| The Magic Circle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Question |
| Publisher(s) | Question |
| Designer(s) | Stephen Alexander Jordan Thomas |
| Programmer(s) | Kain Shin |
| Writer(s) | Stephen Alexander Jordan Thomas |
| Composer(s) | Steve Pardo |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Sandbox |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Magic Circle is a 2015 sandbox video game developed and published by American indie team Question for Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The game primarily takes place in a sandbox environment but contains a mixture of puzzle-solving, indirect combat and exploration. [2] The player has the ability to trap enemies, objects and other items in the game in order to take their functions and modify the creature. The functions that you collect can then be given to any other object or creature to create minions that will defend the player or help them overcome certain obstacles and puzzles. [3] All the player's decisions will have a major impact. [4] The game has metafictional elements. [5]
 | This article needs an improved plot summary.(April 2016) |
In The Magic Circle, the player takes on the role of a QA tester who was recently hired to help prepare the live demo for a game that has been in development hell for nearly twenty years; said game is the sequel to a cult classic interactive fiction title with a dedicated fan following. [6] The player is introduced to the developers of the game, who make their appearances in the world as floating eyes capable of changing the environment on a whim, only to discover that the two project leads, Ishmael Gilder and Maze Evelyn, have entered into a bitter rivalry over their respective creative philosophies, and due to their inability to cooperate have rendered the game largely vaporware. Once the playtest session is officially "complete", a rogue AI from a previous version of the game makes contact with the player and teaches them how to manipulate the creatures of the world in order to either complete or at least escape the game world. [3]
The development team consisted of Stephen Alexander, Kain Shin and Jordan Thomas, who had previously worked on BioShock and Dishonored . [2] According to the game's credits sequence, the team was supported further by Steve Pardo (Harmonix) who composed the original score, and Patrick Balthrop, who was the sound engineer. The voice cast included James Urbaniak, Ashly Burch, Karen Dyer, and Stephen Russell.
An early access version of the game was released on Steam in May 2015. [7] A month later, the game was fully released. [8]
The game has a score of 80 out of 100 on aggregate review website Metacritic. [9] It was nominated for the Excellence in Narrative award at the 2016 Independent Games Festival. [10] As of March 2016, the game only sold about 16,500 units, according to Jordan Thomas of Question, which he called "unsustainable" and attributes to not having attempted to market the game. [11]
IGN awarded it a score of 7.8 out of 10, saying "The Magic Circle is a marvelously creative, puzzling adventure that’s very mad at you." [12] GameSpot awarded it a score of 7.0 out of 10, saying "As a piece of work meant to comment on modern game design, it’s wholly successful at creating a scenario perfectly illustrating just how Herculean a task it is for developers trying to create a game with a perfect balance." [13]
The Magic Circle was nominated for "Most Innovative" game of 2015 by IGN. [14]
Garry's Mod is a 2006 sandbox game developed by Facepunch Studios and published by Valve. The base game mode of Garry's Mod has no set objectives and provides the player with a world in which to freely manipulate objects. Other game modes, notably Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt, are created by other developers as mods and are installed separately, by means such as the Steam Workshop. Garry's Mod was created by Garry Newman as a mod for Valve's Source game engine and released in December 2004, before being expanded into a standalone release that was published by Valve in November 2006. Ports of the original Windows version for Mac OS X and Linux followed in September 2010 and June 2013, respectively. As of September 2021, Garry's Mod has sold more than 20 million copies. A successor, Sandbox, has been in development since 2015.
SpaceChem is a puzzle and indie game by Zachtronics Industries, based on principles of automation and chemical bonding. In the game, the player is tasked to produce one or more specific chemical molecules via an assembly line by programming two remote manipulators that interact with atoms and molecules through a visual programming language. SpaceChem was the developer's first foray into a commercial title after a number of free Flash-based browser games that feature similar puzzle-based assembly problems.
Terraria is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows and has since been ported to other PC and console platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting, and combat with a variety of creatures in a procedurally generated 2D world. Terraria is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling 58.7 million copies as of 2024.
Kerbal Space Program (KSP) is a space flight simulation video game developed by Mexican studio Squad for Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. In the game, players direct the space program of a species of green humanoid aliens known as "Kerbals". The game features a pseudorealistic orbital physics engine, allowing for various real-life orbital maneuvers such as Hohmann transfer orbits and orbital rendezvous.
Waking Mars is a 2012 platform-adventure game developed and published by Tiger Style. Players jetpack through underground Mars caves and encounter a host of alien lifeforms that operate as an ecosystem. Players must master the behaviors of these creatures to create ecosystems of their own design to survive and discover the secrets of Mars' past. The game has been nominated for Best Mobile Game and Excellence in Audio in 2012 Independent Game Festival. In June 2012, Waking Mars was also named the Best Game of 2012 by Paste.
10000000 is a hybrid puzzle-role-playing game developed by Luca Redwood under the company name EightyEightGames, released initially for iOS in August 2012, and later for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X via Steam in January 2013, and to Android and Linux systems in March 2013.
7 Days to Die is a survival horror video game set in an open world developed by the Fun Pimps. It was released through early access for OS X and Windows on December 13, 2013, and for Linux on November 22, 2014. Versions for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2016 through Telltale Publishing, but are no longer being developed. A 1.0 version was released for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 25, 2024.
Audiosurf 2, previously named Audiosurf Air, is a rhythm game created by Dylan Fitterer, and the sequel to Audiosurf. It was launched on October 2, 2013, for Windows through Steam Early Access, OS X and Linux versions were released on January 9, 2015. The game is Steam Workshop compatible, allowing players to create and share mods for the game. It came out of early access on May 26, 2015.
Invisible, Inc. is a turn-based tactics stealth game incorporating elements of roguelike gameplay, by Klei Entertainment. The player acts as the remote operator for an espionage agency that has come under attack from multinational corporations, and directs agents in covert missions, acquiring resources and support in order to enable relocation of the agency's computer system to a safe haven within a limited amount of time.
Planet Explorers is an adventure role-playing video game developed and published by Pathea Games. Development began in January 2014, existing as an early access game. The game was released on 8 November 2016 for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux on the Steam digital distribution platform.
Infinifactory is a puzzle video game developed and published by Zachtronics, initially released on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on June 30, 2015. The game was later released on PlayStation 4 in December 2015. In the game, the player takes the role of a human abducted by aliens and forced to construct assembly lines to create certain objects for apparently-nefarious purposes. The game combines elements of Zachtronics' previous SpaceChem and Infiniminer, with the assembly lines being built from blocks in a three-dimensional space.
Planet Coaster is a construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Frontier Developments for Windows. It was released worldwide on 17 November 2016. Frontier had previously worked in the amusement park construction and management genre with RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Thrillville, Thrillville: Off the Rails, and Zoo Tycoon. A version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, known as Planet Coaster: Console Edition, was released worldwide on 10 November 2020. The PlayStation 5 version was released in North America and Australia on 12 November 2020 and in Europe on 19 November 2020. A macOS version, developed by Aspyr, was later released on 17 November 2020 on both Steam and Mac App Store.
Lego Worlds is a Lego-themed sandbox game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally generated world. A beta version of the game was released on 1 June 2015 on Steam Early Access. It was released on 7 March 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on 5 September 2017 in North America and 8 September 2017 in Europe.
TIS-100 is a programming/puzzle video game developed by Zachtronics Industries. The game has the player develop mock assembly language code to perform certain tasks on a fictional, virtualized 1970s computer that has been corrupted. The game was released for Windows, OS X, and Linux personal computers in July 2015. A mobile port was released for iPadOS in January 2016.
Ark: Survival Evolved is a 2017 action-adventure survival video game developed by Studio Wildcard. In the game, players must survive being stranded on one of several maps filled with roaming dinosaurs, fictional fantasy monsters, and other prehistoric animals, natural hazards, and potentially hostile human players.
Besiege is a vehicle-building sandbox video game based around medieval siege engines, developed and published by Spiderling Studios. The game was released for Windows, macOS and Linux in February 2020 at the conclusion of a five-year long early access phase that started in January 2015. A console version for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S was released in February 2022, and an expansion pack titled The Splintered Sea was announced in April 2024. A version for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Switch is expected to release on December 12, 2024. The game has received widespread praise, citing the wide range of experimentation available to players.
Soul Axiom is a first-person adventure-puzzle video game developed and published by Wales Interactive. The game is set inside a "Digital Soul Provider" called Elysia, and combines exploration with puzzle solving elements to unlock the mystery of your character's digital afterlife. It follows a similar visual style from its predecessor, Master Reboot, and while it is not a direct sequel, it is set in the same world but with new characters, a new story and new set of game mechanics. The game was released on February 29, 2016. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One ports were released in June 2016. The Wii U version launched on September 29, 2016. The game was released on February 27, 2020, for Nintendo Switch as Soul Axiom Rebooted.
Devil Daggers is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by indie development team Sorath. Players are tasked with surviving for as long as possible against swarms of demonic enemies on an arena shrouded in darkness. The player character can fire daggers from their fingers to eliminate foes and move about to avoid contact with them. The player dies upon touching an enemy, and as time passes, more threatening creatures begin to appear. Survival times are recorded on a global leaderboard where replays of playthroughs can be accessed and viewed. The deliberate use of unfiltered textures and effects like polygon jitter and texture warping make its visual style reminiscent of early 3D games released in the 1990s.
OneShot is a puzzle-adventure game developed by the indie studio Future Cat and published by Degica. Based on a free version made in 2014, it was released for Windows on December 8, 2016. A reworked console adaptation, OneShot: World Machine Edition, was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 22, 2022, and for PC alongside the original version in September 2024.