The independent video game development scene has sometimes allowed its games to delve deeper into emotions than the mainstream gaming world. Whether its the story of a girl looking for a lost brother or a futuristic dystopia of food shortages, indie games can often put a greater emphasis on character and feeling than their big budget counterparts. Journey Of The Broken Circle is the latest game to try and tap that vein.
Journey Of The Broken Circle casts the player as a circle, which has taken on a Pac-Man-esque look thanks to a missing section. Developed by studio Lovable Hat Cult, the game tasks the player with travelling through a varied, colorful landscape, from dark underground caves all the way up to above the clouds. The end goal is to find that part of the missing circle.
Tonally, Journey Of The Broken Circle feels similar to a historic darling of the indie scene in Thomas Was Alone. Although Journey Of The Broken Circle lacks the voiceover work that helped define Thomas Was Alone as one of the most memorable indie games of the previous decade, its minimalist art style and the characterisation of its various shapes leaves the game in good company. Those different shapes can sometimes be used to fill that broken part of the main character.
It's a rather blunt but very effective metaphor for relationships and fulfilment, and it's the most impactful part of Journey Of The Broken Circle. These new parts are all individual characters, and the dialogue between Circle and the different parts it picks up along the way is strong. The dynamic between Circle and its new part also makes up the core mechanic of the game, as each new relationship can add a different skill to the player.
The skills match up with what each part wants out of their relationship with Circle. Sticky is a thorny seed that wants to settle down, helping Circle reach different areas, but at the expense of freedom which leaves them incompatible. Balloon wants to float away, causing eventual friction due to its need to not be held back by Circle in spite of Circle's efforts to keep Balloon inflated. Finally, Perfect seems like the ideal fit, but its emphasis on speed and constantly moving proves to cause difficulties itself.
This is the journey that Circle needs to take, as it tries to find what will make it complete. Along the way, Journey Of The Broken Circle throws doubts at the player as the game tackles anxiety made manifest. This comes in the form of occasional boss battles in the darkest sections of the game's cave system, as the player is chased by the shadowy ghost of their own dark thoughts. Once again it's hardly subtle, but still gets its point across.
As a concept Journey Of The Broken Circle is impressive, particularly when married to its gorgeous art style. However, its gameplay doesn't quite match up thanks to some awkward moments where the game's physics struggle to allow the player to have the crisp control required. This is particularly true in the sections where the player is teamed up with a completing part to overcome different puzzles.
In particular this is a problem with Sticky, who will stop flow of movement at times (albeit sometimes intentionally for story purposes). The Balloon sections face a different problem, with a lack of definition between different colors of cloud leading to difficulties deciphering when the player is able to uplift and when they will come up against a solid barrier. It's not just the new part mechanics that cause trouble, though, such as sections where the controls turn backwards in the heat of a volcano; it's rarely a fun dynamic, and it's not in Journey Of The Broken Circle either.
Overall Journey Of The Broken Circle is still a decent indie platformer. Its strong characters and effective story are enough to warm even the coldest of hearts, in spite of its occasional issues with gameplay that could put players off. It's a concise, well-crafted puzzler that doesn't outstay its welcome, which is more than enough reason to give it a shot if interested.
Journey Of The Broken Circle is out now for PC and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.