The magic circle is a concept that refers to the boundary between everyday life and the non-everyday world of play. In the provided context, it is described as a term mentioned by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman in Rules of Play (2003). The idea marks the separation that makes a game feel distinct from ordinary reality, even when the game is embedded in real social space.
The context also emphasizes that in a world saturated with cross-reality (XR), alternate reality games (ARGs), and immersive experiences, this boundary has become difficult to recognize. As game-like structures and narrative layers spread across physical and online environments, the magic circle is no longer a clearly visible ring. Instead, it is portrayed as something expanded and obscured, to the point that people may already be inside a vast magic circle without noticing it. Its outer edge is compared to an event horizon: present, but invisible.
Within exhibition and ARG-like structures, this idea can describe a second layer that exists beyond the immediate gallery space. Such a layer may connect to online traces, fictional entities acting as if real, or narrative structures that begin before the exhibition period itself. It does not require every visitor to participate, but for those who notice it, the meaning of the experience changes.