Circles is perhaps the most apt title since maybe Prison Architect or Portal. Much like those games, everything you need to know about the game's core concept is in the title. Circles is a game about...circles. It's the first thing you see onscreen and each puzzle revolves around manipulating them. It's in that manipulation where Circles' minimalist design shines.

Illusive Games' puzzler is one that revolves around experimentation. Eschewing text and tutorials, each puzzle in Circles challenges you to first learn its rules through play and then use those rules to reach the waiting exit. Playing through a recent beta version, those rules can vary: in one puzzle, moving through a level shrinks circles to clear a path. In another, rotating around the screen reveals the exit. Others tie your speed or proximity to the state of the circles, causing them to grow or shrink or move in response to your actions. Discovering what works and why is a process of observation and curious movements, testing different positions and actions until the rules and solution become clear.
A colorful palette and minimalist design gives Circles a look of abstract art-in-motion, spheres of color expanding across the screen, overlapping into new hues and moving in smooth patterns mirroring your own actions. It's a vibrant and elegant aesthetic that nicely complements the game's style of puzzle solving.

Circles is expected to release this year on PC, Mac, and iOS devices. For more details o...