A Quick Critique of Anti-Convention Levels

Levels that attempt to stray away from convention have been popular for a while now, but recently there's been an increase in levels within this genre that don't quite achieve this goal, falling flat and nullifying the overall message. 'The Rising Bulb Suns' by Aerma is the most recent level that unfortunately falls into this category, and it's stirred up a little bit of controversy in the community, and so in this video I use this level as a point to critique these types of levels. Thanks for watching!

[@Aerma]

I regret posting my tweet with that particular caption-I should have just let the level stand on its own. I do have a lot of feelings about art in Geometry Dash and what it means to be a level, but I never meant this level to be an example of something marvelous, new, and innovative. The Rising Bulb Suns was a simple expression of my feelings, rather than an attempt to accurately represent my feelings in a unique and pleasing way. It was also the first time I built something in the editor completely for myself rather than for others-I have three rated levels, and while one of them (Afterthought) is quite meaningful to me, the other two certainly weren't. It's exhausting to build levels with rate standards and community ideals in mind, so I decided to ignore than entirely for this level and just build whatever I felt like making in the moment, with my feelings in mind about Geometry Dash levels and their relationship to art. It was the most fun I've ever had in the editor.
To expand on what I mean about rethinking what it means to be a GD level: they are obviously pieces of art, but I've felt for years that the vast majority of levels follow a similar set of principles and standards-block designs, structuring, cohesiveness, air deco... all of those things can make for fantastic levels, but I yearn for more people to break out of that box entirely and make something truly unique that really make me FEEL something. There are a few levels that fulfill this for me: Test Tube, that controversial Twitter level, is one of them. It makes me feel a sense of loneliness, anxiety, and growing dread. The entire level feels like an existential crisis. It's really impressive to me how the creator, BlanketAddict, managed to pack so many heavy feelings into such a strange level. Another level is Crop Circles by Flash. It makes me feel a deep connection to nature and the natural world, a similar sense of meaning as when i walk up to a tree and closely examine and appreciate all of the fine details. Recently, I decided that White Space also fulfills this idea. It's hard to place exactly what it made me feel, but playing it was a meaningful experience that very few levels share.
The Rising Bulb Suns was, again, my way of expressing my desires for these kinds of levels, and was not meant to be an example of them. I knew when I posted it that it would get backlash, but I was shocked at the personal nature of a lot of the criticism. I'm very glad at least a few people really enjoyed the level.
Your video is completely fine, I just hope people understand my intent behind the level, as facing all of that Twitter backlash has been pretty emotionally exhausting.

[@garbageman543]

you do realize that without twitter your level would stay in the recent tab, right?

[@ThePastaNebula]

Fully understanding the intent behind this level's creation has given me a much deeper appreciation for it; I too yearn for levels that push beyond the norms and allow emotion to be felt and expressed. It's definitely something the community needs to attempt more, and I can relate heavily to your desire for this. Apologies for the confusion by the way, the wording of your tweets were slightly ambiguous; it was hard to decipher what was actually being expressed here, and I suppose I assumed wrong. I tried to stray away from needlessly hating on it though, you've obviously experienced far beyond your fair share of negativity. People can be overly nasty, especially online - please don't let their five second temper tantrums over Twitter get to you, holding genuine resentment towards someone over something so harmless is nothing short of pathetic. They're not worth your time, and their hateful messages are definitely not worth dwelling on.

[@Aerma]

@@garbageman543 i didn't make it to reach fame or status or get more creator points, so that's fine

[@alanhasmemes]

​@@Aermaif so, what's the point in even showing anyone or releasing the level to begin with? Just keep your spammy vent level in your created levels folder and keep it at that

[@ferlitten]

​@@alanhasmemes Sharing things is cool and healthy, so I think that's why she did it. Also note that sharing a level for the sake of sharing so other people can relate to it is different than to share it to gain a lot of traction.

[@ankleswallower7990]

Can't believe geometry dash finally caught up to the fine arts in terms of community drama. Jokes aside it's like other art that comments on the current state of art, it's not really enough to present something traditionally not art as art to challenge expectations, that's not really saying anything; by refusing conventions you just fit yourself into different conventions. Most good art about art tends to subvert/deny conventions. That is to say anti-convention levels like these don't actually say anything outside of "this is a geometry dash level too! Your preconceived notions!" but so does every level that's not considered "good", so in reality the only part of these levels that are anti-convention is the creator saying it is. There's no discernible thought behind how the level's built apart from making it not a conventional level without actually questioning what the conventions are, like in this one it still has pretty standard gameplay and it uses colours very safely, it's just more experimental and doesn't have as much care put into decoration, but it still follows the level formula. Not a level that's not a level, just a level with somewhat creative visuals. Compared to something like exasperation which twists all conventions in a regular impossible levels, ie there's still barely humanly possible gameplay but it doesn't flow or look all that difficult at first glance, instead just representing the song perfectly, or the decoration which although it's almost completely undecorated there's just enough to make it feel intentional, what you see is what you get. What I'm trying to say is that if you want to do a meta critique on levels in geometry dash, not only think about what you're actually critiquing, but how your level reflects it

[@nayR5]

czcams.com/video/18WvuBg91gk/video.html

[@Paeioh]

It's funny because iirc, thycket didn't even make exasperation to break or deny level conventions, it was just made to literally exasperate you.

[@Prometheus_Alt]

Devin2003 does it better than these Twitter mfs

[@steadfast1448]

Because he (In quotes) "wants people to be disgusted by his levels".

[@garbageman543]

@@steadfast1448 and actually puts effort in

[@SyncronedStuff]

@@steadfast1448 Google dementia

[@casualwaterenjoyer]

A level is good when it is what the creator wanted it to be.

[@Zewind]

A level can be good or bad based on anyones opinion

[@casualwaterenjoyer]

@@Zewind That is true, but ultimately what matters is how effectively the levels creator was able to express themselves/reach their goal. If every opinion was as important as any other, none of them would be

[@garbageman543]

@@casualwaterenjoyer so what your saying is if i go into the editor and i want to place a bunch of random objects, so i do that, then my level is good?

[@casualwaterenjoyer]

@@garbageman543 It depends on what your goal is. If it is to make a level for other people to enjoy in therms of deco and gameplay, then no. If your goal is to be able to realise your art and ideas in the editor, then yes, it is a good level by that standard.
In therms of if that level should get rated, then its not about the level creator anymore, but about what the community/robtop wants to see. That standard is independet from the level being good or bad though, because the only good or bad thats really important is whether the levels creator is happy with their work.

[@ANGOOSE_REAL]

BASED

[@goindown]

this level reminds me of artists selling a canvas that's literally just blue for 10 quintillion dollars

[@4fortyfour]

Modern art EZ Clap

[@zynosgd9982]

People already challenged what a GD level is meant to be times before. Think of FunnyGame, Serponge, Spu7nix, Bli... There are example of people changing the game entirely and doing it in a way that doesn't hurt my eyes physically.

[@javierfernandez195]

Infinitely better than the last years gameplay, which is just spamming a different mode portal every 0.3 seconds.

[@memegod6750]

Or just 99% unreadable wave spam

[@garbageman543]

the mode portal spam was a kind of gameplay style, and it is pretty fun imo. kinda just seems like a skill issue

[@javierfernandez195]

@@garbageman543 dude, i was playing geometry dash when you were doing pipi in your pampers.

[@garbageman543]

@@javierfernandez195 so youve been playing for a long time and still are bad, or you just have nostalgia for the old gameplay?

[@essegd]

i am insulted.

[@GadoGD]

i do agree but I think aerma also said that she just wanted to make a level without any kind of expectations or limits for herself. it is a bit ambiguous about what this level actually was intended to do, and as you said, there are lots of levels like it so the unconventional genre has become rather saturated

[@GadoGD]

good video, better than the cbf one and I'm looking forward to next one :)

[@xd3athclawx554]

This level is like the current state of art irl. It is about as good as a banana on a wall and calling it art.

[@pliozhkapliozhkapliozhkapl7414]

Why banana on a wall can't be an art?

[@xd3athclawx554]

@@pliozhkapliozhkapliozhkapl7414 because you cant tape a banana on a wall and say it is worth $120,000 because of some random ass backstory for the banana and what it portrays. It's a banana duct taped to a wall.

[@luvv909]

@@pliozhkapliozhkapliozhkapl7414in my opinion, art is mostly about talent
and that explains it ig

[@user-bt8xr5si9y]

@@luvv909 yeah it's not talent to tape a banana to a wall. Modern art in general is a joke.
People really just be taking buckets of paint, randomly throw them onto a canvas and boom 5 million dollar painting right there like what???

[@pliozhkapliozhkapliozhkapl7414]

@@luvv909 whether art is talented or not is a subjective matter. And pretentiousness is not necessarily a bad thing in art. I could say that this is what makes art evolve.

[@MuffinCat]

hi pasta 😂
Also about the drama thing uhh
it looks like an excuse to make rushed and bad levels tbh

[@ThePastaNebula]

hi muffin cat
and yeah it can def be used for that lol i agree

[@masterball999gaming4]

If this is a good level then every recent level is good too

[@MuffinCat]

@@masterball999gaming4 agreed

[@nayR5]

KrmaL Skyye 2003devin

[@Edgeperor]

Honestly I don’t care for it much, but it has more artistic value than a lot of rated glow/flow megacollabs at least

[@reflex9216]

for being out of convention it feels like it doesn't introduce anything that could appeal in any way, unique or whatever but I feel nothing while watching this, just another level

[@dapcuber7225]

It has the same failings as modern art. It tries to step away from something tried and tested literally millions of times and just ends up being a bit shit.

[@Zewind]

Just like you said, despite being unconventional, it follows a lot of already done conventions, infact I know a creator who makes levels very close to this. "Unconventional" can be so much more than chaotic randomness passed off as a level.
A level can be unique but that doesn't make it good, this is an example. It breaks standards, yes, but I doubt it will have any impact on how most creators make levels

[@xplode09]

i always feel like these levels basically try to be what would conventionally be considered 'bad' on purpose instead of trying to be something actually unique and never-before-seen in the community. i love experimentation and want to try to move to making new ideas and being more ambitious in creating but this is truthfully just not the way to do it.

[@SundayGMD]

very much agree with this, i love unconventional levels (my favourite creators are people like devin2003, skywalker14, mangut, etc.) but i always see people try to make stuff like this and pass it off as "experimental". feels like experimental now means do whatever and don't care about making a good level, when it should be about approaching making a level in a intentional, different way. definitely something that i want to work toward personally as a creator but thank you for making this video it's been on my mind a lot as well 🙏

[@WhyTheWorst]

1:06 fantastic point made here and honestly incredibly ironic lmao. from what ive seen, levels try to either portray emotion or creative skill ~ i feel like a lot of people who do these type of "non conventional" levels just try to be different, which is fine, but in doing so, more will follow, creating another convention. great vid though, allows us to see things in another light

[@p3dro187]

One of the best anti-convention levels Ive played was Big Brother by Pexca, is a 1.9 gdps level that looks and plays amazing while challenging todays standards by creating something appealing using a mix of under-used objects and styles. Its preety conventional compared to levels like this, its mostly a level that tries to be original while challenging what people see 1.9 as. Its very good

[@dillanchong]

The only person I think gets this right is cw2003

[@thismakesnosense]

There's a lot to be said about art in Geometry Dash. There's the debate between subjectivity and objectivity, creator intent vs player enjoyment, etc. What I took away from this is that art and art critique are very complex topics and should be handled with care. The creator's intent obviously plays a role, but so does player enjoyment. Even critique of art should be examined since, like any piece of art, it will inevitably be flawed. Twitter usually isn't a good place to get feedback, nor is the GD comment section. In my opinion, the best thing a piece of art can achieve is to inspire you to make art yourself. That's why "bad" levels are still valuable.
TL;DR:
Art is hard.
Don't use Twitter.
Go make stuff.

[@NesDoinThings]

this is the gd equivalent of those "art" museums that just put splotches of paint on the canvas and just call it "modern art"

[@Hentori.]

It's interesting to see people attempting to use this style i personally use this style with most of my levels the idea of using a messy spammy structure is just a :chief_kiss: for me. Great video btw

[@ThePastaNebula]

I think the intention behind using this style is what makes it good or bad in my eyes, and it can make for some pretty interesting structuring if done well. Thank you btw :)

[@garbageman543]

the thing with this level is it is 100% conventional. people have been making levels like this for a long time. the formula is 1) use a weird song 2) place a bunch of random incohesive objects without effort. they are known as "recent tab" levels or "little timmy" levels. the only thing differing it from other recent tab levels is it being labelled as unconventional and posted on twitter.

[@emilianojoaquinlopezaburto3451]

i feel there are some good anticonvencional levels like ameliorate since it is clear there was mor effort put into it and it was one of the first of them while being consistent

[@dbeme07]

The best Anti-Convention levels are unintentionally unconventional, like Geography Dash

[@marcxworld5708]

Gd creators when i tell them that randomly placing objects isnt experimental or imaginative:

[@fluffeonwolfie]

I dont think it's about anti-convention (though I won't be surprised if it was in large part inspired by it) but more so what the creator wanted to do. She wanted to do a very self-indulgent level, one that might not appease everyone but one that I'm sure she feels proud of for executing it rather, and she posted it with the intent that she was absolutely certain that she was satisfied with the end result. I don't think it necessarily has to go with non-convention but rather with a wish to only please therselves. I don't make levels like these, but I have the same purpose in making levels that only fit my palate only. I'm sure she doesn't care about the bad or good reviews, or if its gonna get rated or not. It's her own toybox only for herself.
Because Geometry Dash is a game about creative freedom after all.

[@ThePastaNebula]

Her statements were rather contradictory in regards to her true intentions, but I can respect a level being purely self-indulgent. I mainly used this level as an example since it's being perceived as anti-convention, and I wanted to criticise the norms of this genre without digging some random old level out of its grave and beating it to death even more lol

[@WhiteFlashGD]

Creating your own standard/not adhering to established standards doesn't have to involve going against anything that could be considered "good".
Imo if you make a breakthrough in creating or do something no one else has done before while executing your ideas well then you are creating your own standard without appearing to "go against the grain".
I think the issue people have with a lot of levels is execution. Some ideas are harder to portray than others but I believe all ideas can be executed with enough skill.
Just a thing to think about coming a random art creator.

[@Zewind]

Hi woofgd

[@essegd]

to me, this just looks like a recent tab level with some extra pizzazz. i understand the idea of not setting limits or expectations for yourself but tbh don't pretend like it's some revolutionary masterpiece that will "change how people see geometry dash levels" or whatever it was, because to be blunt, when you don't give yourself any guidelines, it doesn't necessarily just mean that it's "good in its own way".

[@harsh_here5695]

Didnt knew i was 1 year early on this trend :p

[@its_xen0n772]

reminds me of that one very weird level i think fnm04 showcased, it was like a big jumble of abstract art and objects, forgot the name tho

[@_Gam3r]

do what you want to do but people saying "the cosmic greatness of this amazing disguise of a creation is insanity of pure masters work" are just wrong

[@Unicorn_Addict]

i think they're just fun to make

[@reverie08]

This is just a follow up to test tube by BlanketAddict

[@spikeabug]

Test tube was super weird and I liked it lol

[@gmdrandom6287]

At least test tube was just a test tube

[@kalerixgd]

Cool!

[@fearme7184]

Pasta cooking with another good video 🔥🔥

[@ThePastaNebula]

ty, appreciate it! :)

[@fearme7184]

@@ThePastaNebula ofc

[@officerye9855]

Yap sesh
i feel like, if you've ever seen it, noisecore or epileptic deco is far more anti-conventional, because it doesnt follow any rules. No glow, no hell theme, just chaos, and i feel thats what this level was meant to be. (or maybe i just like how it looks idk) Devin's work is so much better than this blob of things. The problem with it, is that it looks like no effort was put into it and seems like there is no skill in making it. Just put a couple blocks here and some weird outlines there, and you're done. It just seems lazy.

[@gaimnbro9337]

Oh cool I think we've gone to a new low with these

[@Luqum]

Try Unnes Demons to find critique in colour theory and general structuring of a level

[@lemonize30]

Worst gdps?

[@Probablybad19]

Sunfall, What is It, and Scissors are far better experimental levels

[@memeiki]

I think these levels are 100% fine, but the creators just take themselves too seriously
I also make kinda similar style levels

[@pineappledasher4902]

😂

[@fluffeonwolfie]

I didn't know you were still around, you were one of my favourite creators back in the day-

[@ThePastaNebula]

LOL

[@DashY_GD]

You sounded like that You are my sunshine guy.

[@pigchefer]

DashY_GD

[@DashY_GD]

pigchefer

[@Flaaroni]

I don't know I just like how the level looks on the surface lol. But yeah I don't think the execution was great

[@landon2614]

some of wless’s lrvels from a few years beck had this idea, namely in the radiator and im god. check those out for a more visually appealing take on this idea

[@GeomeTeamCraft]

Peak debatelordism

[@Cobgd]

based

[@glowing_aurora]

i don't like these levels personally because theres like no theme/overarching meaning, and it's "purposefully" low effort, like anyone can make a level like this and just say "this level was made to represent breaking the definition of a traditional gd level". like if it's not immediately obvious what the meaning behind the level is, then it's not a good level (like this one).

[@epictoast]

by this logic czcams.com/video/nG2H95mHFIU/video.html this is a style-defining masterpiece

[@spirosnapspirosnap403]

This is some modern art shi

[@pliozhkapliozhkapliozhkapl7414]

What's wrong?

[@spirosnapspirosnap403]

Did you unheart this lmao

[@ThePastaNebula]

Must’ve done accidentally lol

[@spirosnapspirosnap403]

@@ThePastaNebula well alright stay safe

[@elitel3yton147]

nah this level is ass theres a convention to good levels because they use what works like you know.. good decoration?

[@spikeabug]

Yeah this ain't white space lol

[@masterball999gaming4]

Recent level style is not a style