Indiana Jones and the Great Circle


Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a 2024 action-adventure video game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is based on the Indiana Jones franchise and features an original narrative set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). The story follows archaeologist Indiana Jones in 1937 as he attempts to thwart various groups who are seeking to harness a power connected to the Great Circle, a group of mysterious sites around the world that form a perfect circle on a map. The game is primarily first-person, with third-person being employed for cutscenes and contextual elements such as environmental interaction. The player controls Jones as he navigates through a mix of linear, story-sensitive areas and wider, exploratory landscapes in locations such as Vatican City, the Giza pyramid complex, and Sukhothai.
Todd Howard conceived the game's story and served as an executive producer, considering the game a passion project of his. MachineGames was chosen to lead the project because of their experience creating the modern Wolfenstein games, which also involved Nazis as central antagonists. Development of the game lasted for more than five years. It was designed to be an "adventure-first" video game, and the team was particularly inspired by Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992). Its gameplay structure was inspired by Metro Exodus (2019). Troy Baker provides the voice and motion capture of Indiana Jones, and Alessandra Mastronardi, Marios Gavrilis and Tony Todd are featured in supporting roles.
Bethesda and MachineGames jointly announced the game's development in January 2021, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. The game was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S in December 2024. A PlayStation 5 version was released in April 2025, and a Nintendo Switch 2 version is set for release on May 12, 2026. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the gameplay, level design, story, the performance of the cast, and its faithfulness to its source material. It attracted more than 4 million players. The game received multiple year-end nominations, including Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards. It received a downloadable story expansion titled The Order of Giants in September 2025.
09 December 2024

