Rating Curve

Without any doubt, one of, if not, THE most iconic and influential gd level of all time, rivaling the likes of Bloodbath and Robtop’s main levels. Back when this first dropped in 1.9, the effect part in the wave was mindblowing, almost completely unheard of at the time. Afaik, there were only two levels in 1.9 released before Nine Circles that have even remotely done this effect at all. There have been countless levels inspired by this one, mainly in the trend of “Nine Circles” levels that this level established, and this level is a popular choice in player progression.

Now it has been over a decade later after this level dropped, and nowadays, its just fine. While its decoration was groundbreaking when it first released, it just doesn’t feel the same, and sort of blends in with most other NC levels that came out afterwards, especially with the ones that came out in 1.9. Still, one can’t forget how meaningful this decoration was back when this level first released.

As for the gameplay, its not exactly bad, but its noticably rough around the edges due to its age. The predrop isn’t exactly horrible to play, but it can feel boring to sit through when the main thing you want with this level is to get to the exhilaration that is the wave part, especially with the ship and ball parts having a few annoying timings. And the ending cube is just one giant chokepoint, so that’s just… fun.

The wave part is undoubtedly the best part of this level in terms of both visuals and gameplay, this is one of the better playing wave parts in Nine Circles hard demons, although the start of the wave is a little bit harder than the rest of it, so it may kill you as soon as you get to the drop which is a bit annoying, but its manageable and far from the worst kind of gameplay I have seen with other Nine Circles levels

Overall, while I don’t exactly see this level as the masterpiece it once was compared to 10 years ago, I’d generally say its still worth playing today, despite some hiccups. And I have nothing but massive respect for Zobros pioneering an entire genre of levels in this game, even if many of which seemed to have failed to replicate the same charm that this level did, though some are still good on their own terms. Easily Zobros’ best level (though that is a LOW bar).

I have very conflicting thoughts about this level in general. To start off, this is undoubtedly one of the most unique feeling levels in the whole game. The level’s aesthetics are very reminiscent of simple, liminal spaces that, along with the song, invoke many different feelings such as sadness, joy, and even creepiness. It’s rather difficult to describe, but it certainly is a distinct and charming vibe at that.

However, my main concerns are in regards to the gameplay (how shocking). Because it’s basically all invisible, you have to rely on musical cues in order to make your timings. This can be quite inconsistent at times, especially with the first cube (best strat for this part is to land onto the next platform the instant you hear the “TICK”), but also the ufo and robot parts. There are also many parts that are literally auto, so you just wait until you have to do another non-auto part. imo the level should be either all gp or auto. The hardest part is 69-80, though it becomes consistent once you learn enough of it to the point where you can just buffer spam a majority of it (I did have a 98 death sadly but it didnt take too long to beat afterwards).

Either way, this is the second easiest insane demon in the game for me, just behind puzzle trials.

Yea, I know I sound like a normie for saying this level is a masterpiece and one of the best levels in the game… but how could I not? I’ll admit I’m partially biased towards this level, as it is somewhat inspired by Rayman Legends, which is a game I love a lot, but besides that, this level is a masterclass in pretty much each category.

This level showed such an insane amount of quality when it first dropped almost 2 years ago (damn time flies), and it still continues to impress this day.

The whole “theatrical” theme this level goes for is really cool, as it is divided into different acts, all with visually stunning environments, my favorites being the “video game” and “simulation” parts . What makes this even cooler is at the beginning, you can choose to keep it in theatrical, or bring it to life through your imagination, making everything look more real. I personally prefer the theatrical route slightly more since it is a bit more creative, mainly with how it themes each act (i.e. video game part has a video game UI while it doesn’t in the other route), but the other route is still high quality. The level has such a dramatic and intense vibe going on throughout, while also managing to stay surprisingly cohesive. Best part about all of this is that Bli managed to do all of this in under 80K OBJECTS, I cannot stress just how monumental that was when I first found out about it.

The gameplay is also extremely well made, it is very sightreadable, hardly has any bad timings, and just has a lot of variety to stick out and make each part a lot more memorable. It is generally very well polished, with not a single bad part coming to mind!

I guess my only nitpick is that the ending following the fake ending sort of feels like filler given how its decoration looks, but it still has fun gameplay so i can kinda forgive it.

So yea, this level is a masterpiece all around. Kinda sad to see some people start switching up on it, likely because of how popular it became, but I’ll still always highly respect it. And I think this is a level GD really needed at the time, it came out in an era where GD feel so stagnant in the levels that came out, felt like most people just wanted to make the same old stuff and nothing actuslly interesting.

One of the most creative and intriguing demons to have come out in recent times. When I first played this level, I was in an infinite loop so I was confused, but then I dropped down by skipping the two green orbs, and was very fascinated, now that I have understood the level’s gimmick. This is easily some of the best usage of 2.2 features so far, trying to figure out where to go next to continue the loop was also very enioyable. And the ending is so sick, had to restart the level and then continue playing it a bit more to beat it.

The only reason this isn’t a 10 is because the luster of the level wears off a little once you figure out where to go next. If you die far in after figuring out most if not all solutions, you’ll just quickly take each path again to get back as quick as possible, making the level lose some of its magic. I also find the gameplay in the ending to be pretty mid, idk just feels more like a filler part to me. Still, this level is unlike anything else released in 2.2, especially when experiencing for the first time. Highly recommend checking it out!

Absolutely fucking dogshit and atrocious megacollab.

Why is almost all of the level’s difficulty carried by Gboy’s singular mini ball part and Evasium?

Why is Jeyzor so fucking janky and buggy?

Why is Sumsar the biggest chokepoint in the world?

WHY DOES THIS LEVEL HAVE AN OVERALL SCORE OF 7????

Bad level, dunno why people seem to enjoy it so much. It’s literally just click-sync slop that is too repetitive in terms of both its gameplay and decoration, didn’t really feel satisfying to do. Not to mention this level was made much worse visually by a 2.2 update that abused camera controls like its life depended on it. Worst part is just how much of a difficulty spike the last 20% is, gotta be another level of bullshit to have the gameplay be repetitive and still not balanced. Go play levels with satisfying click sync that provide much better value than this.

This might sound strange, but in my opinion, this is genuinely the weakest mythic level in the game, and its not even close. In fact, I hardly like this level at all.

I sincerely hope I’m not alone in this, but I don’t really “get” jshadow levels. I’ve seen many gas up his platformer gameplay in exchange for his rather basic deco style, and while it’s far from the worst, I hardly see anything in it that would make it mythic worthy. And Throat of the World is the perfect example of how I feel about jshadow as a creator.

I’m gonna be honest, the gameplay isn’t all that interesting; its way too repetitive, and the gimmicks this level utilizes (such as wall jumps and dash orbs) were very hit or miss, and even then, they didn’t do enough to spice up the gameplay. Most of the time, it just plays like your average platformer demon. I do like the adventurous atmosphere this level sets up, but all the environments look too similar to each other or are just too bland for my liking; there’s a reason the level peaked in the third area (Maw of the Mountain).

These qualities make me feel the level doesn’t deserve mythic, though they aren’t enough to set me over the edge for disliking it so much. So what is? I’ll tell you; the last checkpoint before the final boss. GOOD GOD, THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST PARTS I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN ANY GD LEVEL. It is ABSURDLY harder than the rest of the level, as over HALF my time completing this level was spent on this one checkpoint alone! What kind of bullcrap difficulty balancing is this?! And dear LORD is this part hella inconsistent. The three jumps from moving out left and instantly right back onto the platformers are SOME OF THE MOST ATROCIOUS AND UNSATISFYING INPUTS IVE EVER DONE IN THIS GAME!!! ITS SO BRAINLESS!!! And don’t even get me started on the last few jumps with the swinging platforms…

Is there any actual praise I can give to this level? Well yes, and the biggest one has to be for the two bosses, built by none other than the winner for best platformer creator in the GD awards, MoistenedEgg. while there is a little bit of RNG involved with them, they are pretty solid overall. The skill far outweighs the luck involved, as you have to be ready and react fast to dodge their attacks, especially when trying to reach the next emerald to damage them. I also like how you can take up to 3 hits in each boss, making them feel more like actual fights than just obstacles you avoid for the sake of it. It’s a rare instance of a platformer level having well-designed bossee for once. That being said, I sadly couldn’t get to fully appreciate the second and final boss on my playthrough, as it came right after the abomination that was the checkpoint I ranted about above, so I just wanted to close shop by the time I passed that checkpoint. But I certainly do appreciate it way more now, especially considering how well built it is compared to a majority of this level.

In conclusion, while it is nice to have completed a platformer extreme demon, Throat of the World was a very frustrating experience, mostly starting out as just boring due to the middling gameplay and aesthetics, only having a few glimpses of enjoyability, before devolving into a nightmare to play due to the last checkpoint before the final boss. Definitely does not deserve mythic, or even legendary for that matter, just an epic. May sound too far out, but words cannot describe how overrated I feel this level is. I think most of the praise for this level comes from the fact that it isn’t a platformer extreme demon that isn’t the usual low quality tech-spam slop seen in every other platformer extreme. Yes, its nice to have a platformer extreme not built like this slop, but that is a bar BEYOND hell. Seriously, an “Unnamed 0” level you just created with 0 objects whatsoever is enough to surpass the quality of those levels. If this level is as good as platformer extremes can get, then you can bet your soul I will never try to beat another one again. Maybe I’ll try out Storm Front at some point, but who knows.

(oh wait this level has a sidequest where you burn an innocent dude alive on an altair nvm its a 10/10)

The finale to the NCS x GD album event, and man is it underwhelming.

The main issue with this level is that it is just very bland and uninteresting, so it isn’t exactly bad, but its also not great either. The first 50% or so is mostly just a generic 2.2 pixel block level, with a lack of detail in some parts. The start of the drop is probably the best part of the level, as I do like the effects of the level slowly getting more and more glitchy. Following that though is a swing through the arcade, and I can’t help but feel like this is just a lesser version of Casino Blitz. Now this isn’t to say this level doesn’t have anything uninteresting about it, I like how this level references the other levels in the NCS x GD album event, and the end screen is really cool as well, but those feel so far and few between.

A similar level of quality is reflected in this level’s gameplay as well. It’s neat how this plays like a traditional Robtop level at first, but as the level goes on, it just degrades more and more into being the generic “follow the indicators” gameplay found in 90% of easy demon nowadays, mainly due to focusing more on visuals. The part at the end where you are going through various arcade machines tries to mix things up, but you are mostly just spamming at that point.

Overall, it’s just an average level with not much interesting about it, that is only really rated mythic due to surrounditn circumstances. It doesn’t deserve its mythic rating, and I don’t think it’s legendary worthy either, should be epic at best.

One of the most iconic 1.9 levels out there. While I don’t think of it as a top tier level nowadays, this level is still a solid experience overall. The drop is very satisfying to playthrough and gets consistent. I think the only major flaw with this level is the ship at 26%, as it is admittedly an annoying chokepoint, but even then, it isn’t too bad compared to other chokepoints in other levels. There’s a good reason why this is the most common first insane demon to complete.

In the sprawling universe of video games, where multimillion-dollar AAA titles dazzle with cinematic splendor and indie masterpieces push narrative boundaries, few would expect a five-star Geometry Dash level—Toxick Future—to be considered the greatest level of all time. Yet here we are, on the edge of conventional wisdom, confronted with a reality as vibrant and pulsating as the level itself: Toxick Future is not just the best level in Geometry Dash. It is, in fact, the greatest level ever created in any video game, ever.

Before you scoff at such a bold claim—before your cynicism reaches its climax—consider this: greatness is not measured by difficulty alone. It is not quantified by flashy accolades or how many frames of ray-tracing your graphics card can sweat through. Greatness lives in the quiet places of design. It lingers in the rhythm of movement, in the hypnotic pulse of the unknown, in the build-up that never quite lets you finish—until the final moment when it does, and you’re left breathless, sweaty, and questioning everything.

This essay will explore why Toxick Future transcends not just its five-star rating, not just its rhythm platformer confines, but every preconceived notion we hold about game levels. And if you feel like there’s something building—some thematic undercurrent just beneath the surface—you’re right. Because much like the level itself, Toxick Future is all about the art of edging—narratively, aesthetically, emotionally. A slow burn. A tease. A wink.

Geometry Dash is known for its difficulty. Demon levels, Extreme Demons, even Hell-themed gauntlets are treated with religious reverence by the community. But Toxick Future is only a five-star level—on paper, “easy.” Yet it manages to do what no Demon has: seduce the player into a state of trance-like immersion, without brute force or frustration.

The moment you enter Toxick Future, you’re hit with its aesthetic: neon green tendrils of light stretch across the screen like radioactive veins, techno-futuristic symbols flicker with the promise of something forbidden. The synchronization between visuals and music isn’t just tight—it’s tantric. It doesn’t rush. It holds. It pulses. Every beat aligns with your input, every jump synced with a moment of tension, every transition a breathless pause. It’s not trying to kill you. It’s trying to keep you. Keep you there, hovering at the edge.

So why does a five-star level deserve to be elevated above something like Final Destination in Super Smash Bros. Melee, or Rapture in BioShock, or even the Water Temple (yes, I said it) in Ocarina of Time? Because Toxick Future understands the fundamental truth of level design: you don’t need to make something hard to make it unforgettable. You need to make it wanting. You need to make it tease.

Toxick Future’s visual design is a cyberpunk dream laced with environmental decay. There’s something perversely beautiful about its toxic greens and chromatic distortions. It looks as though a radioactive wormhole opened up in the middle of Tron’s bedroom. The level uses distortion effects and minimalistic transitions, teasing the eye with what comes next—but never giving it away too soon.

This aesthetic doesn’t just impress—it seduces. It hints. The screen shakes ever so slightly during a drop. The color palette doesn’t just glow; it breathes. It’s as if the level is watching you, waiting for your mistake, but smiling when you don’t make it. You feel like you’re being pulled closer, but it always stays just out of reach—until you earn it.

This is edging in the language of visual design. The climax, that final satisfying moment when you reach the portal at the end, only lands because the level made you earn it with restraint. It withheld. It waited. It let the anticipation bloom like a virus under the skin.

A good Geometry Dash level is synced to the beat. A great one feels like the beat. But Toxick Future is the beat.

The soundtrack—already a masterstroke of electro-futurism—intertwines perfectly with gameplay. Jumps, orbs, gravity switches, and transitions all feel like they emerge organically from the music. There are moments where you’re not just playing to the beat; you’re becoming it. It’s a dance, a ritual, an interaction that tugs on your senses.

You keep going, entranced by the rhythm, locked into the flow. Your body sways, your hands tighten. There’s tension. Your thumb hovers, you’re not sure when to press—but the level guides you. It edges you along. It holds back the payoff.

And when the drop does hit—when you finally get the release you didn’t realize you were craving—it’s euphoric.

Compare this to Celeste’s Reflection chapter or Super Mario Galaxy’s Gusty Garden Galaxy. Yes, both are genius. But Toxick Future doesn’t just accompany the music—it fuses with it. It refuses to separate the visuals from the sound, or the gameplay from your pulse. You aren’t just playing it—you’re inside it.

One of the most overlooked aspects of Toxick Future is how its simplicity is a ruse.

You start the level and think, “This is chill.” And it is—for now. The early sections teach timing and introduce symmetrical obstacles that give a false sense of safety. But slowly, incrementally, it increases complexity. Speed changes. Portal transitions. Subtle camera shakes. Everything tightens.

You don’t realize how intense things have gotten until you’re too deep. Too committed. You’ve come this far. You’ve seen too much. You need to finish. There’s no turning back.

This level’s design is edging incarnate. It doesn’t drop difficulty on you suddenly—it creeps. It drips tension. It teases your skill curve, coaxing you forward, each new section whispering, “You want to keep going, don’t you?”

Most games throw everything at you. Toxick Future just leans in and breathes on your neck.

Part of what makes Toxick Future legendary is its paradoxical status in the GD community. It’s not rated Demon. It’s not Kaernk. It’s not Wasureta or Slaughterhouse. It doesn’t flex with brutal memorization or frame-perfect clicks. But the people who love Toxick Future? They really love it.

It exists in that sweet spot of cult classic—like Katamari Damacy or Shadow of the Colossus. You may not see it on mainstream “Top 10 Hardest Levels” lists, but in hushed comment sections and obscure Reddit threads, its name appears. Whispers. Praise. Yearning.

You’ll find players who’ve beaten every Extreme Demon still returning to Toxick Future for a casual run. Not because it’s hard, but because it feels good. It scratches an itch. A slow, lingering itch that never quite goes away.

Because once you’ve played Toxick Future, other levels feel rushed. Too eager. Too soon. They don’t hold back. They don’t build. They don’t tease.

To call Toxick Future the greatest level of all time is to challenge the hierarchy of game design. It’s to say that we don’t need another Elden Ring dungeon or another procedurally generated roguelike hellscape to feel immersion.

Sometimes, all we need is color, music, and timing. Sometimes, all we need is restraint.

In an era where games bombard us with information, Toxick Future reminds us of the power of minimalism. Of suggestion. Of almost.

It is the edge between rhythm and chaos. The line between control and surrender. It’s not the level that screams; it’s the level that whispers, “You’re almost there.”

And when you finally finish it?

Oh, the release.

Toxick Future stands as a testament to what game design can be when it stops trying to impress and starts trying to seduce. It is slow and deliberate. It edges the player to the brink—not through difficulty, but through desire. You want to keep going. You need to finish. Not because the level is hard, but because it’s right there. It’s been leading you on. And you’ve been letting it.

To some, it’s just a five-star level in a rhythm game.

To others, it’s the best level in video game history.

Because sometimes… it’s not the hardest climax that matters.

It’s the build-up.

And Toxick Future? Oh, it builds.

And builds.

And builds.

Until it leaves you quivering. Hungry. And pressing that replay button again—not for challenge, but for something more.

Something that no other level has ever quite given you.

Yet.

And maybe that’s the point.