Circa Infinity

I think they're supposed to be the circles of hell, or at the very least the endless cycle of suffering that makes me want to drop gaming as a whole

This game surprised me. It is a unique twist on the whole precision platformer genre. A game that shows that with enough creativity you can produce a lot with very little. It's super simple at its core. Yet, the challenging nature, the continuous introduction of new obstacles, interesting boss battles, and particularly the music made me keep playing to always push forward to see what was next in store for me.

After completing the main story, I was about to put the game down and never play it again. But then I decided to try and get the achievements in the order of the global achievements. This blew new life into the game for me, and I've been enjoying it even more since.

This is one of the few games I enjoy achievement hunting in.

A precision puzzle platformer that starts out casual but continuously and consistently adds more layers to consider.

The hitboxes on enemies/hazards can feel annoyingly unforgiving when it starts to get more difficult.

When I say it is a puzzle game, it's because you have to analyze the level and plan what route to take to beat it (as opposed to just moving non-stop and reacting to enemies and hazards), but it's never too complex to figure it out.

Later on, besides routing, it requires good timing and execution, which is where the precision label comes from - you will die a lot.

Very creative puzzle game with amazing soundtrack!
Just don't rush through it, take your time to think over your next move, the game is way more fun then ^^

Yo, this game was incredible. The difficulty of this game is mainly puzzle solving. I have a long history with 2D platformers and there were only a few situations where I had difficulty executing a level and more often than not it was because of a less than efficient solution on my end. As someone who enjoys a challenging game, this was a fulfilling experience.

Circa Infinity is a weird game. From the screenshots, it looks like... chaos, but as for its genre, it looks like an endless runner, but it's actually a puzzle-platformer. It's definitely one of my favorite platformers.

Circa Infinity is split into 5 parts with 10 levels and a boss each. Each part has you approach levels differently (ex. instead of one character, how about two?) and each level throws a new puzzle/challenge at you. I would say the main appeal would be the craziness of the visuals and the conciseness of the levels. The first part (or two) is more of a tutorial and not super interesting, but carry on, for the later levels are much more interesting.

Even if Circa Infinity is one of my favorite platformers, it has its issues. For one, the puzzling aspect of the platforming. Enemy movement and circle ascending (that the right word?) is clearly the main puzzle element, and I don't have issues with that. I have issues with the parts with two players: which circle sector you enter first can force a death if you want to continue. (For example, two enemies on either side of the sector: they prevent you from moving the other character to the other sector.)
I also encountered a bug on the fourth boss. Starting the boss battle, the left half rotates while the right half doesn't, but dying will fix this (though it certainly is a great challenge, if you want to attempt). I think there were some other minor bugs but that was the most obvious one I remember.
My biggest issue would be the menu: why the heck are there no words?! When I first booted up the game, I accidentally entered the endless runner mode (called Circle Affinity) and spent more than I would like to admit finding my way back. Circle Affinity also has very annoying visual changes: sometimes the background will change to white, but the circle and character are white, so either you're great at remembering where everything is or you have to wait.

The achievements are another way to challenge yourself with unique puzzles, like don't jump for a level or only run in one direction for another. Of course, you could forget that and just focus on completing the level as fast as possible.

Circa Infinity is one of my favorite platformers. The 2-player circle ascending issue I mentioned above prevents me from recommending this game to all, but the game is still an excellent platformer. It can get really difficult, especially if you're aiming for 100% completion. I recommend it to all fans of the platformer genre.

Totemic like crying demons and psychotic delusion type arrangements make a perfect game which feels like an actual transcendent experience when you get to touch the portals to infinity. The first time it happened I had to go back and check what the title of this game was. Yes, it was the perfect title!.

Circa Infinity is made so you can play in very short bursts and it's one of the best games I've played in my whole life time including big budget titles that weren't even close to bring me so much joy.

I play to stay sharp and hoping not to waste too much time that I could spend in life expanding activities, that's why I like it so much. if your motivation is different or you are a bit challenged as some reviewers around (the ones saying that challenging your sense of orientation isn't fun) maybe you won't enjoy as much.

Just get it if you love to challenge yourself in a reasonable manner or just to support a brilliant game developer.

Works perfectly on Linux and I'd have payed full price if I knew it was so wonderful.

I don't care about signaling a naive sense of objectivity. Count me in to the cult!!.

I liked the game a decent amount initially, but the game slows down DRASTICALLY at chapter 3 out of 5 and basically becomes a totally different game. There is so much shit going on visually that it just becomes painful and annoying to try to decipher what the fuck is even happening on the screen.

First 2 chapters feel like an interesting challenging platformer, after chapter 3 it becomes an extremely challenging visual puzzle while also still being a challenging platformer. There is just too much going on that it becomes not enjoyable.

Speedrunning this game would literally just be about memorizing inputs, because there is no way you could actually even comprehend what is happening on the screen if you were moving at full speed the whole time.

The game is still overall very good, and I'm sure SOME people might enjoy it from start to finish, but I'm not one of them.

Now you might say "Well obviously MOST people enjoy the game because of the 95% positive rating on steam". And you would be wrong. Because based on playtime of the positive reviews, only about 50% of people that have left a positive review made it past chapter 3. And if you go by steam achievements, only 13% of people that own the game have passed chapter 3.

Haven't played it much so far but can easily recommend it.

Circa Infinity is fun, fast paced, challenging, provide simple but interesting concept, have a nice soundtrack and artstyle, is low priced, list goes on...
Tbh, this game have almost everything you could ask for a puzzle/platformer.

This game will require finesse in control, patience and precision.
If those things talk to you then you will have a good time playing it.

Only problem i can see is that it's best played with a controller.
With a controller you have more control of your character allowing you to walk slowly due to the analog stick, something that can't be done with a keyboard i think.

Anyway, great indie game, think fast and act fast !
Rating 7.5/10.

A fun and unique gameplay concept, stunning art, excellent level design, and epic boss fights — need I say more!? If you need a fun distracting game for the weekend, Circa Infinity is an excellent choice.

great artstyle, tight controls, and a very unique and original concept. mastering this game is difficult but incredibly rewarding. plenty of achievements give this game plenty of challenges, and the arcade gamemode offers almost infinite replayability. fantastic game.

I could best describe it as a really challenging puzzle platformer. Every level starts you on the outside of a circle where you must enter a "door" so you can get on the inside layer of the circle before jumping to the next circle, repeating these steps ad finitum until you reach the core. The first step is getting used to the controls (really simple you can only go left or right and jump) and then getting used to never losing your character out of your sight while you are drowned in a barrage of layers. Every level the game keeps introducing new challenges in your way, the circles start moving, new type of enemies and a few diabolical surprises. Trust me you will die a lot, especially if like me you started with the idea of perfecting all the levels (I have now long abandoned such foolish dream)
The game demands all of your attention at all times. Each time you make a mistake, you are set back a circle without much of a pause, so if you fail to remain calm you may start chaining mistakes and get sent way way back. You better clean those tears cause there is only one way to the end, it's persevering.
Once you manage to reach the third world, oh boy, the game not only will require all of your dexterity and concentration, it will find your determination still lacking and will now demand you grow a third eye if you wish to be worthy of his challenge !
Still sweating, once you surpass the third world, maybe you'll go back to the first few levels to get some achievements and you'll wonder how could you ever have thought theses introductory levels to be hard in the past !

It's one the hardest game i've played in my life, one of the few that made me give up numerous times. (I still need to finish world 4 and I don't think my mind can cope with the literal nightmare that probably awaits my soul in world 5) But it never felt unfair, you just need to get a grip and never lose hope !
The game looks great and is mesmerizing just to look at (but really try to not get lost in there).
Also they added for free, a stressful (but really fun !) infinite mode cleverly named Circle Affinity, that I keep coming back to.
And let's not forget the beautiful but haunting soundtrack that completes this singular package.

Storywise i'm pretty sure the game is about depression, but for me Circa Inifnity is a dazzling descent into the hearth of madness.

What a stunning, mesmerizing trip this is. The hypnotic visuals and pumping soundtrack really push this one above and beyond its simple premise and the controls are tight and well telegraphed, if that makes any sense: the sound and visual cues are really clear and punchy. Good thing there was a demo to give me that great first impression. I'm pretty pish at it, getting frustrated in the later levels as it gets mind bending-ly complex as they start to stack every element they’ve slowly got you used to over the course of the early levels on top of each other: it becomes a bit of a pat your head and rub your belly kinda thing and quite nerve racking. Don’t let that scare you away from experiencing it though; it’s a really impressive stylish game. The extra endless modes are great too, including the one that has you as two mirrored characters at once.

One word for each aspect of this game.

Circa Infinity is a very unique puzzle platformer. Usual platforms are straight, or at most some kind of slope. Here it's concentric circles and it's insane.

You enter a new circle from the bottom. You go to the right. You enter the next circle from the top. You go to the right... No. Your character is going left. Right and left are actually counter-clockwise and clockwise, which creates confusion over and over again when the brain is still used to consider that the button to the right should always move the character in that direction. Also, jump is actually some sort of slide when the character is not yet in the inner circle... Reacting the right way on short notice is really difficult. Difficult but fun, with the cool music and visuals. The first two worlds are a treat.

However, the next worlds lost me. Two characters are controlled at the same time, and it's just too hard to follow (suddenly much more a puzzle than a platformer) while not flowing as well as when it was only one character. It's like constantly being tethered to something fragile and annoying.

But before it came to that point, I really had a good time, and found the level design excellent (there are both series of levels, and an infinite mode). The game teaches you what each enemy does before spicing things up or mixing with other enemies, and it makes sure that you understood by placing them in a smart way several times and making you go back one circle upon death. Some circles are devoid of obstacles and can't kill you, they effectively act as subtle checkpoints or safe havens that prevents you from being ousted back to the beginning of that inferno.

In conclusion, despite some elements that put me off, it's a good few hours fun for anyone into unique or hardcore platformers.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=747913887

Immaculate.

In nearly every aspect, Circa Infinity has vastly exceeded my expectations, and sits well near the top of my list of most intelligently designed games I have ever played. A minimalist, puzzle platformer is the last game I would expect to enjoy this immensely amongst a sea of indie titles. I consider the genre to be the equivalent of the FPS of the indie scene: a sort of formulaic attempt to tread ground into the industry, but CI is perhaps the most exhilarating take on a tired template in every aspect of its design. It will consistently challenge your thinking while simultaneously presenting you every tool necessary to complete and appreciate the pieces which meld this wonderful game.

At its core, CI is commonly described as a circular platformer. In a step far to the left, the game involves no vast worlds, but simply a monochrome series of circles laden with enemies. It begins simply: have your character enter each circle, avoid every monster, and jump inwards to the next circle until you complete the level. Each level is comprised of around 10 circles or so, with every few levels introducing a new mechanic. It remains fairly simplistic through the first of five worlds, bringing in new enemies and covering most of what you'll need to complete the remainder.

Circa Infinity respects your intelligence. If you fail and touch an enemy, the only punishment you receive is that you must return to the previous circle. Rather than simply start the current challenge over, you must re-surmount the former, meaning that consistent missteps can place you back at the start of the level. There are checkpoints in each level every few circles, however, so even as it gets crazier, there are plenty of chains of challenges which are short and allow you to focus on them, as they become quite complex. New worlds bring in major mechanics additions, with the brilliant tutorialisation that never leaves the player confused. I won't go into them, as divulging every mechanic feels akin to spoiling a major plot. Part of CI's joy is discovering how each new world builds off of the rules that you know, and they remain clear, concise, and straightforward. That said, Circa Infinity will force you to think in manners that toss everything you know about games on its head.

Speaking of plot, the game is entirely devoid of dialogue or narration, and every piece of the story is told through imagery. This is a bold step from the game's early builds, wherein the breakpoints between levels were filled with text explaining the adventure you undertake. I feel the game works far better without it, retaining its minimalist feel and remaining atmospheric in a way that words would only detract from.

And nothing lends itself more to the game's atmosphere than the music. God, the music. Easily one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard, with even the tracks playing between levels reaching unexpected levels of intricacy and power. In a game that feels a lot about going from level to level and jumping between speeding through and thinking out the next series of moves, in only this instance would I recommend taking a break to sit and breathe, as your characters do, and take a listen between stages. The break music from the first world, a track I would normally skip, surprised me as becoming one of my favorite songs in the entire game when I took the time to sit instead of plowing ahead. The music is more than enough of a reward for finishing some of these heinous treks.

If that package weren't enough, Kenny Sun recently added the game mode: Circle Affinity, which adds a randomized, endless, high-score style romp reminiscent of Super Hexagon. It's not nearly as difficult, but is always fun, and one of the few “get as far as you can” game modes I enjoy. Especially in an age where the sort of play-til-you-drop gameplay has fallen out of favor, CA adds a nice alternative to the pre-designed levels and usual speedrunning romps. Mr. Sun is quite generous in providing for free a game mode which could have easily stood alone for a few bucks. The additions to the soundtrack never hurt either, with some remixes and a few new favorites; I anxiously await its additional release.

Of course, no game is perfect. Circa Infinity is a touch short (which is of course, remedied by CA), and finishing the game felt a tad bittersweet.
Getting used to knowing which direction you're going in can take some time and will throw you off occasionally, long past the point that you think you've familiarized yourself with it.
The color schemes in CA, though there are many to unlock, all seem to have a blending aspect in CA, in where getting past the 25th circle makes it impossible to see where the entry point for the current circle is. Perhaps this was intentional, but it's annoying when you sometimes can't even see your own character in a mode which is designed to be action and timing oriented (remember that CA is a separate mode from the main game).

However, all of these gripes are minor. It's a steal at $10, especially, and I'd go ahead and say to buy the soundtrack along with it (available in FLAC 48Khz/24bit for us audioheads, no less!). Due to the lack of coverage the game received, I was hesitant to buy it after discovering it, but bought it, had no regrets, and wished I could give Kenny Sun more of my money. The game deserves it. A perfectly designed experience, fantastic art style and soundtrack, and plenty of reasons to keep playing may very well make Circa Infinity a new favorite for you, as it was for me.

This game is so brilliant, I don't have words for it. I was mindblown more than a few times during the course of this game, when a new mechanic would click in place and I would just understand how it works in a flash.

One of the most brilliantly designed and underrated puzzle games I've played. Thank you for this game.

TL;DR: I rarely like platformers and am usually too terrible to play hard games (let alone find the effort worth it when I can), and I loved Circa Infinity. Also the music is phenomenal.

Circa infinity is a certainly a hard game, but not in any conventional manner. Outside of the bosses (which you can trial and error until you get a pattern you find easier), it doesn't really require reflexes per se, or sustained timing. Hitboxes are extremely forgiving, and you can often wait between close enemies for whatever you have to do next. Enemies move predictably, and you have breathing room to plan out your next few moves, which you then execute over several quick seconds in a sigh of relief before repeating the process. It usually alternates segments like these with miniature maze-like puzzle sections you can do at whatever pace you want. Trying to play most levels like in the trailer would be extremely difficult if not impossibly the first time through.

The game is hard because it makes you manage and respond to multiple streams of information presented on different parts of the screen. It finds new and creative ways to completely screw up your sense of direction, distance, and everything else. You'll run right into a stationary enemy you meant to run away from, or didn't see at all because you were looking at what your other character was doing. No, the game did not trick you somehow. You're just an idiot because you've never done anything like this before.

Can you pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time? How about the reverse? Change the speed of one without changing the other? Reverse directions without missing a beat? Switch between these in varying sequences? Could you learn to do all that gradually? Then you can play this. Those are the types of skills the game uses and it likes to switch things up suddenly. It's disorientingly different and every new level feels like a brick wall until you figure out the timing and order of what it wants. Then, suddenly, it seems very easy and repeatable.

Ok, an example. There's an enemy that runs continously around the circle at exactly the speed you do - enter the circle, hold down the movement key, and you're safe. They stop moving when you're in the air, so you have to be careful not to crash into the next one when you land. Then they intoduce a flying enemy that only moves when you're in the air, also at your speed. They put the in the same section of a level, so you have to jump through the air, but not too far. Then they make these enemies move in opposite directions, so you have to run in one direction, then jump in the other then switch back on landing. Then they reverse both of their directions. And then both of these completely disappear in place of enemies that move regardless of what the player is doing because there are newer and crazier gimmicks that keep getting combined in unexpected ways.

You'll move in pace with slower enemies while dodging others. You'll control two characters on opposite sides. You'll have one enter the circle before the other, so you have to avoid enemies on the inside and outside (in different places) at the same time. You'll have enemies that only appear when one character is closer. You'll run through orbs that change your characters' colors. You'll deal with enemies that can't hurt you depending on which color you are and gates that can be only opened by the right character of the right color.

It reminds me a lot of a rhythm game (or a bullet hell?) the way you're trying to process and time different patterns at the same time, and the satisfaction is similar. Considering the way the enemies animate to the beat, it's probably intentional.

My only disappointment with the game is the final boss. It's far easier, shorter, and simpler than the first one let alone all the others. I think the ending sequence was worth it, though.

Fun and mind-blowing runner game with very unique mechanics.
I feel like I'd have enjoyed it more if it was easier - I gave up on the last chapter.

The game seems to be very well designed for speedrunning, and I did some of the speedrunning achievements in the first chapter. But I feel any chapters beyond that would be a chore to complete 100%.

So overall, there's a lot of fun here, it's just a little bit too frustrating.

Circa Inifinity has the basics of a reall solid, tight-controlling platformer but it warps and wraps them into noneuclidean space. You feel yourself getting drawn in by the pulsating circles and music and when you eventually look away, the world seems to pulsate.

A dazzling and hypnotic experience. Unique.