Being set in Antarctica attracted me to this game, and my perspective is possibly an unusual one as my job is Antarctica, I have spent time on the cold continent for work, I've lived and experienced that extreme environment and appreciate that someone actually put it into a game and portrayed it well. That is rare. I found this game to be captivating (I had completed it on iOS) and it really resonated with me in the way they portrayed the cold, the ice, the experience. I wasn't expecting the alternating narrative but genuinely appreciated it, I really enjoyed the storytelling here. The voice acting is great, I like the graphical style and the mocap works well. The delivery of the game is good, with the gameplay factor maybe lacking a little, but as an interactive story it is top notch. I think on steam it may be a little overpriced, at least in Australia, though I understand the production quality is high. I do recommend this game, enough that I bought it for both Steam and iOS.
South of the Circle
- Release Date:
- Aug 3, 2022
- Metacritic:
- 75
- Developer:
- State of Play
- Publisher:
- 11 bit studios
- Platforms:
- Windows
Game Tags
About This Game
South of the Circle Deluxe Edition
South of the Circle Deluxe Edition contains an additional set of digital goods including the complete game soundtrack, Eighty Two Nineteen - South of the Circle e-book written by the game’s director, and Circles EP created in collaboration with the Frostpunk OST composer.
This package includes:
South of the Circle
South of the Circle Soundtrack
South of the Circle: E-book - Eighty Two Nineteen
Circles EP: South of the Circle x Frostpunk
About the Game

South of the Circle is an emotional narrative experience with a deep multi-layered cinematic story. The main plot asks questions about the consequences of paths taken in life and how they have influenced our career and true love through the lens of the past and the future. You play Peter, a Cambridge academic who crashlands in Cold War Antarctica. As he searches for help, his past unwinds before him, revealing how the pressures of power and his own aspirations have led him into this crisis he must somehow escape. A love story between him and fellow academic Clara develops, and Peter learns the weight of all the things he has promised. Like memories from childhood, some promises stay with us forever.
MASTERFULLY EXECUTED CINEMATIC FEEL
Created by BAFTA winners State of Play, the game’s beautiful aesthetic and nuanced writing underlines its sweeping cinematic scope, further enhanced by actors drawn from “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Gwilym Lee), “The Woman in White” (Olivia Vinall), “The Crown” (Richard Goulding), “Game of Thrones” (Anton Lesser), “Chernobyl” (Adrian Rawlins) and “Downton Abbey” (Michael Fox).
FEATURES
- Compelling and immersive narrative with a unique sense of time and place.
- Nuanced emotional choices.
- Fully motion-captured performances to achieve emotional realism.
- Rich, authentic setting of the historical Cold War era.
- Environmental storytelling woven through the narrative.
- Distinguished and consistent art style.
- Crafted by State of Play Games, developers of BAFTA-winning Lumino City, BAFTA-nominated KAMI 2 and Apple Design Award Winner INKS, for audiences that seek emotional and heart-wrenching moments with a game.
Screenshots
User Reviews
I love interactive story games like this. I wish I could forget the story and experience it all over again and again.
This game would have been a 10/10 if it wasn't for that weird choice mechanic which is so jarring. Felt let down that my choices didn't mean anything. Otherwise, the voice acting, animations and music are all top notch and deserves praise.
Very cinematic. Playing this immediately after finishing Nevil Shire's On The Beach, in 2025, is very damaging to the will to live.
Nice little story. I especially liked the animations and the voice overs.
I mean...it's entertaining but the ending is confusing af
It's a good story. A good fictional novel. Too bad Brits didn't drop any A-bomb on Antarctica (unpoplulated territory). They choose to test their A-bomb in populated area and kill a few aboriginals and make sick lot of aussies.
This game has a beautiful art style and an entertaining story. Unfortunately there is very little actual gameplay.
Why does half of this novel (no, this is not a game because your actions do not influence the plot) have to be about a bloody romance when it could focus so much more on the Soviet-British friendship borne out of adversity?
Highly recommend this, I played through Steam Family Sharing and went back to buy it and leave this review. The story told here was done so very well. If you want something "different" to add to your interactive story games, this is it. I wasn't sure I'd make it through the first two Acts, I'll admit it. I found myself pausing the game multiple times throughout Act 3 to really reflect on the story being told. There was even one line I ended up writing down. It can be bleak and I felt it might be too depressing which is the case for some but I found elements to be very hopeful right at the end there. We may not be able to change the past or feel like we are running out of time in the future, so why not change what we can now? If that was the goal of the developers, well done <3
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System Requirements
Minimum
- OS *: 64-bit Windows 7
- Processor: 2.8 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 660, Radeon R7 370 or equivalent with 2 GB of video RAM
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 3 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX compatible
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: 3.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 960, Radeon RX 570 or equivalent with 4GB of video RAM
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 3 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX compatible
FAQ
How much does South of the Circle cost?
South of the Circle costs $12.99.
What are the system requirements for South of the Circle?
Minimum: Minimum: OS *: 64-bit Windows 7 Processor: 2.8 GHz Dual Core CPU Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 660, Radeon R7 370 or equivalent with 2 GB of video RAM DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 3 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible Recommended: Recommended: OS: Windows 10 Processor: 3.2 GHz Quad Core Processor Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce 960, Radeon RX 570 or equivalent with 4GB of video RAM DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 3 GB available space Sound Card: DirectX compatible
What platforms is South of the Circle available on?
South of the Circle is available on Windows PC.
Is South of the Circle worth buying?
South of the Circle has 89% positive reviews from 28 players. Metacritic score: 75/100.
When was South of the Circle released?
South of the Circle was released on Aug 3, 2022.
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