Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2020
Stirring Abyss
Developer Sleepy Sentry, K-Project
Stirring Abyss is an indie tactical squad-based game with strong RPG elements in which you uncover the ancient mysteries of the depths depicted in the classic vein of Lovecraftian horror. From the Steam store page
189 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Sep 20, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
161 positive · 26 negative
95% range 80–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 161 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
2 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
393 of 446 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 189 · most liked firstTerror from the Deep meets Lovecraft meets... well, insert a rogue-like with fairly punishing difficulty. I have to add, it's a pretty neat game, although not flawless. Well, obviously no games are flawless, but here some minor adjustments could go a long way to enhance quality of life. Either way, feel free to grab it, lite crew management (equipment, RPG-ish elements) and base management with lots of underwater TBS missions. Negatives for me: - I would really appreciate some voice over, at…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lots of potential wrecked by overtuning. Lovely opening animation, great setting, interesting base-building. But even on easy sailors get torn apart by entirely too many enemies with too many hitpoints, and replaying the same 2-3 missions over and over again trying to find the secret strategy that lets you actually proceed in the story is pretty much the scientific opposite of fun. Get it if they ever release a playable version.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38553778-All-about-Strategy-Games/] Follow my Curator Page for more Strategy Games! Stirring Abyss is a turn-based strategy game with base management and a Lovecraftian story. The story is told through texts. Sometimes it feels like your collecting pages of a book. When you click on a body, for example, it opens a text which is very well written and could be written just like that in a good book. The writing overall is very good and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →3.5/10 launcher that sells you stuff every time you start the game. it advertises different stuff each time + music + lovecraftian theme - can get attacked by things you cant see - things that can and will kite you by attacking you and running off so far that none of your units can get in range to return any kind of basic attack - some spaces overlap and clicking on them is a pain!!! no i didn't want you to walk all the way around and get auto attack 3 times by the enemy...... - not clear who…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Exactly the type of game I was looking for - lovecraftian mythos meets turn based strategy and it pulls it off brilliantly. Really not sure why this game isn't higher rated. What is strange though is the difficulty. I've seen complaints on the forums that it's very difficult so I was cautious going in, as I know that for these types of games like XCOM, if you mess up early you could end up circling into a defeat spiral. And even the way you choose difficulty is a bit strange.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You have 4 crew members during your first boss fight (that I'm aware of), you heal a marginal amount between sorties (until you unlock more sub quarters), and medkits heal a pathetic amount of health, so most of your men will be half dead by the time you even start the mission. That doesn't even mention the several enemies you have to fight to even get to that boss. On top of all that, the boss fight has a seemingly infinite number of spawning mooks who attack you while you have to destroy some…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like this game, great aesthetic and art style, but the developers made it WAY too punishing on the player. I'm a fan of getting xcommed and stuff but this game is infuriatingly unfair.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They lurk below and brother let me tell you... darkness becomes then because the light was not made for revealing such horrors. Having said that... stir this dark brew and see what erupts from the depths!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The true successor to XCOM:Terror from the Deep Like running a Call of Cthulhu RPG session on a US Nuke Submarine
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels like an early access game because there are so many parts that needs to be improved. Bad parts: - The UI is horrible - The game auto-saves so it's pretty much mandatory ironman mode - You cannot change difficulty during a game and have to restart - Many things are never explained nor displayed so you don't know what you are choosing - Limited Air does not make the game more fun, it only makes you rush the main objective right away - You didn't rush the main objective? Now you are out of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not interested in roguelike endless mode, but the story mode isn't very well balanced and it spoils the game. First third of the game you'll have to reload and restart often because if your diver runs into enemies one turn too soon you'll get ripped to shreds. The other two thirds of the game you'll have overpowered gear and max level divers that oneshot the toughest enemies and can tank, heal, recover sanity and get fully restored between missions. When you level up, not only your divers get…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lovecraftian X-Com Terror from the Deep? Eeeh yes and no ! Let me start by a big "this game is a blast !!", it feels good, the music adds to the dark atomosphere, the story is there, the graphics are pretty good (well, look at the screenshots, the game has it's own art style and I love it personnaly) Other than that, the game isn't easy and if you barely start, I highly recommend the easiest difficulty because it is brutal (your divers are still going to die and it's still pretty challenging…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stirring Abyss is a missed opportunity. The setting is of course amazing, and we do need many more deep sea games and we need them now. As far as the Lovecraftian mythos goes it's very basic, minus the whole story revolving around the Minoan civilization, which I thought was cool. The Minoans are often overlooked in how brilliant of a people they were, ultimately ending in disaster due to a variety of factors such as being an island nation (for those who don't know, they were Cretans) in a time…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I appreciate what it is - a rather grueling, slow, agonizing exercise in everything that can go wrong will - but it just isn't particularly fun. The fog of war, the air, the limited healing, the even more limited weaponry, the constant battle for sanity and endless waves of annoyingly explosive monsters while you have mainly melee class characters ... it is an intriguing Eldritch horrorshow but the main horror is how difficult it is to do anything that feels remotely tactical or flexible.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game reminds me a lot of the first Xcom in its appearance and game mechanics (well, actually Xcom 2, Terror from the Deep...). The difficulty is manageable on the lowest setting ("Story"), and it's an intriguing plot with some depth. However, the developer did not provide a manual. I think I could do better at the game if I understood what all the settings mean and how everything works, but I'm not willing to put in the time for a trial and error approach to learning the rules, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Like X-COM Deep But it does not suck at all Great theme, great fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played and finished the game. So, no, it is not so bad. The tactical fights are alright. The idea and story are OK. But to be honest there are better and more entertaining TBS games out there. Maybe I just played too many of this type of games but I got bored pretty quick. Different character classes are just a few and they don´t or hardly have unique skills. They do a maximum of 5 lvls so do not expect brilliant character development either. Character can mutate as well but I think all are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →13 hours deep... This game is fun ! the atmosphere, art and story are all very enjoyable. Atomic age Horror at the bottom of the sea ! For me it feels like Lovecraft's "The Temple, Dagon, and Shadow over Innsmouth" rolled into XCOM like combat . It offers skills, and mutations for crew, upgrades for your vessel/Hub/Base, and brutal combat. The things you face will always do more damage than you do , and there will always be more of them than your away team. There is a Sanity Mechanic, and a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like squad based games, but this one is just not very fun. All advantage goes to the AI for sure. You first few missions will have you vs. mobs that get ranged attacks, while you'll get one guy that gets 2 ranged attacks then has to spend a round to reload. I simply don't understand why attacking uses all of your action points. If you attack first, you should be able to move after. Once again, advantage AI. I read there are 13 missions, in the few I did, the maps are identical.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sorry to give a negative to this, but unfortunately I didn't like it. In 3,5 hours the game wasn't able to capture my attention. PROS: - Good atmosphere and immersion. - I liked the visual style, the presentation and the short stories about the characters of the submarine. - The game mechanics works well: attacks, dodges, oxygen, skills. There are many of them but they work well, it's a solid gameplay. CONS: - The aesthetics of sprites is disappointing. Charachters are ok, but monsters…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Прикольное тактическое приключение про команду подводников. Два очка действия, но при этом есть действия не требующие очков действий. Сюжет про Ктулху, предателей, психов. Это не РПГ. Интересная история про подводников в 1970-х годах(ну можно сказать еще точнее 1979, так как концовка намекает на инцидент Vela), про то, как они нашли Атландиту Р’льех и попыткой понять что это, что из себя представляет и куда делись древние. Приятная тактическая часть в игре, небесячая без крупных косяков.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WAT, x-com two?? Are you f*king delirious, or just out of your small minds? It's a scripted adventure RPG with sloppy art style & everything, it looks like it plays. Overpriced like all hell, typical Slitherine product. The visual similarity with x-com classic is provided by underwater topic & square based board. A rare game i feel buyer's remorse about. Those stupid reviewers tho..... they've lured me into buying this desperate bundle fodder at 3x price!!!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, it is an xcom underwater in 2D. Yes, it has party-based tbs missions. Yes, it has a base that you build up. Yes, the leveling system is almost the same. Kk, the tb fights lack the same depth due to low ability to actually leverage the terrain. If you are into xcom "clones", then this one definitely scratches the itch. At least it did so for me
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice game but a bit too hard at start. Also there are game breaking bugs, when you click on shrine and get the mini dice game - game just crashes. In my playthrugh crashed like 4-5 times. Combined with strange saved games its a dissaster. Also the game is very short. Should be at least 2x longer. The crashes really killed my mood. Negative.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hidden gem if the many facets of this game are appealing. - Lovecraftian to the max. The devs nailed the dread, fear, and mental toll that typifies the genre in addition to the ever-present fear of suffocating. The artwork, unpleasant organic sound effects, and music all play into the unnaturally creepy ambiance. - Procedurally-generated maps are utilized, although there can be a sort of sameness of blocks of maps, which still feels overall fresh in each mission. - Three different…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's like a weird cross between Terror From The Deep and XCOM Chimera Squad. The mechanics are a little obtuse, ingame tutorial is pretty unhelpful, the enemies variety kinda lacking and there seems to be no guides on the game online but it's still a pretty interesting Lovecraft flavoured game. It's a hard recommend since it took me more than 2-3 hours to really "get" the mechanics plus the story is pretty light. If you do end up picking it up then I recommend searching on the map when you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid game. Sad it's not more popular.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →X-COM: Terror From the Deep but with a much stronger narrative focus. Definitely worth the time of any Turn-Based Tactics Fans and Cosmic Horror Fans, and a must play for gamers who fall in both categories. Other reviewers have found the game exceptionally difficult even on Easy. This wasn't my experience, but I avoided melee combat entirely, which may have had some influence. Don't rely on finding spear guns; prioritizing crafting them (even over repairing rooms!) can be a huge boon. To be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's got me hooked. It's everything XCOM Terror from the Deep should have been. I still have the same quibble though... How far can you chuck a bomb under water?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the better X-Com-likes. Solid mechanics and good atmosphere. Could be great but is held back by a bizarrely inconsistent difficulty curve that starts the player woefully underpowered in the first few missions but overcorrects by the end of the game to the point that the last couple missions are a cakewalk. A few interface issues and plodding movement also get in the way of being a truly great game but if you can look past the few minor issues the game is well worth a look.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Es[ecially for those who like XCOM.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very atmospheric, interesting game that combines Lovecraft and X-COM: Terror From The Deep. I usually jump from game to game, never playing one for long but this is one game that I anticipate playing again for the atmosphere and setting. Really surprised and engaged from a game that I had never heard of before. Cheers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a fun mix between X-com: Enemy Within and Lovecraft's elder gods mythos. The game play is very X-com with base (submarine) management, thoughtful combat with perma-death (minus the cover system), and unit augmentation. The devs do an amazing job of putting you in the "unknowable deep" with the art style and sounds that both add up to a slow burn of weird/horrifying revelations that do the source material justice. Play the demo first and if that awakens something in the deep, dark…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like old X-COM Terror from the deep game then you will definitely like Stirring Abyss too ;-)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good xcom fun with lovecraftian vibes, sorry can't think of good review but at least this will up the score of the game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm having a ton of fun with this game. It really does have a great Lovecraftian feel to it. It definitely reminds me of "The Temple" by Lovecraft and some work by Lin Carter. The game feels claustrophobic as the familiar "fog of war" plays tricks on you. Baddies seem to pop out of nowhere at the most inconvenient of times, making spreading your crew out not such a great idea. There are plenty of creeps with unique abilities and upgrading your ship is a lot of fun. Does this game has as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good turn based game with nice atmosphere
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its really good, clearly inspired by X-COM Terror From The Deep but it has more streamlined mechanics, your squads are smaller and you focus more on scavenging than researching new tech, tough there is a good degree of research if you like classic X-COM games this is a great spin on them
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just finished the campaign. I like to play slow and methodical and completed every side mission, so my 40 hours may not be the norm for a completion, but I completely enjoyed it. Kind of reminded me of the original xcom games. Nice job devs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Above average lovecraftian Xcom-like turn based RPG, where you repair your sub, gather supplies and grow tentacles. There is a decent story mode and a very enjoyable endless mode as well. The only thing that was a bit disappointing is the difficulty curve. The game starts ridiculously hard (which I like) but turns into a cakewalk pretty soon.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Loved it from the start, with some reserves I will further explain. Pros: - Great lovecraftian vibes - A sense of incoming catastrophe which permeates the whole story - X-Com mechanics (battle, base management, enemy research) crossed with Darkest Dungeon mechanics (stress management, resource management, base management) - Skill selections and skills in general really matters, you need to use them at their best - Mutations are great and improve your guys - Great graphic - Good music - I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a bad little roguelite tactical game, Cold war Chthulu with a hint of Xcom terror from the deep. It's not super long and has very little replay value, as well as being quite simplistic in some ways, plus the tutorial misses some key info like cover. But I'd say it's still worth your time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A simple turn-based tactical game with a Cthulhu theme. In Story-mode it is rather easy. The basic game loop is 1. go on mission 2. improve characters 3. build your base 4. research 5. go to 1. The missions are short, maybe 15 minutes each. Story missions can be longer, maybe up to 30 minutes. During the missions you move your crew over a battle map in turns. Stirring Abyss employs a system not unlike XCOM, two action points. Most actions use one point, some actions use all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This may be my favorite game. It is often compared with 'XCOM' games, but it is much more than that. There is no research here, instead there is Ouiji board and leveling up your characters. Your weapons never get any better than when you start. Compared to other tactical turn based games, you are seriously underarmed. The reliance on strategy is greater than most of its competitors. Trying to mantain your air level and sanity add twists to this game. Every mission is a 'night' mission.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not as complex or good as Terror from the Deep but it has its own charm. The story and gameplay are pretty good and you will want to finish the campaign. After that you probably won´t touch it again, so you get about 20 hours of fun out of this. Solid 7/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's like if X-Com 2 were combined with Elder Sign and painted up in the art style of Darkest Dungeon. What else needs to be said?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could not resist this game after trying the demo. It sits at the intersection of an odd Venn diagram of underwater adventure, Lovecraftian horror, and turn-based tactical squad combat (a favorite subgenre of mine). Three wining elements all together in a nice package, along with a decent - and sometimes funny and grotesque - RPGish character build system. Part of me would have preferred a more realistic, darker art design, but the pulp comic book style grew on me and goes well with the Cold War…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do you ever feel that classic horrory x-com itch that no matter how xenonauts , x-com2 ,or phoenix point you play you can not be satisfied ??? well Here's the solution
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good, relatively short Turn-based RPG) ============ Review: Stirring Abyss is a turn-based RPG game with a nautical theme. Essentially it gave me similar vibes as X-Com Terror from the Deep, but it's significantly simplified and more story driven. Audiovisually the game is good - I really like the art style of this game. It's this sort of Pseudo 2D style that just looks good in my eyes. The sounds do their job just fine, and the music is also good - and it feeds into the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic turn-based strategy game. Superb atmosphere, enough tactical depth to guarantee several playthroughs and very good worldbuilding. Puts to shame games with triple the budget. Absolutely recommended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are consequences for your actions...but can you take responsibility for them when your mind is slowly falling apart? The lure of attaining unknown, but seductive powers, weave into the fabric of your mind as you stumble upon ancient altars and artifacts that are both profane to all that is decent yet attract you with their indescribable, other-worldly beauty...like moths to a flame. Definite must-buy. The audio is top notch.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game featuring everything a good game ought to feature. (in LGR voice) Tons of pure turn-based goodness!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy to have bought it and completed it, As a Xcom and a Lovecraft fan, I was sure i was gonna like this game. More a challenge at the beginning than at the end, still very enjoyable. It would be awesome if they do a new story with more configurable features.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is pretty damn decent. You remember when you first started playing the new XCOM 1? How it was actually a little spooky? This game manages to nail that tone and maintain it throughout, even as you grow more powerful. That alone is pretty admirable and worth trying, and it's also a good little tactical RPG beneath the lovely coat of paint as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me just open boot up the game and....oh god....no...ARGHHHHHH WHAT MORBID IMPLICATIONS....UNFATHOMABLE HORRORS....DEAR GOD JOGGERMAN HELP ME AHHHHHH I'M GOING INSAAAAAAAAAAANE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Roguelike + XCOM + RPG + Lovecraft = Stirring Abyss. 9/10!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had fun playing this XCOM2 meets Cthulhu game. The length is perfect for the content. I had no bugs or crashes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game sucked me right in and got my spine tingling a couple of times. Storytelling is excellent and the sound design gives you the chills. Don't get deterred by the clunky looking UI. There is a terrific game underneath. So far it brings the joy I remember of the old XCOM games to me. Of course "X-COM: Terror from the Deep" jumps to mind. Don't be afraid to start on 'Narrative' or 'Easy' difficulty. Rough start otherwise.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite nice and short TBS within a Cthulhu-like theme made by indie developers. I was brought in by the setting of the game, that involves a small crew trapped on the seabed having to repair their submarine while uncovering mysteries on the way - definitely a good start! However, the story is very generic and provides minimum information. Thus, the game relies heavily on the atmosphere of being trapped underwater with unknown and bizarre threats. The use of oxygen to put time pressure on the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its trying to mimic X-Com Terror From The Deep. Which was launched in 1995. It does it a little better. Still, it felt like it was made back then. Not for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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