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Subsurface Circular

Subsurface Circular

Bithell Games · August 17, 2017 · Visual Novel, Investigation, Detective, Choices Matter, Text-Based

Buy the Subsurface Circular key for Steam from Eneba at $1.77 — the cheapest of 5 stores we compare.

Visual Novel deals
PC
Very Positive94% · 1,93883Metacritic
Best price 46 Good deal
$1.77-50%
lowest tracked $1.19
Eneba Buy at Eneba

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Where to buy Subsurface Circular — official stores

Steam
Steam
Standard Edition · Steam
-50%
$2.99
$5.99
Buy

Cheapest Subsurface Circular keys — keyshops

Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.

Eneba
Eneba
Standard Edition · Steam
$1.77
Buy
Gameseal
Gameseal
Standard Edition · Steam
$1.82
Buy
Kinguin
Kinguin
Standard Edition · Steam
$2.54
Buy
CJS CD Keys
CJS CD Keys
Standard Edition · Steam
$2.66
Buy

Subsurface Circular price by region

Subsurface Circular costs £1.17 in the United Kingdom, €1.34 in Europe (EUR), $1.77 in the United States, $1.77 in Georgia (USD), CA$3.24 in Canada, NZ$3.69 in New Zealand, A$4.25 in Australia, R$5.99 in Brazil and zł7.49 in Poland right now.

Cheapest Subsurface Circular offer in each region, in local currency
RegionBest priceOfficial storeKey shopStores
United Kingdom £1.17 −51% £2.39 £1.17 3
Europe (EUR) €1.34 −55% €2.99 €1.34 4
United Statesyour region $1.77 −50% $2.99 $1.77 5
Georgia (USD) $1.77 −50% $1.99 $1.77 5
Canada CA$3.24 −50% CA$3.24 — 1
New Zealand NZ$3.69 −50% NZ$3.69 — 1
Australia A$4.25 −50% A$4.25 — 1
Brazil R$5.99 −50% R$5.99 — 1
Poland zł7.49 −50% zł10.99 zł7.49 2

Each row is a real price from that region's own stores, not a currency conversion, so the figures are not directly comparable. Switch regions in the header to shop the one you buy in.

Screenshots

About Subsurface Circular

✦ AI summary

Play as a detective unraveling robot disappearances on the Subsurface Circular by collecting vocabulary and solving dialogue puzzles to shape the world's fate. This polished 2-hour narrative adventure combines classic text adventure gameplay with a unique word-based inventory system and modern storytelling.

MEET THE LOCALS, PICK UP THE LINGOA 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.

Subsurface Circular — game info

Platforms
Windows, macOS
Steam Deck
Playable
Player modes
Single-player
PC Game Pass
Not included
More games like this:Mac games

Subsurface Circular in the rankings

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

Subsurface Circular is a text-heavy visual novel set entirely on a subway train that players praise for its compelling mystery, thought-provoking narrative, and interesting characters, though some find the dialogue-focused gameplay tedious. The game is relatively short and works well as a quick, self-contained experience for those seeking something experimental and story-driven, with the ending leaving a strong emotional impact. Players feel it's worth playing, especially at its modest price point.

Recommended Aug 22, 2026
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first played this game, going in blind...but after finishing a fullplay thru, I would describe Subsurface Circular as a 3D visual novel. Maybe you might be looking for something more ; this game is a text-based intensive tale of mystery and the train carriage is the back drop of the entire play. Nevertheless I found the story compelling, the characters interesting and the ending unexpected. If you enjoy a well polished futuristic 3D visual novel, then you may like this one. It may not be in the upper sci-fi realms of a Phillip K. D*ck pulp paperback but the world woven in Subsurface Circular is defintely food for thought. :)
2 found this helpful
Recommended Jul 24, 2026
I've been fascinated by short, experimental games lately. Nowadays, the art of gaming demands more and more of your time: sprawling RPGs with quests in every nook and cranny, live-service games with battle passes beckoning you to their depths. More ephemeral, lunch-break titles, in this case, Mike Bithell's Subsurface Circular, developed by Bithell Games, serve to captivate instantly while serving as a somewhat complete package in that time period. A tough challenge, though not insurmountable. In this case, Bithell finds smaller yet imaginative ways to intrigue. Our protagonist never leaves the titular subway; he cannot, by his own programming. Everything told to you is a matter of dislocated perspective; you cannot participate or act as your own witness. Thus, solving a mystery is less about the main scenario itself and rather about understanding Subsurface Circular's world setting. Much of the narrative and themes are prescient: what place do humans have in a world entirely automated? Some positions, factory workers, for example, are more justifiable, but artisan cooking is less defensible. That is, regardless, a theme explored by science fiction since the onset; I am more inter…
1 found this helpful
Recommended Aug 27, 2026
Interesting dialogue puzzle game. Enjoyed the story--reminiscent of detroit become human.
Recommended Aug 20, 2026
A short text-based adventure with an excellent, thought provoking narrative.
Recommended Aug 8, 2026
Tedious; but if you like tedious detective games, it's cheap enough to try.
Recommended Jul 23, 2026
Absolutely incredible story, the end genuinely makes you step back and think before making an incredibly difficult decision that decides the fate of the game's universe Recommend for anyone, so worth the small price

Community reviews

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