Dashing through geometrical levels is not faultless but can be challenging and easy at the same time

This mobile game was enormously popular when it was released in 2013, and everyone had it on their phone. In school you could hear the music of the game in the hallway during the mid-2010s. For me that was already eight years ago so I thought I’d give it a go now.

Geometry Dash is a music-supported platforming video game in which a player controls the movement of an icon through levels filled with different obstacles. If you fail to avoid an obstacle, the level starts from the beginning.

It should be noted that I played the Lite version of the game which is free-to-play and therefore is missing some features that you would get if you bought the full version.

This game is definitely a good practice for your reactions. The jumps must be timed to perfection, and you will always have to be ready to avoid the next obstacle, whether it’s spikes or something else. This makes it challenging to play.

The levels start from easier ones, and they get more challenging as you go. In theory you should be able to pass the very first levels on your first try, and in my opinion, they indeed are quite easy. I would say that if you can get yourself to a nice flow, any level can be passed – even the hard ones. That is the fun part of Geometry Dash, the levels can be very demanding but also quite easy.

There are a few rather disturbing factors in the game that I don’t really like.

Firstly, I played with android which meant that I used touchscreen. It seems as there is an issue with touchscreens at least as the game registered the touch horribly. There were times that I pressed the screen, but nothing happened. This is annoying as such a fault could happen anytime and did happen quite often.

Secondly, Geometry Dash Lite is no different from other free-to-play games in the sense that there can be ads. I don’t really have a problem with advertising in these games: in my opinion it also shows that a game has been successful. However, in Geometry Dash it is a problem. Luckily the ads are not in the way of the gameplay itself but once you’re finished with a level or die in the middle of it, you’ll get a very long ad that you cannot even skip. This completely ruins the flow of the game.

It is very cool how some of the visual elements align with the music. For example, the colours might change completely at the same time when the beat of the music changes. I believe the music genre is EDM, electronic dance music. Some of the songs are absolute bangers I could add to my playlist even! Perhaps at times the music doesn’t quite suit the level you are playing but that is alright. This game lives from the sounds and clearly this is something that has been invested in a lot.

Overall, the game does not perhaps live up to the hype it used to have. For me it was too plain: in the end it has the same obstacles in every level and despite the variation it feels like I’m doing the same thing again and again. There are mobile games I could keep on playing forever but I don’t get that same feeling from Geometry Dash. However, I can see why it might be popular among adolescents.

Basic info:

• Developed by RopTopGames (Robert Topala)
• Available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, MacOs, Windows.
• Released: 13^th of August 2013.
• Genre: Platforming, indie, mobile game.
• PEGI:3

Pictures: Patrik Oksanen

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