Games like The Magic Circle

This is a first-person narrative game where you manipulate game development tools to solve environmental puzzles. You steal and remix enemy behaviors in a darkly comic meta-story.

92% positive from 1,500 · 2015 · 80% finish it · Steam Deck Playable · $19.99 $9.99 -50% · Lowest ever $3.99 (2019-02-04)

AdventurePuzzleIndieStory RichSimulationFirst-Person

Six games like The Magic Circle

Amnesia: Rebirth

77% positive from 9,265 reviews20203% finish itDeck Verified

First-person narrative horror game. Survive by managing fear and solving puzzles while evading creatures.

What players likedPlayers say it's like SOMA, praising its story, lore expansion, and tense atmosphere.

The catchMonster encounters are scripted and harmless, so it rarely feels scary or tense.

Both are tagged First-Person, Story Rich and Puzzle.

Games like Amnesia: Rebirth →

Riven

92% positive from 2,802 reviews202412% finish itDeck Verified

Riven is a first-person puzzle adventure game focused on environmental observation and logic. Players explore a surreal world to uncover its secrets and solve intricate puzzles.

What players likedPlayers praise Riven as a visually stunning, immersive puzzle game, often comparing it favorably to Myst and other Cyan VR remakes.

The catchConstant backtracking and long unskippable animations make the pace a slog.

Both are tagged First-Person, Story Rich and Puzzle.

Games like Riven →

Myst

89% positive from 2,160 reviews202116% finish itDeck Verified

A first-person puzzle adventure game where players explore surreal worlds to uncover a mystery. It features environmental puzzle-solving and a narrative driven by player discovery.

What players likedPlayers praise Myst as a challenging, atmospheric puzzle game, a historical classic that inspired modern titles, with satisfying self-discovery.

The catchPuzzles feel tedious or unintuitive and do not hold up next to modern puzzle games.

Both are tagged First-Person, Story Rich and Puzzle.

Games like Myst →

Maize

82% positive from 2,127 reviews2016

First-person adventure game with environmental puzzles and absurd humor. Explore a farm and facility to uncover secrets about sentient corn and its inhabitants.

What players likedPlayers praise its unique, humorous premise and talking characters, comparing it to an entertaining adventure with a bizarre yet memorable experience.

The catchThe comedy misses badly, mostly characters calling each other stupid and idiot.

Both are tagged First-Person, Story Rich and Puzzle.

Games like Maize →

The Entropy Centre

89% positive from 4,352 reviews202231% finish itDeck Playable

A first-person puzzle adventure game where players reverse objects through time to solve challenges. It features a witty narrative and a dangerous space station setting.

What players likedPlayers praise its Portal-like puzzle gameplay, unique time-rewinding mechanics, engaging story, and witty writing.

The catchOne mistimed jump or misplaced cube often means redoing the whole puzzle from scratch.

Both are tagged First-Person, Story Rich and Puzzle.

Games like The Entropy Centre →

MADiSON

87% positive from 3,354 reviews20225% finish itDeck Verified

MADiSON is a first-person psychological horror game where players use an instant camera to solve puzzles and survive. It features a dark narrative and unsettling atmosphere with randomly generated events.

What players likedPlayers praise MADiSON as a terrifying horror game with smooth controls and puzzles, comparable to Visage, Silent Hill, and Hereditary.

The catchObscure puzzles and no direction mean constant backtracking and looking up guides.

Both are tagged First-Person, Puzzle and Simulation.

Games like MADiSON →

More about The Magic Circle

What players liked

Players praise its unique meta-commentary on game development, akin to "The Stanley Parable" or "Undertale."

The catch

Very little actual gameplay, mostly slow walking through long stretches of dialogue.

Reviews: 92% positive from 1,500
Released: 2015
Finish it: 80% of players
Steam Deck: Steam Deck Playable
Price: $19.99 $9.99 -50% · Lowest ever $3.99 (2019-02-04)
Play: Single-player

It is here because it sits in the band this site looks at: well reviewed at 92% positive, but with 1,500 reviews, far fewer than the household names carry.

View The Magic Circle on Steam

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