Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗Quarantine Circular
Bithell Games · Published by Bithell Games · Official site ↗
Very Positive — 88% positive (442 reviews) · Metacritic 73 · 18 achievements
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
In the middle of a world-ending pandemic, a group of scientists discover the galaxy has been watching. From the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone and Subsurface Circular, Quarantine Circular is the next mutation in text-based adventure.
£4.79
Lowest price we've ever recorded
View on SteamPrices can lag the live Steam store — always confirm before buying.
Price history
Adventure, Indie, Casual · 2018 · More under £5 games
Explore a text-based world where scientists unravel mysteries and confront alien entities in Quarantine Circular. Experience an engaging narrative from the creators of Thomas Was Alone, set during a pandemic.
About this game
JOIN THE DISCUSSION, DIAGNOSE HUMANITY
Amid a global pandemic, an unknown entity has come to Earth. A small group of humans now face a decision on behalf of their planet: Should they trust the stranger that arrived from the stars?
Quarantine Circular places the fate of a vulnerable human race in your hands. Your dialogue choices in conversation with your fellow humans and off-world visitor will determine how the game plays out, and how its story ends. Work with your team to figure out if your new alien acquaintance is here to help the human race, or whether they plan to strike while the planet is weakened.
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.
Quarantine Circular is inspired by classic adventure games and modern dialogue systems, and developed by the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume, and Subsurface Circular. You do not need to have played Subsurface Circular in order to follow Quarantine Circular’s story (though if you enjoyed one, we think you’ll like the other).
Key Features
A polished, one-sitting game.
Social dynamics and greater choice enhance this twist on classic text-based adventures.
Responsive soundtrack by Dan Le Sac.
Art Gallery showcasing the development of this new story.
Unlockable ‘Mr Commentary’, 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?
We’re so grateful to the community for the low rate of refunds on our previous short, Subsurface Circular. We hope Quarantine will earn the same. Our games are made by a team of hardworking people, and it’s encouraging that the Steam community consistently shows respect for this passion and effort.
Do I need to have played Subsurface Circular or other Bithell games to enjoy this one?
No. Quarantine Circular tells its own self contained story.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: 2.5 GHz
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated 2048 MB+
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Supported Languages
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
New Game Announcement - Vampirium: 1997
We've been working on our newest title this past year, and we're incredibly excited to be ready to announce our next game. Those of you signed up to our mailing list and reading The Last Portrait will have already had a sneak peek into the world we're building here. Everyone else, allow us to introduce...Vampirium: 19971997. Dracula is King of England. At his command, master your dark gifts to assassinate his enemies and secure his vampiric empire. Infiltrate locked-down locations, adapt and survive in living environments and uncover your own unique methods of executing missions.Wishlist NowVampirium: 1997 will be coming to early access, meaning player feedback will be at the core of the game's continued development. It will allow us to better respond to what the community wants, be it new content, quality of life updates, or simple bug fixes. Basically, your involvement helps us create a better game!Stay tuned for news on development progress, playtesting, and early access. Right now, you can watch the announcement teaser and the developer gameplay walkthrough below. And, of course, don't forget to wishlist the game!See you soon.Watch the Announce TeaserWatch the Developer Gameplay UpdateRead full article on Community Announcements (Bithell Games)AnnouncementsOfficial
New Bundle and Creator Keys - Bithell Games' Legacy Celebration
We're into the second half of our legacy games celebration with Quarantine Circular!Amid a global pandemic, an unknown entity has come to Earth. A small group of humans now face a decision on behalf of their planet: Should they trust the stranger that arrived from the stars?Quarantine Circular will be on sale all this week and is included in our NEW BUNDLE where you can purchase all six of our self-published games (or complete the set if you already own one or more) for 10% off! If it's been sitting on your wishlist for a while or you want to gift the game to a friend, now is the perfect time.We're also sending out Quarantine Circular Steam keys to creators who want to play the game on their channels this week. There's still time to get involved if you want to be one of them! Fill out the interest form below and we'll be in touch: https://forms.gle/redadEHeKNnTFsgv5The fate of a vulnerable human race in your hands. Good luck.Bithell Games Legacy CelebrationRead full article on Community Announcements (Bithell Games)Patch NotesOfficial
Day 1 patch notes, and thanks!
Hey everyone, Wow. What a fun launch, thanks to all of you for picking it up and taking it for a spin. The great news is that our QA process pre-launch seems to have been watertight, with very few reporting bugs despite lots going through.. That said, you found a couple of typos, so we've fixed those... please report any other issues in the pinned dev thread on the game's forum. Thanks so much for the support, keep those steam reviews coming, they really help our metrics, and tell your friends! Cheers, MikeRead full article on Community Announcements (Mike Bithell)Press Coverage
Mike Bithell's new game Quarantine Circular is another weird text adventure
Three years after the release of Thomas Was Alone, and just one year after Volume , developer Mike Bithell discussed plans for two new games : a "smaller" project and a "seismic, massive" one. Last year, Bithell released the smaller project on that list: Subsurface Circular, a short text adventure headlined by some strange robots. It seems he found room for another small game, because today Bithell abruptly released Quarantine Circular, a completely separate but equally short text adventure. You can get it on Steam for $6 (or $4.79 if you buy by May 29). Given its surprise release and numerous similarities to Subsurface Circular, I'm willing to bet Quarantine Circular is not the "seismic, massive" project Bithell mentioned. On Twitter, he said it was directly inspired by the success of Subsurface Circular's experimental structure. "It got the best reviews we've ever had, and a Steam rating that I'm still not entirely convinced isn't the result of a weird bug," he said. "It also (thanks to being pretty cheap to make) made its money back quickly and has kept us all going since." Bithell describes Quarantine Circular as "a one-sitting game for adults in search of a polished new world to discover" and a text adventure enhanced by "social dynamics and greater choice." It's about a group of scientists interrogating a member of an alien race believed to be linked to a mysterious global pandemic. It deals with "themes of humanity and philosophy," and looks to have the same branching dialogue that made Subsurface Circular so interesting. Judging from its Steam FAQ, Quarantine Circular is quite short indeed. The first entry asks "If this game is ‘short’, what’s to stop me getting a refund when I’m done?" presumably referring to Steam's two-hour refund window. Not that there's a problem with short ...Read full article on PC GamerPress Coverage
Quarantine Circular is the surprise sequel to Subsurface Circular, and it s out right now
Mike Bithell (originally of Thomas Is Alone fame) clearly likes his surprise launches. His previous game, the short-but-sweet sci-fi mystery adventure Subsurface Circular launched onto Steam with zero fanfare or warning, but racked up no shortage of praise and awards. Today, its successor – Quarantine Circular – quietly released onto Steam, and it looks similarly great. It’s not quite a sequel, though, more a spiritual successor sharing many of the mechanics and themes of the original, but telling its own, entirely new sci-fi tale. (more…)Read full article on Rock, Paper, Shotgun
