Vortex Gaming

· In November 2009, developer FlukeDude created 'The Impossible Game' in just one month and released it as an Xbox Live Indie Game. It quickly gained popularity for its simple jump mechanics and extreme difficulty.
· Players control a red square that moves automatically, avoiding spikes and pits. A single mistake means restarting from the beginning.
· The game constantly challenges players with fast speeds, extremely difficult timing, fake paths, and triple spike jumps that demand near-perfect reflexes.
· The background music perfectly syncs with the game's energy and the appearance of obstacles, enhancing immersion.
· Surviving 1 minute and 30 seconds of frantic gameplay clears the game. A practice mode allows players to set checkpoints freely, helping to ease the difficulty.

· After its initial success, 'The Impossible Game' expanded to various platforms, continuing its popularity.
· In April 2010, an iPhone version was released with remade levels, followed by a free Lite version and a Flash version.
· It achieved great success in the mobile market, topping the iTunes charts, surpassing 'Doodle Jump'.
· In September 2010, two new levels were added as paid DLC.
· Level 2 introduced a screen-flipping gimmick that caused confusion, while Level 3 presented an extremely difficult challenge with blocks breaking from behind and objects spawning in reverse, forcing memorization.
· In 2011, it was ported to Android and PlayStation, and gameplay videos from famous YouTubers like Rooster Teeth and penguinz0 garnered millions of views, further boosting the game's popularity.
· In 2012, a fourth level was added, and demand grew for a feature allowing users to create their own levels through a Steam Greenlight campaign.

· In late 2012, a developer began creating their own version of 'The Impossible Game' called 'The Runthrough'.
· Released in early 2013, this game added new levels and effects but was essentially identical to the original.
· It later expanded into a level editor called 'Track Development Tool', but due to a lack of originality and Game Maker engine issues, development was eventually halted.

· In August 2013, a new mobile game called 'Geometry Dash' was released.
· This game appeared to be a blatant copy of 'The Impossible Game', with even the logos looking similar.
· Developer RobTop had a history of plagiarizing 'Candy Crush', leading to suspicions that 'Geometry Dash' was also just a money-making copy.
· Critics also argued that unnecessary elements, such as giving faces to characters, detracted from the original's minimalist charm.

· 'Geometry Dash' featured similar attempt counters, practice mode, and object fade-in effects to 'The Impossible Game', but also introduced several new elements.
· Visual improvements included various block styles, background colors, and decorations.
· Level 1 featured a rocket flight section that seemed to plagiarize 'Jetpack Joyride', but its utility was low due to a lack of significant hazards.
· Subsequent levels added new mechanisms like bounce pads for upward boosts and rings that allowed double jumps (though bugs were present).
· A screen-flipping gimmick, similar to 'The Impossible Game', also appeared, but the background music was considered inferior to the original.
· The biggest features were a user-friendly level editor and online level upload functionality.
· Developer RobTop addressed the plagiarism controversy by explaining he was 'influenced but tried to make it more interesting'.
· He contributed to community activation by adding user-created levels to a 'Featured' section.

· 'Geometry Dash' grew rapidly as online levels surged in popularity, with dozens of new levels uploaded daily.
· A Lite version was also released, similar to 'The Impossible Game'.
· Subsequent updates added new gameplay elements, such as gravity-flipping balls and cloud-themed levels.
· A system was introduced where players could earn stars upon clearing levels to compete with friends, and certain custom levels were recognized with a new 'Demon' difficulty, adding depth to the game.
· In this way, 'Geometry Dash' began to overshadow 'The Impossible Game' with continuous updates and community-driven content.

· When 'Flappy Bird' gained explosive popularity on the App Store, 'Geometry Dash' added a similar flight mode in just one week.
· This further intensified criticism that 'Geometry Dash' unhesitatingly adopted ideas from other popular games.
· Ironically, 'Flappy Bird' was removed from the App Store by its developer due to feelings of guilt.

· In May 2014, 'The Impossible Game' finally launched on Steam.
· While there was no new content, its arrival on a major platform like Steam and the inclusion of the promised level editor generated excitement.
· The level editor offered basic features such as placing 3 types of objects, changing background colors, and using custom audio files.
· Although there were no online servers, community activities like sharing levels with friends via files and showcasing them on YouTube took place.
· Famous YouTubers like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and PewDiePie played the Steam version, garnering millions of views, seemingly signaling a revival for 'The Impossible Game'.

· Although 'The Impossible Game' briefly gained popularity after its Steam release, the public ultimately chose 'Geometry Dash'.
· 'Geometry Dash' offered a superior experience to the original with more levels, diverse mechanics, rich customization, an online-supported level editor, and frequent updates.
· 'The Impossible Game', on the other hand, remained in its original place as a simple rage game.
· By late 2014, 'Geometry Dash' had 18 built-in levels and over a million online levels, launching on Steam and solidifying its position as a genuinely popular game, consistently ranking high on mobile and Steam charts.
· It achieved overwhelming success by building a massive player and creator community that 'The Impossible Game' lacked.

· Game development often involves the pressure for new ideas while also tending to reuse successful existing elements.
· For games not protected by large corporations, it's possible to replicate ideas and sell one's own version.
· 'Geometry Dash' understood the potential of 'The Impossible Game' and improved upon it in every aspect, achieving advancements that the original developer did not.
· Although it borrowed many elements from 'The Impossible Game', 'Geometry Dash' is not just a copy but a game that refined and expanded upon the original, deserving recognition for its success.
· This is similar to how 'Fortnite' adopted 'PUBG's battle royale mechanics, and 'Stardew Valley' improved upon the shortcomings of the 'Harvest Moon' series to achieve success.
· Games can be copied out of passion or greed, and 'Geometry Dash' might lie somewhere in between.
· (April Fools' joke) However, when 'The Impossible Game 2' came out with guns, the conclusion is that 'Geometry Dash' is terrible, and everyone who plays it should feel guilty.