The Verge reviews minimalist PC title What Surrounds Us on Steam
A three-hour experience that eschews explicit instructions in favour of environmental storytelling and player experimentation.
The Verge has published a review of What Surrounds Us, a newly released PC game available on Steam. The title is characterised by minimalist gameplay, where players control a sentient circle navigating a world composed entirely of geometric shapes. With an approximate playthrough duration of three hours, the game eschews explicit instructions and heavy text, relying instead on environmental storytelling and player intuition.
The review draws comparisons to The Legend of Zelda franchise, noting similarities in exploration and puzzle-solving mechanics. Players traverse three distinct regions, solving lightweight puzzles to progress. As they advance, they acquire new abilities, such as the capacity to charge up a large leap to cross gaps. The design is described as trippy, with the player character resembling a donut with frosting.
Gameplay involves interacting with a world where everything is a circle. Players must interpret visual cues, such as dark red circles that function as walls, and utilise mechanics like a ping near dark circles to open new paths. The experience also includes avoiding aggressive enemy circles that can eliminate the player, as well as navigating around a glitchy substance that snakes through the world and blocks paths.
The narrative and thematic meaning are left for the player to interpret, with visual cues such as dark red circles functioning as walls. The soundtrack is described as ethereal and ambient, designed not to overpower the player’s senses. The review suggests the game explores themes of working in connection with the environment, though this interpretation is subjective to the reviewer’s experience.
The game is now available on PC via Steam. The review reflects a single playthrough experience; individual player experiences may vary. Thematic interpretations regarding environmental connection are subjective to the reviewer. Specific obstacles, such as the glitchy substance, may not be prevalent in all playthroughs.
