# South of the Circle — Love. Memory. Survival. > Narrative adventure game about love, memory, and survival in 1960s Antarctica. (iPhone/iPad app by State of Play Games.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/south-of-the-circle/id1477077753 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [State of Play Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/494615574) - Category: Games - Price: Free - Rating: 4.24/5 from 705 App Store ratings · 52 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 2.1 GB - Languages: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and 4 more - Released: 2020-10-30 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/south-of-the-circle/id1477077753/reviews.md ## What is South of the Circle? A narrative adventure game by the BAFTA winning studio State of Play. Antarctica, 1964. A crashed aircraft, tail to the sky. Cambridge academic Peter stumbles from the wreckage in search of help, fighting the cold. As his attempts to escape the ice grow more desperate, the lines between his past and present begin to blur. A love story between colleagues Peter and Clara, set against the backdrop of the Cold War, South of the Circle is a narrative adventure game about memory, survival, and the consequences of not dealing with the past. • Compelling and immersive narrative with a unique sense of time and place • Fully motion captured performances to achieve emotional realism, from a cast including Gwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody), Olivia Vinall (The Woman in White), Richard Goulding (Belgravia), Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones), Adrian Rawlins (Chernobyl), and Michael Fox (Downton Abbey) • Nuanced emotional choices with a unique symbol-based mechanic • Rich, authentic environments • Deeply researched 1960s setting • Exploration, discovery, and environmental storytelling woven through the narrative • From State of Play Games, developers of BAFTA winning Lumino City, BAFTA nominated KAMI 2 and Apple Design Award Winner INKS ## Key features - Compelling narrative - Fully motion-captured performances - Nuanced emotional choices - Rich, authentic environments - Deeply researched 1960s setting - Exploration and environmental storytelling ## What do users think of South of the Circle? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Incredible story and visuals - 👍 Captivating voice acting and soundtrack - 💡 Unique interactive narrative experience **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs - 🔍 Choices have little impact on the story - 🤔 Unsatisfying or abrupt ending **Commonly reported bugs** - Game freezing and losing progress - Overlapping character animations - Unclear control instructions **Most requested features** - Chapter selection menu - Multiple ending options - Ability to roam more freely ## Recent user reviews (10 of 52) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/south-of-the-circle/id1477077753/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Incredible *2023-05-31* When I first found this game it looked like a cool twist between story, and mobile. I downloaded the game and in the same day I spent a solid five hours and went through the entire game. It is amazing. I highly recommend this game to whoever enjoys a good story. The ending left me sitting on my seat, and I debated on multiple occasions until going with what I felt was right. This game really puts you into the time period and how it was. I don’t know if it was just the choices I made, or it’s just how it ends, but unlike most stories you don’t get the girl, fun twist at the end that left me dazed at all that was happening. I loved how connected I got with the main character, like when he fell in the snow I found myself begging him to get up, I especially love how much you could connect with the characters and their will to do things. The give this game 5/5 stars as it is a total masterpiece, I felt like I was playing some $30 game on a Pc, just for it all to be on mobile. The only thing I found not annoying I would say but a nice thing to fix is when they are holding hands, as they warp between each other. I really think anyway in likes this genre should get the game, fair warning though have some time on your hands before playing. ### 2/5 — Please don’t waste your time with this game *2023-05-16* Spent 4 hours playing this game….you’re not really “playing it” and the choices you make don’t really change anything. It’s more like watching a movie than playing a game. Really disappointed with the ending. They set up an excellent storyline but failed to deliver a meaningful ending. It’s like Clara literally forgot everything you said and completely disregards any interaction you’ve had before. And for this to happen after I spent hours with the storyline. Cmon guys, do better. The graphics, camera movement, voice acting, and music are pretty incredible, but overall it fails to finish to a cohesive and satisfying ending. Just made me so mad to spend so much time with it, only to be confused and frustrated at the end. Please don’t waste your time with this. ### 5/5 — Wow *2023-02-17, version 1.4.2* All I gotta say is wow. This game was very entertaining to play, it had me hooked from the start. I really enjoyed Peter’s story throughout this game, there was so many times I thought one thing was gonna happen and then it was something else than what I expected. The one thing I gotta say that I wasn’t a big fan of was the ending. I’m really hoping that the developers of this game decide to make a second game (wink wink) because the ending was sort of a cliffhanger and open to interpretation. The voice acting, the music, the visuals and art in this game were so amazing. I highly recommend giving this game a try if you’re looking for something fun and story driven! ### 4/5 — Beautiful story but little gameplay *2022-09-18, version 1.4.2* This took about 3 hrs. This nugget surprised me. It’s not necessarily a game but more of following along in the story of one man. Most the game is a point and direct the character to move through the story, it expects little in the terms of actual gameplay. You make choices and see how that affects your story. It has a beautiful love story, visual artwork, narratives, characters, and my word the voice actors! It is more well done than some movies out there. ### 5/5 — Touching story, great game *2022-06-23, version 1.4.2* The controls were surprisingly good, and didn’t bug out for me, which I was happy about. The animations were a little glitchy, like during the first hug scene, Peter and Clara’s faces kept going inside each other's, so you would see like Peter’s cheek poking out of Clara’s face, and sometimes their eyes and mouth would disappear, but others then that, it was fine. The story itself was very captivating and let me to finish the game in an entire day because I didn’t want to stop playing. It was also a very touching game and I found myself crying a bit at the end. Also, the voice acting, just “✨”. Never once did it sound like an annoying robot was talking. The “The End” was put way before the actual ending, I’m not sure if it is meant to be like that, but it might get some people to exit the game before it’s actually over. Also, I want to know if they live or not. Maybe you could add to the ending, maybe where Peter gets home and makes up with Clara, and they get “knighted” as Floyd says. That would be really awesome if you added that. This game is amazing and I super highly recommend it. Also, the developers are amazing as well, thank you so much for creating this game and I hope you make more like this in the future! ❤️ ### 3/5 — MORE A MOVIE THAN A GAME *2022-03-02, version 1.4.2* "South of the Circle" is more of a movie than a game. Normally, that would be a disappointment if you were actually expecting a game. What makes the game moderately amusing (it's really neither great or terrible) is the very well-written dialog and voice novers along with the attractive pastel-like graphics. On the downside, the player involement seems to be limited to selecting mood buttons that seem to have almost no impact to how the game proceeds. In this way, you are really like an observor with very minimal decision-making in how the story progresses. There are really no challenges or puzzles that you're called upon to solve. At one point, about 80% into the game, an odd "The End" screen appears. But then the game progresses on for a number of more scenes until it concludes in a rather hasty and somewhat unsatisfying ending. ### 3/5 — WHAT?!?! *2022-02-20, version 1.4.2* I got drawn in! I was so into the story, and loved it…then it ended!!!! YOU CANT END IT LIKE THAT!!!! Seriously review though; this is my first time playing a game this style and I did enjoy it for the most part. I agree with another reviewer that said they didn’t feel their choices made much difference. There is a set story, and nothing you choose seems to really change anything…especially not the ending. And of course, I am not happy with the way it ends. It left me confused to what was going on, and what actually happened through the whole story. ### 5/5 — OMG I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!! *2021-11-29, version 1.4.2* I was in the car all day traveling home with nothing to do so I downloaded this game and omg I loved it so much!!! The graphics were amazing and it was just the type of game I was looking for! I would play it a thousand times! The story line was so relatable and so lovely!!!! 10/10 recommended. I would like to know what friends all happened between Clara and Peter tho 😢But other than that the game was really just a pleasure to play and I tank everyone who was part of this!!!!! 🥰❤️ ### 5/5 — Excellent adult interactive story *2021-11-27, version 1.4.2* Similar in concept to Firewatch or Kentucky Route Zero (both of which are available on MacOS through various channels, but neither of which are. unfortunately available yet for iOS). This is a game in the sense that it is interactive, but your interactions don’t change the outcome, they serve to invest you in the narrative and are reflected in the dialog. When executed well, it’s a surprisingly powerful technique. This is a beautiful and well done example - a love story that is set in a harsh environment during the unsettling political climate of the 60’s. Highly recommended if this is your cup of tea - this is right up there with Firewatch in my opinion, in regard to the story. Great job. If you’re expecting something more of a competitive video game, this is not the right choice. ### 5/5 — My first review *2021-11-08, version 1.4.2* I have never played a story that was compelling and beautiful enough to write one of these, but this game was fantastic. The graphics and art in the game was gorgeous. The story was very well written and a beautiful game about the uncertainty of the 60’s. But the writing and the voice acting took the cake for me. A huge fan of audio books, this games actors did Ana amazing job of making you feel as though you were watching a true story. 10/10. Just wish it was longer. ## Frequently asked questions about South of the Circle ### What is South of the Circle about? South of the Circle is a narrative adventure game set in Antarctica in 1964. It follows a Cambridge academic named Peter who crashes and must fight for survival. The game explores his past, his love story with Clara, and themes of memory and the consequences of unresolved issues. ### What are the key features of this game? The game features a compelling and immersive narrative, fully motion-captured performances for emotional realism, nuanced emotional choices using a unique symbol-based mechanic, rich and authentic environments, and a deeply researched 1960s setting. It also incorporates exploration and environmental storytelling. ### How much does South of the Circle cost? South of the Circle is a paid application. The provided data indicates it does not have in-app purchases or ads, suggesting a one-time purchase model for the full game experience. ### What platforms is South of the Circle available on? While the specific platforms are not detailed in the provided description, it is presented as a mobile application. Users can typically find such games on major mobile app stores for compatible devices. ### Who developed South of the Circle? South of the Circle was developed by State of Play Games. This studio is known for other acclaimed titles such as BAFTA winning Lumino City, BAFTA nominated KAMI 2, and Apple Design Award Winner INKS. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 1.4.2 — 2021-10-08 Performance and animation improvements plus various fixes ## Apps similar to South of the Circle | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Little Orpheus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-orpheus/id1446279575) | 4.4 (803) | Free | Games | | [Discolored](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/discolored/id1479350739) | 4.0 (1,041) | Free | Games | | [Creaks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/creaks/id1466040723) | 4.7 (2,055) | Free | Games | | [Takeshi and Hiroshi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/takeshi-and-hiroshi/id1471596310) | 4.2 (217) | Free | Games | | [Slash Quest!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slash-quest/id1459918347) | 4.0 (249) | Free | Games | | [Oceanhorn 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oceanhorn-2/id1141837408) | 4.2 (3,586) | Free | Games | ## More apps by State of Play Games - [Lume](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lume/id502421311) - [KAMI](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kami/id710724007) - [Lumino City](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumino-city/id958604518) - [The Making of Lumino City](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-making-of-lumino-city/id1060139785) - [INKS.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inks/id1081847121) - [KAMI 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kami-2/id1133161444) All apps by State of Play Games: https://appshunter.io/developer/494615574 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*