Rating Curve

* There is no strategy to defeat the enemy. Good luck!

Disorienting, treacherous, vast, and grand on a scale that almost all other levels have been unable to accomplish. This was one of the first major breakthroughs in two-player gameplay during 1.9, though that isn't even the main focus here- it's about the journey you take through the titular cave that makes this level as good as it is. I do not remember who said this, but I recall someone saying that this was the first bossfight in GD, and they were absolutely cooking here- it is great to think of the Horntail Dragon itself as the one arranging this challenge, as you see it lurking throughout the level, keeping a careful eye over you, before throwing down the gauntlet and casting the player into two equal halves, a final test of will and courage before you slay the beast and escape its dreaded lair. Do you have what it takes to confront it (as well as a part of yourself)?

Overall, the GD equivalent of Linsanity- KeiAs literally has not made a better level before or after, it's just this much of a phenomenon.

Joyous. The way that Woogi and Minus encapsulate all these different styles to deliver such an anthemic love-letter for the 1.9 update is unreal to me. When I think of that update, this is the level I think of. It captures the magic of the era in a way that no other creator has and probably ever will. And the fact it was actually made in 1.9 makes it even better.

Holy shit just put it directly into my veins

Hinds' best gameplay. A really unique concept and it's executed perfectly on all fronts.

The greatest extreme demon ever made. The way that KrmaL is able to create such a desolate and chilling level in the 2.0 editor is diabolical. Every part here is perfect, from the calm beginning, to the nerve-wracking, claustrophobic ending. Each death feels completely heartbreaking- no other extreme demon has been able to replicate such a feeling since Old Cataclysm.

A journey about finding solace and color in this dreary old world

The best way to describe this level is a paroxysm- a outburst of emotion that sweeps throughout the body like boiling ripples. Such a level of catharsis has never been topped in another Geometry Dash level.

Funny how this man is responsible for the three best transition parts ever made (1 here, 2 in Death Moon) and no one else has come close.

The greatest level in Geometry Dash, and I don't see this ever changing anytime soon. This level feels like the essence of this game distilled into a single level.

For one, it perfectly takes Geometry Dash's roots as a rage platformer and cranks the nerves and intensity up to 11, utilizing both its gameplay and visuals for perfect tension and release throughout the level. Not only does it call back to its platformer identity, but also its rhythm game identity by being the perfect visual synesthesia to the song it is using for the level- this is what this SHK's song would look like if it were a GD level, and no other work could properly do the song the justice it deserves. Lastly, it takes Geometry Dash's abstract artstyle and twists it into a new, demonic form- a novel style at the time- as well as being an excellent demonstration of both Funnygame's technical ability, and how far he was able to push this game while it still being recognizably Geometry Dash.

It's quite a shame FunnyGame fell off when 2.0 rolled around, however with how boundless and expansive this level is, it makes sense that the update that allowed the limits to be further pushed would result in what would be the second, less impressive half of FunnyGame's time as a creator. I certainly miss this sort of work from him, but I think that's what makes his 1.9 work so special- that defiance can be seen in each one of his levels, and seeing him tear down the walls of the editor and molding them into increasingly impressive forms.