Reviews / 7 August 2023

Review: The Life of a Magical Circle

Have you ever wanted to explore an ever-changing space while being narrated about life philosophy? You may not think so, but you shouldn’t sleep on the experience that The Life of a Magical Circle can offer.

The Life of a Magical Circle is a relaxing and cosy feeling game, with easy to pick up controls and light rogue-lite mechanics. Created by a solo developer – Solideo, this is a great first title from the developer, with a thought provoking narrative and beautiful art style.

The Life of a Magical Circle is a narrated roguelite in which you dodge obstacles and pick up circles. Some of the circles are part of your goal, but some of them are just for fun. It’s up to you to figure out which is which and to try to stay focused.

The aim of the game is to guide a circle around a gradually scrolling level, avoiding hazards and collecting little orbs as you explore. The game does not give you any indication of what your goal is or what to do. It just leaves you to figure things out for yourself.

The further you progress into the level, the more hazards are added. A narration will eventually start as you play, talking about philosophical topics while you navigate through the space. A run ends when you hit a hazard.

Controlling the circle feels very comfortable and the art style is very pretty. The sprite design of the circle and hazards are brilliantly complimented by the beautiful background music. The art design also changes as you progress through the game. When you initially start, you are in an empty space with a paint trail following your circle to explore space, but as you continue the space around you evolves.

Lengthwise, The Life of a Magical Circle is around a three-hour experience. The game is also very enjoyable in small bursts and there isn’t any pressure to finish the game in one sitting.

The Life of a Magical Circle displays wonderful art design and simple gameplay. A great game to try if you just want to unwind with something simple and stress-free, and is a great game to pick up and play for a quick session. The philosophical themes and abstract visuals make it a unique experience that will challenge players to think about their lives and the choices they make.

I played The Life of a Magical Circle on Steam with a review copy. The game is available now on Steam.
Want to try the game first? There is a free demo available on Steam.