A downloadable game for Windows and macOS

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SquareActing - A short game about fitting in.

Getting ahead as a circle can be hard.

Acting square can make things easier.

But at what cost?


[[ How To Play ]]


  • Move left/right using the [left]/][right] arrows
  • Jump using [space]

Circles are OK. But Squares are better.


You can become Square by holding [tab].

   

When you're square you can:

  • Press [space] in the air to double-jump ^_^
  • Press buttons by standing on them ^V^
  • Nudge other circles out the way by jumping on them ^O^


Go through the door to get to the next chapter!

[[ About ]]

You're welcome to enjoy this game as a split-difficulty platformer; the square path is much easier than the circle.

But if you're so inclined, it's a (heavy handed) analogy for the cost of hiding who you are; to make a good impression at the interview, to fit in at the office party, to invite your boss over for dinner, to get that promotion to the top...

This game was originally made for the B&W Jam. This version extends the original jam edition with new abilities, larger, more varied levels, controller support, extensive soundtrack,  and much slicker visuals especially for the Queer Games Bundle.

[[ Walkthrough ]]

For those of you who are prepared to act square:

For those of you who want to stay circle:

The choice is always yours.

[[ Attributions ]]

This game wouldn't be anywhere near as good without these great people sharing their work:

[[ Change Log ]]

  • v3.0.2 - Prevent out-of-bounds by clipping through level 1 disappearing blocks
  • v3.0.1 - (Mac only) Corrects executable bit to make the game playable
  • v3.0.0 - Official Bundle Release!
  • v2.3.0 - [EA] Ending sequences, disappearing blocks
  • v2.2.0 - [EA] Transform animations, title sequence, separate endings
  • v2.1.0 - [EA] Post processing, new soundtrack
  • v2.0.0 - [Early Access] Windows build, new fonts and sounds
  • v1.0.0 - Original webgl jam edition (play it here)
More information
StatusReleased
PlatformsWindows, macOS
Rating
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
(15 total ratings)
Authortomputergames
GenrePlatformer
Made withUnity
Tags2D, Black and White, Casual, LGBT, LGBTQIA, Meaningful Choices, Pixel Art
Average sessionAbout a half-hour
LanguagesEnglish
InputsKeyboard, Xbox controller

Download

Download NowName your own price

Click download now to get access to the following files:

squareacting_win_v3.0.2.zip 38 MB
squareacting_mac_v3.0.2.zip 48 MB

Development log

Comments

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liberal_sodomite3 years ago

I am delighted. Thank you

Reply
tomputergames3 years ago

Thank you for playing ^_^

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mascdomtop3 years ago

Loved this, love the visual style and the chromatic aberration on the edges of the screen.

I love the way you can read so much into all the little things like 'nudging' circles out of the way to get to the top.

It's a goal of mine to make games like this

Reply
tomputergames3 years ago

Oh wow- thanks :D

Glad you like the smaller touches too!

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ZylaFae3 years ago

I've really like this game so far (only gotten the easy end)

But there is a bug that if you jump into the spot a block is about to appear in, you can get stuck in the middle of it and still move left to right. If you move into a different block it can have some gamebreaking effects

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tomputergames3 years ago (1 edit) (+1)

Thanks so much!

ed. v3.0.2 hot fixes the level layout to stop you escaping; stopping you getting trapped in an appearing block at all will take a little longer to fix.

Yes- I see exactly what you mean about the blocks. I think you can only escape the bounds of the game on the first level; but it’s definitely a bug to fix everywhere. Thanks for reporting, I’ll take a look.

p.s. I’ve got the walkthrough videos up now, in the game description.

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