I don't think there's another level where public sentiment has switched and changed so violently. When "WhyMe" was first released in July 2021, it was practically lauded as a masterpiece by pretty much everyone. It was actually originally featured, but people were so frustrated that it was robbed of an Epic that it ultimately got promoted to an Epic anyways. Then, it was added to the Portal Gauntlet in March 2024 and everybody started to hated it. It hadn't even been 3 years since it was released to the public and people were already turning against it.

I think I understand the hate for it being in a Gauntlet. It's an extremely long and slow story-based level where the emphasis isn't on creating stimulating gameplay and is more so on the story TMNGaming is trying to convey. It's a terrible level for a Gauntlet, but I think as a stand-alone narrative work, it's a fascinating glimpse into a tortured artist's broken psyche. It's overly pessimistic and even incredibly blunt with what it tries to communicate to the player, but it's an interesting vent level that truly really embodies the feeling of frustration and anguish. It's an emotionally raw piece and I can kind of respect it for not placing a filter or diluting itself. It's a level that some people might even relate to (reading comments from 3 years ago on videos of "WhyMe" really demonstrates why I was so blindsided by the violent change in its perception, it was so loved upon its release but it seems the community that formerly loved it seems to despite it for its very existence).

I think "WhyMe" is a level that really unmasks the current state of the GD community. Sure, it's not a good level for a Gauntlet and its placement in a Gauntlet really diminishes its image in the eyes of players (imagine if a great stand-alone work like "SAVE AS" was placed in a Gauntlet and the outrage that it would cause), but most of the hatred and vitriol its placement in a Gauntlet has inspired seems to be overly extreme or unwarranted. It seems just a little hypocritical that a community that literally gave it a "Best Story" award at the GD 2021 awards (with it winning 42.8% of the vote) now so fervently dislikes it for its very existence.

Personally, I find the existence of "WhyMe" to be necessary. Not many other levels out there truly capture an artist or a creator's frustration. And despite how melodramatic it comes off at some points, I think more honest and emotionally raw levels like "WhyMe" should be made. It's an interesting piece of art that I still think is very unique. In 2021, there wasn't really any other levels like "WhyMe" so it understandably blew people away. But even in 2025, there isn't really another level that matches "WhyMe". It's a pure anomaly in its creation and existence.

A prime example of how telling instead of showing can ruin your work. Everything is laid out flat in your face and it just feels stupid to read.

I understand why people find this level cringe but honestly all it does is make me feel sad. ok my feelings towards it are far more complex than just "sad" but i have neither the language nor emotional capability to properly describe it. maybe tmngaming didn't either.

I can try to put it this way: there was a time in my life where i felt depressed enough that i almost released a vent level. said vent level being object spam slop where i deliberately tried to place objects on the screen with as little thought and care as possible, resulting in an end product that no one could derive any value from, not even me myself. im thinking tmn maybe ended up doing something in a similar vein to it but was more thoughtful with it and turned it into a real level. like yes the level comes off as incredibly immature, but i can maybe imagine the mental state they were in while making it. Just like how my unfinished "vent" level was a complete incoherent mess in messaging and theming due to the emotions affecting me throughout the building process

when you are depressed, you often dont know the best way to convey your emotions. you dont have the luxury of knowing whether your method of venting will invite sympathy or scorn from people who observe it. and if anything the immaturity and cringe of whymex4 only makes it more emotionally potent for me. its a cry for help in the purest form: one in which the person exposes their fullest vulnerabilities without a care on the negative ways people may perceive it

i don't really want to get in on the discussion of this level, because i don't really care, but what strikes me the most about it is the random thoughts snuck into parts with phrases. it's kind of redundant to say but that's just what your mind is actually like. or at least mine. and i love art which embraces that chaos, "a vertical slice of my mind" is a theme and idea that comes up again and again in my more experimental art and that alone is what i take from this over anything else, it's a great method to communicate unbridled sincerity, and i take direct influence from how this level does that

tho rob putting this in a gauntlet is one of his most inexplicably weird and kinda insensitive moves. you really putting straight forward vent art among knots and loco levels? (as some famous levels have a little element of cathartic vent art in them) i am glad no one seems to care because i've never seen anyone mention this fact, so don't you go and start some discussion on twitter about it because it's not really much deeper than that, its just like, wtf rob

hey they tried to convey emotions the only way they knew how. leave them be

Fantastic level but an awful gauntlet level

Sorry but I can't take this seriously at all man