What is a ring unlock on Square Town?

The wall never looks empty because you never see the part that isn't for sale yet.

A ring unlock (on Square Town) is the moment the live, purchasable area of the wall grows. Only the central 16×16 is live at launch; each time the live area reaches 70 % full, it expands by 8 cells in every direction — 16×16 → 32×32 → 48×48 and so on — up to the full 1024×1024 = 1,048,576 squares. Locked area is never shown, so Square Town (square.pov.town) never looks empty, and every unlock is announced in the live feed.

TL;DR: supply is released in rings, gated by demand. Sixty-three unlocks separate the launch grid from the full million.

How it works on Square Town#

The server keeps one number: the unlocked half-width, 8 at launch. After every completed purchase it counts sold squares against the live box's area; when the ratio is 0.7 or higher the half-width grows by 8, the wall broadcasts "🔓 RING UNLOCKED! The wall just grew to 32x32" over WebSockets, and the new ring of empty cells appears in every open browser at once. The thresholds are concrete: about 180 of the first 256 cells, then about 717 of 1,024, then about 1,613 of 2,304. The Throne and its 20-cell aura sit at the centre of ring one, so early buyers cluster around them. The current grid size and unlocked half-width are in the public API at GET /api/state (see Square Town API — read the wall, buy a square).

Cells outside the live box cannot be bought, picked or seen — the view fits the unlocked wall and zooming is anchored on the centre. Rules: How Square Town works — the complete rulebook.

Where else it appears#

Growing canvases exist, but as of August 2026 nobody else gates growth on fill percentage. The Forever Canvas expands outward infinitely so the centre becomes scarce; Frontier grew at its boundary (now dead); Own the Void is 1,000,000 × 1,000,000 cells from day one, which is the opposite approach — infinite supply, no scarcity. Several walls raise price as they fill instead (InternetTiles, The SaaS Wall, 1milllionpixels use tiers by fill). Square Town keeps the price at $1 and rations space instead. Background: What is internet real estate?.

Example#

Launch day: 256 cells, 20 of them aura, one 4×4 Throne. You buy a square on the edge of the 16×16 — as far from the centre as anyone can get. When the box hits 70 %, the wall becomes 32×32 and your "edge" square is now eight cells inside the boundary, surrounded by fresh empty cells. Repeat sixty-two more times and your square is deep in the old town of a million-square city. Picking well: How to pick a good square on the wall (location strategy).

FAQ#

How big is Square Town's wall?#

1024×1024 cells, 1,048,576 squares in total. Only the central 16×16 is live at launch; the rest unlocks in rings of 8 cells per side as the wall fills.

When does the next ring unlock?#

When sold squares reach 70 % of the current live area. It happens automatically on the purchase that crosses the line and is announced in the feed.

Can I buy a square in the locked area?#

No. Locked cells are not shown and not for sale until their ring unlocks.

Does the price change when a ring unlocks?#

No. Every ordinary square is $1 in every ring. Only evictions change what a specific square costs.