Geometry Dash

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Geometry Dash
Geometry Dash Logo.PNG
Geometry Dash icon
Genre(s)Runner, music, platformer
Developer(s)Robert 'RobTop' Topala
Publisher(s)RobTop Games
Platform(s)iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Original releaseiOS, Android
13 August 2013
Windows Phone
12 June 2014
Microsoft Windows, macOS
22 December 2014
First releaseGeometry Dash
13 August 2013
Latest releaseGeometry Dash SubZero
21 December 2017

Geometry Dash is a series of music platforming video games developed by Swedish developer Robert "RobTop" Topala.[1] The first game, Geometry Dash, was released on 13 August 2013 on iOS and Android, and the Steam version on 22 December 2014.[2][3] In Geometry Dash, players control the movement of an icon and navigate along music-based levels, while avoiding obstacles such as spikes that instantly destroy the icon on impact.

Geometry Dash consists of 21 official levels. It has an extensive level creation system, where players can create their own custom levels, share them online and play levels designed by other players. More than 83 million custom levels have been created.[4] In addition to the official levels, certain user-created levels have been featured in in-game content, including a hall of fame and a daily level.[1][circular reference] In-game currency, such as stars, coins, orbs or diamonds, can be obtained from various sources, such as official levels, user-created levels or chests.

In addition to the original game, three other spin-off games in the series have been made: Geometry Dash Meltdown, Geometry Dash World, and Geometry Dash SubZero.

Gameplay

The beginning of 'Electroman Adventures', the 13th of 21 levels in the game and currently the fourth to last level of Geometry Dash Lite.

Geometry Dash can be played with a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, or controller. The player manipulates the movement of their icon through input in the form of pressing or holding to reach the end of a level. If the player crashes into an obstacle, such as a spike, a wall or a sawblade, the level restarts from the beginning. There is also a "practice mode" in which a player may place checkpoints to survey or practice a level, but is unable to collect coins or gain progress for normal mode. The timing and rhythm of the in-game music are key parts of the game, often in relation to each other.[5]

During gameplay, the player's icon takes the form of one of seven different game modes, each of which behaves differently with each interaction. Player movement is further complicated by portals that allow the player to change between seven game modes, reverse gravity, change the size of their icon, mirror the direction of their movement, change their speed, or teleport. Furthermore, pads and orbs can be used to move the player in varying directions or change gravity.

There are 21 official levels in the full version of Geometry Dash, 18 of which are unlocked upon installation. The other three require a specific number of secret coins hidden within all the official levels. Each level grants rewards upon completion.[5][6] Official levels steadily advance in difficulty. Levels are categorized into six difficulty ratings: Easy, Normal, Hard, Harder, Insane, and Demon (which contains an additional counter). Players can earn achievements that unlock rewards, such as icons or colours.[7] Players may also utilize three shops that use an in-game currency to acquire icons or colours.[citation needed]

The full version of the game features the ability to upload and download user-created levels.[8] The creator must complete their level with all user-placed coins in normal mode before it can be uploaded: a process known as verification. Changes made after verification will render the level unverified again.[7] Some custom levels have a specific difficulty determined by Topala. The creator of a level, its players and the game's moderators can influence this decision. User-created levels can be categorized into 12 difficulty ratings, including the five ratings used in the official levels. The auto difficulty is reserved for 'auto' levels which do not require input for completion. Additionally, there are five variations of the Demon difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, Insane, and Extreme. In approved user-created levels, each difficulty rewards a certain number of stars upon completion.

Music

The various music tracks used in the official levels were made by artists ForeverBound, DJVI, Step, DJ-Nate, Waterflame, F-777, MDK, Kevin Macleod, and RobTop himself.

Level creators may choose songs by a wide variety of artists using the website Newgrounds. The music from the 21 official levels can also be used without having to unlock each song's respective level.

Development

The game began as a project that could have moved in any direction, according to Topala. He made the remarks, 'it simply started as a template with a cube that could crash and jump' and 'there really was no detailed plan'.[9] He previously developed it for the computer but later altered his plan and made attempts to make it a mobile game. Topala was inspired by The Impossible Game and took about four months to create the game and take it to the App Store and Google Play Store. In the beta version, the game was called Geometry Jump but later changed to Geometry Dash. The game is developed on the Cocos2d game engine.[10]

Upon its release, Geometry Dash had seven levels free to play on the game's free version, alongside nine other levels released in later updates. It gained popularity around the world, especially in Canada, where it achieved the title of the most popular paid iPhone app in June 2014.[11] There are four free versions of the game, one being Geometry Dash Lite which includes the first 16 levels from the full version.[6]

On 14 August 2021, Topala released a sneak peek video of 2.2, the first major update since 2017, on his YouTube channel. The release date has yet to be announced.[12][13] On 4 September 2022, Topala released the second sneak peek, over a year after the first.[14]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews from critics. Softpedia complimented the game's style and challenge that it brings up, saying, 'While it can get a bit frustrating sometimes, you can always complete the stages using the practice mode and then jump into the many different user-generated levels'.[15] 148Apps gave the game a positive review, stating, 'Geometry Dash provides all of the challenge expected from an 'impossible' game while also making it more accessible to newcomers'.[16] Geometry Dash has also been listed by the reviewer Chris Morris on the website Common Sense Media as a child-friendly video game that parents could let their children play on, stating that the game was a 'good way to handle frustration', and that 'families can also talk about rhythm and the joy of dancing in time with music'.[17] On the App Store, Geometry Dash was ranked 2nd for the app's Top 10 Paid iPad Games and 7th for Top 10 Paid iPhone Games in 2018.[18]

Other games

For Geometry Dash World, Gamezebo praised the game's captivation and decent gameplay styles. Although, the reviewer noted that it was not the 'most interesting looking game out there'.[19] Gerson Noboa from AndroidGuys praised the Geometry Dash spin-off, stating that 'Geometry Dash World is a worthy addition to your game arsenal. Thanks to tightly connected graphical and sound elements, the game provides an awesome, integrated experience that is rarely seen in Play Store games'.[20]

Other games

Geometry Dash Lite

Geometry Dash Lite is a free version of the game with advertisements and gameplay restrictions. Geometry Dash Lite has 16 levels but lacks the option to create and play custom user-generated levels. It also has a much more limited selection of character customization options, missing many icons and colours used in the full game.[21][22]

Geometry Dash Meltdown

On 16 December 2015, Topala announced a spin-off game titled Geometry Dash Meltdown,[23] which was released on 19 December 2015 for iOS and Android.[24][25] As of update 1.0, it includes three levels featuring the songs of F-777. The game showcased new icons from version 2.1 and features in levels added in version 2.0 of the original game.

Geometry Dash World

On 21 December 2016, Topala announced a second spin-off game titled Geometry Dash World,[26] saying that it would come out on the same day. It currently includes two worlds with five levels each, including new update 2.2 features.[27][28]

Geometry Dash SubZero

On 12 December 2017, Topala announced a third spin-off game titled Geometry Dash SubZero,[29] which was released on 21 December 2017.[30][31] It consists of three levels. It is currently the latest stand-alone game released in the series[32] and the first to offer some features of the main game's unreleased (as of March 2023) update 2.2, including features from the update, such as new icons and camera control triggers.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b "Track of the Day: 'Geometry Dash' by Robert Topala". The Atlantic. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Geometry Dash - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Geometry Dash". App Store. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  4. ^ "83 Million by 14Alfa". gdbrowser.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Geometry Dash Review". Softpedia. Andrei Dobra. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Geometry Dash: Best tips, tricks, and cheats!". imore.com. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Geometry Dash Review". Bio Gamer Girl. E.J. Smith. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  8. ^ "The Version 2.0 Update For 'Geometry Dash' Just Hit The App Store". toucharcade.com. 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Smart strategies fuel Geometry Dash's slow jog to success". Cult Of Mac. Luke Dormehl. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Cocos Game Showcase - August 2021". 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  11. ^ "'Geometry Dash' top paid iPhone app in Canada". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Geometry Dash Update 2.2 Sneak Peek". YouTube. 15 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. ^ Fore, Gray (15 August 2021). "Geometry Dash Will Get Its First Update In Four Years". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Geometry Dash Update 2.2 Sneak Peek 2". YouTube.
  15. ^ "Geometry Dash reviews for PC". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Geometry Dash reviews for iOS". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Geometry Dash App Review". commonsensemedia. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  18. ^ Baptiste Su, Jean (4 December 2018). "Apple Unveils 2018's Most Popular iPhone And iPad Apps: Fortnite, YouTube, Minecraft And More". Forbes. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  19. ^ "geometry Dash World reviews for iOS". Metacritic. 16 January 2017. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  20. ^ Noboa, Gerson (1 May 2017). "Geometry Dash World (Review)". AndroidGuys. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Geometry Dash Lite - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Geometry Dash Lite". App Store. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  23. ^ Geometry Dash Meltdown Trailer, archived from the original on 25 April 2021, retrieved 25 April 2021
  24. ^ "Geometry Dash Meltdown". App Store. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Geometry Dash Meltdown - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  26. ^ Geometry Dash World!, archived from the original on 28 September 2022, retrieved 25 April 2021
  27. ^ "Geometry Dash World - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Geometry Dash World". App Store. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  29. ^ Geometry Dash SubZero Released!, archived from the original on 28 September 2022, retrieved 25 April 2021
  30. ^ "Geometry Dash SubZero". App Store. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  31. ^ "Geometry Dash SubZero - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  32. ^ "'Geometry Dash SubZero' is the latest stand-alone expansion for RobTop Games' Geometry Dash series". androidpolice.com. 22 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  33. ^ "RobTopGames - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.

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