# What is a ring unlock on Square Town?

> A ring unlock is how Square Town's wall grows: only the central 16×16 is live at launch, and at 70 % full it expands by 8 cells per side, up to 1024×1024 squares.

Source: https://square.pov.town/glossary/ring-unlock

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](/glossary/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 [/api](/api)).

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-it-works](/how-it-works).

## 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: [/glossary/internet-real-estate](/glossary/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: [/blog/how-to-pick-a-good-square](/blog/how-to-pick-a-good-square).

## 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.