What Surrounds Us will make you think a lot about circles
The indie game 'What Surrounds Us' uses a minimalist, circular design to explore themes of environmental connection. The game features Zelda-inspired puzzle mechanics and encourages player experimentation without explicit tutorials.
Why it matters
It showcases how independent game design can use abstract aesthetics to convey complex environmental themes.
What Surrounds Us takes its title literally. You play as a circle surrounding a hole in its middle — it looks like a donut with frosting. You work together with other sentient moving circles, sometimes helping them joyfully meet with others. And you traverse a large map that’s composed entirely of, you guessed it, a series of circles. But the circles everywhere aren’t just an artistic choice; they underscore the game’s themes about working in connection with the environment and the things around us.
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