Geometry Dash

Geometry Dash is a side-scrolling music platforming game series developed by Robert Topala. The game was released on 13 August 2013 on iOS and Android, and the Windows and macOS versions on 22 December 2014. In Geometry Dash, players control the movement of an icon and navigate music-based levels while avoiding obstacles such as spikes.

Geometry Dash comprises 26 full-length levels made by its developer; 22 are auto-scrolling, and 4 are 'platformer' levels. There is also a short-length level called 'The Challenge', unrelated to the other 26 levels. It has a level creation system, where players can create their custom levels, share them online and play levels designed by other players. In-game currency, such as stars, moons, coins, mana orbs or diamonds, can be obtained from various sources, such as levels (both official and user-created) or chests.

Three other spin-off games in the series have been made: Geometry Dash Meltdown, Geometry Dash World and Geometry Dash SubZero. Geometry Dash Lite is a free version of the main game with advertisements and gameplay restrictions.

Gameplay
As a single-button game, 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. The level restarts if the player crashes into an obstacle, such as a spike, a sawblade, a wall or a ceiling. There is 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 relating to each other. There are 26 main levels in the full version of Geometry Dash, 20 of which are unlocked upon installation. Three require a specific number of secret coins hidden within the official levels (also obtained by completing map packs), and the four platformer levels (three of which are initially locked) require the previous to be completed. 'The Challenge' is also official but not considered a main level. Each level grants rewards upon completion. The full version of the game features the ability to upload and download user-created levels.

Pre-Geometry Dash
Geometry Dash was created by Swedish video game developer Robert Nicholas Christian Topala, known professionally as RobTop. On 6 June 2010, Topala created his first video game, Bounce Ball Thingy, on Newgrounds, developing it while he was at university studying civil engineering. He later abandoned his course because he became more interested in the video game industry.

Topala decided to work alone, founding RobTop Games in 2012. The first video game he produced under RobTop Games was Boomlings, a puzzle video game released on 5 November 2012 for mobile devices, Topala continued to produce video games, including Memory Mastermind (2013) and Boomlings MatchUp (2013).

Geometry Dash
The game began as a project that could have moved in any direction, according to Topala. He remarked, 'it simply started as a template with a cube that could crash and jump' and 'there really was no detailed plan'. 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.

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. There are four free versions of the game, one being Geometry Dash Lite, which includes 21 levels from the full version, including the tower levels.

Update 2.2
On 14 August 2021, Topala released a sneak peek video of version 2.2, the first major update since 2017, on his YouTube channel. The release date had yet to be announced. On 4 September 2022, Topala released the second sneak peek, over a year after the first. Topala released a third sneak peek on 15 May 2023, which showcased additional platformer mode features and a sound effect library for custom levels. On 13 August 2023, as part of the game's 10th anniversary, Topala released a 27-minute video in commemoration. At the end of the video, the release date for 2.2 was revealed as October 2023, making it the first update to be released in more than six years. However, on 22 October 2023, Topala announced via Twitter that the 2.2 release date would be delayed to November due to server and bug issues. Topala later wrote on 26 November 2023 that the release 'may not be doable in November' since he wanted to release the update simultaneously for all platforms.

On 20 December 2023, Topala announced the update's release via Twitter with the message 'check steam' and a clip from Avengers: Infinity War.

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'. 148Apps also 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'. 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'. On the App Store, Geometry Dash was the second-best and seventh-best selling iPad and iPhone game in 2018, respectively.

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

Geometry Dash Meltdown
On 16 December 2015, Topala announced a spin-off game titled Geometry Dash Meltdown, which was released on 19 December 2015 for iOS and Android. It includes three levels featuring songs by F-777. The game showcased new icons 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, saying that it would come out on the same day. It includes two worlds with five levels each, introducing features that came to the original game later in update 2.1. It also features a selection of levels created by other players.

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'. Gerson Noboa from AndroidGuys said 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'.

Geometry Dash SubZero
On 12 December 2017, Topala announced a third spin-off game titled Geometry Dash SubZero, which was released on 21 December 2017.