Subsurface Circular

Subsurface Circular

Released Aug 2017

When the truth is buried, go underground. Step into this new take on text-based adventure from the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone and Volume. A short story that hands you the fate of the world above, as a detective looking for answers on the Subsurface Circular.

94% positive · 1,935 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to buy

Steam $5.99
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Evaluation

Subsurface Circular launched on August 17, 2017 as a self-described "self-contained short story" — a deliberately complete, finite experience designed to be played in a single sitting. The developer, Bithell Games, has never announced any DLC, expansions, or post-launch content for this game. The two bug-fix patches in the days following launch addressed technical issues only. A September 2017 post mentioned experimenting with the short-game format, but that ambition was fulfilled by a separate standalone game, Quarantine Circular, released on May 22, 2018 — an anthology companion piece, not additional content for Subsurface Circular itself. A November 2025 post highlighted Subsurface Circular as part of a Bithell Games legacy celebration bundle, treating it as a finished catalog title. There are no unreleased DLC listings, no outstanding content commitments, and no sustained post-launch update pattern. The game shipped as a complete product and has remained so.
Evidence
Bithell Games launched Quarantine Circular as a separate standalone anthology companion, not as DLC or additional content for Subsurface Circular. This resolved any ambiguity from the September 2017 post about experimenting with the short-game format.
news post · May 22, 2018 source development ending
high
Store description explicitly describes the game as 'a polished, one-sitting game' and 'self-contained short story,' signaling it was designed and shipped as a complete, finite experience.
description source development ending
high

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
Bithell Games
Achievements
13
Platform
Windows, macOS
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player

About this game

MEET THE LOCALS, PICK UP THE LINGO

A detective stationed on the Subsurface Circular investigates a series of disappearances among the city’s robotic working class. Collect words and phrases, then use them in dialogue puzzles to uncover the world's secrets and determine its future.

This self-contained short story takes around two hours to complete and is split into several chapters. You can play the game in one sitting or, if you prefer, unfold the story in smaller pieces that can fit into a busier schedule.

Subsurface Circular is inspired by classic adventure games and modern dialogue systems, and developed by the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone and Volume. 

Key Features

  • A polished, one-sitting game.

  • A graphical twist on the classic text-based adventure.

  • Uses 'Focus Points', a unique vocabulary-based inventory system.

  • Original soundtrack by Dan Le Sac.


  • Comprehensive art gallery featuring the detailed work that went into this world.


  • Unlockable ‘BithellBot’, our interactive take on a developer’s commentary.

FAQs

If this game is ‘short’, what’s to stop me getting a refund when I’m done?

You’re browsing Steam, which means you understand the work that goes into games, and are in principle up for paying for ones that entertain you. We hope that after a bit of time with Subsurface Circular, you’ll feel good about the price you paid.

Why is the game only available in English?
As you can imagine, a text adventure game contains a terrifying amount of text, but more importantly, throughout the game we use the particular quirks of word ordering and double meaning in English to support the combination and recombination of threads. Put simply, other languages are going to be more than a straight translation: They’re going to need rewrites and changed design. Not impossible, but more than we could get done this time around.

Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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