the squAred circle

the squAred circle is an abstract action game set in a black, white, yellow, and red world. you yourself choose one of three shapes to play as and will wield the midas blade; a sword that can change its metal element to either a heavy or light metal at any time during an attack. you will use this weapon to fight pyramids and cubes, and spill their red and yellow paint on white, invisible text to reveal the messages and uncover the truth of your psyche.

the midAs blAde

i was wondering and trying to find a way to make combat more engaging in the moment-to-moment gameplay and feel more rewarding. enter: the midas blade.

the blade has two elements: heavy and light.

heavy is signified by the color yellow – which is the color of the paint that the cubes carry – and its attacks deal massive damage, with the drawback of having a slower attack speed and making the player walk slower.

light is signified by the color red – which is the color of the paint that the pyramids carry – and its attacks deal little damage, but the attacks are fast which allows you to attack the pyramids who dart around at the speed of light like little mosquitoes.

now, here is the thing; you can change these elements at any time during an attack, meaning that a player who has mastered the game enough would be able to attack with the speed of light, and change to heavy at the right time for the massive damage.

the world

the world that you are playing in is this vastly open white space with no walls to limit you and very little to orient you and guide you…

except for the text and their shadows which resemble dotted lines that you are following down...

you have stepped into your own psyche.

how can you break the 4th wall if there are no walls to begin with?

exploring the psyche

the squared circle ultimately invites the player to face their negative emotions and thoughts, and process them head on, for...

"no man is free who is not master of himself"

- epictetus

the controls

move: wasd

rotate camera: mouse

jump: space

attack: left mouse button

heavy mode: left shift

pause: escape

instAll instructions

simply extract the contents of the downloadable zip file, and run the .exe file to play

a word from the dev

this project has acted as a creative outlet during a period of change and self-discovery in my life and the process of making it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. i hope the heart and soul that i have poured into the project come through the game itself and you, the players, find enjoyment, insight, or whatever else from it.

glhf

credits

kiarash taherkhani -  game designer, programmer, vfx, animator

special thanks to:

phelipe traco: for brainstorming and playing with concepts with me tirelessly and passionately, and for creating the logo for the game.

anastasia karaseva: for providing me with awesome assets and helpful guidance regarding the graphical aspect of the game.