Level Components



Map Components are what the player has to navigate in order to make it through the level. There are a number of kinds, some which are used as methods of travel while others are intended to kill the player. The layout of these make every level unique and of varying difficulty.

Blocks
Blocks and other surfaces are the most common components and construct the basis of a level. There are many different shapes and sizes. Just about all can be jumped upon and serve as platforms. However, colliding horizontally with a block will kill the player. Diagonal slanted blocks were introduced as of v1.8.

Hazards
Hazards usually introduce difficulty into each level. They will often destroy players if touched in any way. Through the levels in Geometry Dash, hazards are introduced in several different forms.

Spikes
Spikes are the most frequently occurring and are often jumped over. These obstacles often appear with varying appearance, and can be invisible or transparent. They can also differ in size. Three spikes are sometimes placed in a group to escalate the level of difficulty. They are commonly seen in Time Machine, which includes the most three-spikes out of any official level. Spikes can also be different sizes or widths. The color of some of these obstacles can also be changed using the C-OBJ option in level settings from Level Editor.

Sawblades
Sawblades, which are first encountered in Clutterfunk, are typically larger than spikes. They automatically rotate in place, and can be seen in several different forms as well. Transparent sawblades can sometimes be seen with dark backgrounds, commonly used in Electroman Adventures. Each variation has three sizes. The 1.9 update introduced gear-like sawblades.

Thorns
Thorns are one of the most common hazards in Geometry Dash. They are generally long, black obstacles that are placed between columns of blocks. In official levels, they make appearances throughout the game. The 1.8 update introduced diagonal thorns in either direction.

Pads and rings
Pads and rings influence the direction of travel. Pads only need to be touched to activate their effect, while rings need to be tapped as the player passes over for them to function. There are three variants identical to each. Although these components are often part of completing a level, they can be positioned in such a way that redirects the player into a hazard, needing to be avoided in such instances.
 * Yellow pad initiates a jump larger than normal, introduced in Back on Track.
 * Purple pad initiates a jump smaller than normal, formally introduced in Theory of Everything.(Also found while getting the first and last secret coin in Can't Let Go).
 * Blue pad changes the direction of gravity, formally introduced in xStep.(Also found when getting the first coin in Back On Track. Also found while getting the third coin in Polargeist).

Portals
For the complete article, see Portals.

Portals can modify the way the icon interacts with the level, and can force the cube to assume another form, such as the rocket, gravity ball, UFO, or an arrow. They can also change its speed, size, or mirror the screen. The 1.8 update introduced portals which created a copy of the player. These objects are often expertly placed in correlation with the background soundtrack. On most occasions, the background and ground color also change with the icon.

Cosmetics and effects
A number of components are purely cosmetic, or may have effects applied to them. The music can be connected to background posts which pulse to the beat. Others may be used as markers to identify routes or hazards. Physical objects can cycle through colours and complete visibility, which may also be distracting to gameplay. In contrast, what may look like physical objects can also be background objects, which may again fool the player. Blast Processing introduced a new effect, giving blocks a three-dimensional appearance. This, in no way, affected gameplay.

Background and transition
The background can change colour and sometimes its pattern as a way to create a more vibrant gameplay experience. Other map components can enter and leave the screen, not physically affecting anything, as further visual enhancement, but may reduce the amount of time the player has to react to their entry.