Journey of the Broken Circle
Platforming & Storytelling *literally* go hand in hand in this journey full of love and fun, but also questions…
Meet fascinating characters on your quest to complete the imperfect Circle. New partners bring unique abilities and also their own personality to roll with.
In this 3-5 hours adventure, full of ups and downs but always playful and rewarding, the Circle learns about itself and you, along with it.
DEVELOPED BY Lovable Hat Cult
“It’s a game about this little something that always seems to be missing…a better job, a nicer place to live, an ideal relationship… We wanted to tell a story of self-discovery in a fun, universal and relatable way. We probably also wanted to answer our own questions: would the Circle find what it was looking for? Or how would it all end?” – Andrea & Patrick from the Copenhagen-based studio.
PUBLISHED BY Nakana.io
“We gather games that share a strong experience to remember. We hope you’ll enjoy the sweet and tasteful food for thought served by Journey of the Broken Circle!” – Mikaël Bourget, founder of the publishing label.
Steam User 11
Took me 2.4 hours to beat, minus the bonus levels and a big pile of the collectables.
You jump and roll, it looks nice and sounds nice, and charming writing happens around you. It takes a little longer than I'd have liked to spin up to speed, but once it gets going it's a fun, light challenge. The writing (and uncertainty about when a chapter save happened) kept me playing from start to finish in one session.
A charming game all in all. I think it's worth the price.
Steam User 9
My Experience
I had hoped that developer Lovable Hat Cult had crafted a capable and compelling experience, but in no way had I expected it to resonate with me so personally.
Though the developer mentions that it is a game about relationships (and it is), it also explores in some depth the FOMO (fear of missing out) that many feel in a time where so much new content is released. New albums, games, films, and TV shows come out every week - which are the best? according to who? are some destined to be culturally important? will any of them relate to us personally or teach us something about ourselves? The circle's relentless drive for novelty is not only too much for many of the characters it brings along for the ride, but represents a life that is unsustainable for itself as well.
Of course, the relationship angle provides much food for thought: "using" a partner, dependency, clinginess, the need for someone to complete you, the desire (and reality) of being with someone who is very similar - all are touched on within the game. And when a partnership ends or we find that perhaps we're living in a less-than-ideal way, how do we handle the resulting sadness and desperation? How important it is that we have a network of support, or someone like Miss Moss to pick us up when we are down.
On a gameplay front, the game is a platformer with a touch of physics. As is mentioned in the game description, the circle acquires various abilities through each of the partnerships it establishes in the game. The sense of momentum created through the partnership with "perfect" is genuinely thrilling (at least for a while), while the precision required to navigate the gravity fields through inflating and deflating the balloon character gives the player a sense of mastery.
The only real irritation I had with the game is the sound effect used for the purple snail. It's just so tremendously unnerving, though perhaps it's supposed to be.
Though I, like the circle, play many games and have a hunger for new experiences, I am especially glad that I slowed down long enough to experience The Journey of the Broken Circle. As metaphorical platformers go, it is top notch.
Steam User 13
If you played an enjoyed Thomas was Alone, you will love this.
It is very relaxed platforming with a cute story to match.
The characters are fun and unique.
The dialogue is very enjoyable.
This game is very cool.
Steam User 5
A simple but enjoyable story-driven platformer. I'm not really sure the trailer accurately portrays the context of the story but the game is fun; if the trailer or screenshots interest you, you'll probably enjoy this game.
Steam User 3
Artsy platformer. The whole thing is a very clever allegory about relationships and finding true love. Mechanics are well done. The only complaint is that camera sometimes lags behind a bit.
If you like Limbo and similar games, this is a strong recommendation.
Steam User 3
I think for ten dollars, the game needs more polish. Some of the mechanics are interesting for sure, but in practice I didn't have that much fun playing through the more demanding physics puzzles. Perfect, in particular, was really annoying to work with, and even after finishing the game, I still don't understand how the water segments were supposed to work. If the game teaches you the physics anywhere, I blew right past it, fittingly. Overall, the gameplay just needs a bit more refinement to cross the threshold from novel into fun.
That all said, I did not pay ten dollars for the game. I bought it on sale, for a mere two bucks, and I feel like I definitely got more than my money's worth. As of writing this review, I've recently broken up with one of my partners, so the ideas the story put forth about fulfillment and compatibility resonated deeply with me. I kind of want to meet up with my ex and give them a big hug, now.
Steam User 2
It really reminds me of Thomas was Alone both story and gameplay-wise with some minor differences. You're controlling a circle instead of various rectangles through series of linear levels. The story is narrated through speech bubbles but sadly without any voiceover. If you liked Thomas was Alone, this will be right up your alley.