feel shallow.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While the story and character interactions are engaging, many reviewers note that certain sections become tedious and feel like unnecessary padding, particularly around chapter 4. However, some appreciate the brevity of the game, which helps mitigate the potential for tedium in the extensive text.

    • “I enjoyed it up to around chapter 4 where it started to feel a little tedious.”
    • “The story is more immersive than I expected; however, at some points there are some tedious interactions to pad play time.”
    • “An interesting conclusion but a somewhat tedious journey to get there.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with users reporting smooth performance and no significant issues. While some have mentioned potential performance problems, these have not been widely experienced, and the game is noted for its solid technical performance across different modes.

    • “Wonderfully written story with sleek design, great interactive text system, nice technical performance on portable or docked mode.”
    • “I have heard of some performance issues but never ran into those.”
    • “Performance and bug-related incidents are a concern.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be ambiguous, with users expressing uncertainty about whether certain elements serve as warnings or as advertising, suggesting a potential overemphasis on promotional content.

  • stability2 mentions

    The game experiences minor glitches, primarily attributed to its simplistic design and logic-based conversations, which may create paradoxical situations. Overall, while stability issues are present, they do not significantly detract from the gameplay experience.

    • “This game has minor glitches due to its simplicity and logic-based conversation, and is predominantly a game based around philosophy (see what I mean by a paradox?)”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

Buy Subsurface Circular

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs

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