The Magic Circle on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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In this darkly comedic story, you are the hero of an unfinished fantasy game, and your designers have failed you. Steal the power of a game god - trap their creations, swap behaviors and body parts, crafting your own unique solutions to free-form puzzles. Can you release a game ...from the inside?
The Magic Circle is a adventure, puzzle and indie game
developed and published by Question.
Released on July 09th 2015 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 6 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain and Russian.
It has received 1,476 reviews of which 1,364 were positive and 112 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam, but you can find it for 2.07€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified The Magic Circle into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
- Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ 2.4Ghz or better, Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0Ghz Processor or better
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA 7800GT 256MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon X1900 256MB graphics card or better that supports Shader Model 3 and has at least 256 MB of VRAM
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 2 GB available space
- Sound Card: 100% DirectX 9.0C compliant sound card or onboard sound
- Additional Notes: NOTICE: Intel HD 4000 chipset is not supported
MacOS
- OS: OS X v10.7 Lion or higher
- Processor: 1.80GHz Processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVidia Geforce 640M
- Storage: 2 GB available space
- Additional Notes: NOTICE: Intel HD 4000 chipset is not supported
Linux
- Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ 2.4Ghz or better, Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0Ghz Processor or better
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA 7800GT 256MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon X1900 256MB graphics card or better that supports Shader Model 3 and has at least 256 MB of VRAM
- Storage: 2 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Some users have reported issues with Intel HD 4000 series cards. Also, users using open source graphics drivers such as Mesa have had problems. We recommend installing the manufacturers drivers for the most robust compatibility.
Prices
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
The Magic Circle is one of the most inventive and unconventional indie games released in recent years, blending first-person exploration, puzzle-solving, and metafictional storytelling into an experience that constantly challenges player expectations. Rather than presenting a traditional fantasy adventure, the game places players inside an unfinished project trapped in endless development, where broken mechanics, missing content, and developer arguments become central parts of both the gameplay and the narrative. What initially seems like a strange parody of unfinished videogames slowly transforms into a surprisingly thoughtful commentary about creativity, artistic ambition, player expectations, and the chaotic process of game development itself. The premise is immediately fascinating. Players awaken inside a fantasy game that has remained incomplete for nearly two decades while its creators endlessly argue over design choices and direction. Entire sections of the world are unfinished, mechanics malfunction constantly, and characters remain trapped in abandoned content waiting for a story that may never be completed. Instead of controlling a powerful hero destined to save the world, players become an outsider capable of manipulating the game’s systems from within. This setup creates a strange atmosphere where the world feels unstable and artificial by design, with broken assets, unfinished environments, and abandoned ideas scattered throughout every area. One of the game’s most creative features is its creature-editing mechanic. Players gain the ability to capture enemies and rewrite their behaviors, essentially altering the rules of the game itself. Creatures can be transformed from hostile enemies into loyal allies, abilities can be swapped between different monsters, and entirely new combinations can be created to solve puzzles or bypass obstacles. This system creates an impressive level of freedom because the game rarely limits players to a single intended solution. Instead, experimentation becomes the heart of the experience. Players are constantly encouraged to manipulate systems creatively and exploit the unfinished nature of the world around them. The puzzle design benefits enormously from this flexibility. Rather than relying on traditional logic puzzles, The Magic Circle encourages players to think like developers and break systems apart from the inside. Many obstacles can be approached in multiple ways depending on how players modify creature abilities or interact with broken mechanics. The feeling of exploiting unfinished systems to progress creates a satisfying sense of rebellion, as though players are actively dismantling the game’s structure while exploring it. This design philosophy gives the gameplay a level of originality rarely found in puzzle-focused adventures. The writing is easily one of the game’s greatest strengths. Throughout the experience, players overhear constant arguments between the fictional developers responsible for the unfinished game world. These conversations gradually reveal years of creative frustration, ego clashes, missed deadlines, and conflicting artistic visions. The dialogue is sharp, funny, and surprisingly insightful, especially for anyone familiar with the realities of game development or creative industries in general. What begins as satire slowly becomes more emotional as the game explores themes of failure, obsession, compromise, and the fear of disappointing audiences. The voice acting deserves particular praise because much of the game’s emotional impact depends on the performances. The developers feel like believable people rather than exaggerated caricatures, and their growing frustration becomes increasingly compelling as the story progresses. Their arguments about creativity, commercial pressure, and unfinished ambitions add genuine emotional weight to the narrative, helping the game move beyond simple comedy and become something far more thoughtful. Visually, The Magic Circle uses its unfinished aesthetic brilliantly. Early environments appear broken and incomplete, filled with placeholder textures, missing geometry, and unfinished concepts abandoned during development. As players progress deeper into the world, different visual styles begin colliding together, creating surreal areas where polished environments exist alongside retro assets and half-finished mechanics. This constantly shifting presentation reinforces the game’s themes perfectly because the world genuinely feels like a project trapped in development chaos. The graphics themselves are not technically impressive, but the artistic direction is incredibly clever and memorable. The soundtrack and sound design also contribute strongly to the atmosphere. Ambient music creates a strange sense of melancholy and mystery while quieter sections allow the dialogue and environmental storytelling to remain the focus. The unfinished world often feels lonely and unstable, and the audio design reinforces that emotional tone effectively. Combined with the strong voice performances, the game creates an immersive atmosphere despite its intentionally broken environments. Another major strength is how strongly the game rewards curiosity. Players are encouraged to explore boundaries, search hidden areas, and experiment with mechanics in ways that feel almost unintended. The game constantly expects players to question rules and test limitations rather than simply following objectives blindly. This rebellious spirit becomes one of the most enjoyable aspects of the experience because it transforms exploration into an active process of dismantling the game itself. However, The Magic Circle is not entirely flawless. While the creature-editing systems are extremely creative, the game occasionally fails to fully explore their potential. Some abilities and combinations feel underused, and certain puzzles are simpler than players may expect given the freedom offered by the mechanics. The relatively short runtime also means some ideas disappear before they are expanded upon fully. At times, the experience can feel more like an exceptionally clever prototype than a completely realized large-scale adventure. The pacing becomes somewhat uneven during the later portions of the game as well. Certain narrative developments arrive abruptly, and the conclusion may not satisfy everyone given the strong buildup earlier in the experience. Players who are uninterested in metafiction or commentary about the gaming industry may also struggle to connect with the story because those themes are central to nearly every aspect of the experience. Despite these flaws, The Magic Circle succeeds because of how fearless and original it is. Very few games attempt to turn the process of game development itself into a playable narrative experience, and even fewer manage to integrate those ideas so naturally into the gameplay mechanics. Every broken system, unfinished environment, and rewritten creature contributes directly to the larger themes about artistic control, player agency, and creative failure. The Magic Circle may not be the longest or most polished indie title available, but its creativity and ambition make it one of the most unique narrative puzzle games on Steam. Its combination of experimental gameplay, intelligent writing, memorable performances, and unconventional storytelling creates an experience that remains fascinating long after completion. While certain mechanics feel underdeveloped and the pacing occasionally falters, the originality and confidence behind the project make it an easy recommendation for players interested in creative game design and narrative experimentation. Rating: 9/10
A fun and quick game, probably about 3-5 hours. You may need a guide for some of the puzzles in the open world zone because you may or may not have relevant answers to the puzzles at hand. The final act of the game is a little out of left field in a fun way. 20 bucks is a fair price to pay.
This game could spark the joy of creation in those who are unsure of where to start or have never thought themselves creative. This game could rekindle the spark in creators who are in a rut and have forgotten the joy of their craft. That is the biggest possible compliment I could ever give to anything. This is not some sort of narrative-focused walking simulator now, this is a puzzle game that really makes you think outside the box, think creatively, pushes you to try something new! So many "oohhhhhhh" moments while I was playing. The voice acting is supreme, and does so much to make these characters so complex. The writing is very witty and constantly satisfying, always keeping you going forward. A very funny game. Gosh. What a masterwork. Best 4 hours of gaming I've played in a while.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Magic Circle is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
No, The Magic Circle is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
Yes, The Magic Circle received 1,364 positive votes out of a total of 1,476 achieving a rating of 8.77.
😎
The Magic Circle was developed and published by Question.
Yes, The Magic Circle is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Yes, The Magic Circle is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Yes, The Magic Circle is playable and fully supported on Linux.
The Magic Circle is a single-player game.
Yes, there is a DLC available for The Magic Circle. Explore additional content available for The Magic Circle on Steam.
No, The Magic Circle does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, The Magic Circle does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, The Magic Circle is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Magic Circle.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 07 June 2026 22:10 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 10 June 2026 07:35 |
| Steam price | 15 June 2026 04:46 |
| Steam reviews | 14 June 2026 04:07 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Magic Circle, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Magic Circle
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Magic Circle concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Magic Circle compatibility
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Game modes
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Question
Publisher
Question
Release
09 Jul 2015
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