5 Best Video Games Like Geometry Dash

The indie video game scene has been thriving over the past couple of decades, with numerous awesome games made entirely by one person hitting the market. These humble origins have not deterred fans from discovering these great titles, many of which have gone on to receive surprising blockbuster success. Among these single-developer success stories is 2013's "Geometry Dash," which was created by Robert Topala and published through his company RobTop Games.

Players control a simple geometric shape as it navigates an obstacle-filled stage from a side-scrolling perspective. "Geometry Dash" is a clear example that games don't need to push the technical limits to succeed. Sometimes, all they need is a unique core concept, a fun design, and intuitive gameplay. If you're a gamer looking for other indie titles like "Geometry Dash," there are plenty to choose from. These are the five best video games like "Geometry Dash" that fans should check out next.

Before "Geometry Dash," there was 2010's "VVVVVV," another colorful platformer with a stripped-down art design. The game follows the ill-fated voyage of Captain Viridian and his crew, who are stranded in an alternate dimension during a teleporter accident. Viridian explores this obstacle-filled sci-fi world searching for his lost crew members and for a way to escape. In contrast to most side-scrolling platformers, "VVVVVV" doesn't allow for conventional jumping but has players manipulate gravity on-the-fly to advance.

In addition to its unabashedly retro design, "VVVVVV" feels very similar to "Geometry Dash" with its digitized soundtrack syncing up to the action. The level design is engaging and progression feels particularly rewarding as players master the gravity-manipulating mechanics of the gameplay. The difficulty level is considerable, but creator Terry Cavanagh provides plenty of checkpoints to keep players from rage-quitting. An all-around entertaining blend of platforming action and music with a unique gameplay hook, "VVVVVV" helped open the door for games like "Geometry Dash."

When it comes to the most bizarre playable characters in video games, few get stranger than the titular protagonist of "Super Meat Boy." The game features a blocky piece of sentient meat out to rescue his girlfriend from the wicked Doctor Fetus. This involves Meat Boy traversing levels full of deadly obstacles that can instantly obliterate him if he makes one false move. Each chapter in the game has its own boss battle, with players able to choose the order in which they want to experience the levels in most chapters.

Though "Super Meat Boy" has a notably punishing level design and requires precision timing, its tight control responsiveness and unlimited lives keep players coming back for more. What's more, the game is backed by a strong original soundtrack. After debuting in 2010, the game went on to spawn an entire franchise, including a direct sequel titled "Super Meat Boy Forever" in 2020. Boasting some of the most difficult to achieve PlayStation trophies ever, "Super Meat Boy" is an exercise in platforming masochism that fans of "Geometry Dash" are bound to fall in love with.

One of the most deceptively complex side-scrolling platformers of the last decade is "N++." Released in 2015, the game is the third installment in the "N" platforming series that began in 2004. The game has players control a stick figure person as they navigate stages filled with deadly obstacles. Players extend the time they have to complete a level by picking up gold pieces strewn around the stage as they try to reach the goal.

Initially released for the PlayStation 4, "N++" has been ported to most modern gaming platforms since its debut. This includes an ultimate edition and 10th anniversary update as a testament to the game's impressive staying power. Another tradition carried over and expanded upon from preceding entries in the series is a level editor, letting players design and share their own levels online. Easily the pinnacle of the trilogy, "N++" is a platforming experience that gamers can get lost in for hours.

After working on "Super Meat Boy" with Tommy Refenes, Edmund McMillen teamed up with Tyler Glaiel for the 2017 platforming game "The End Is Nigh." The story is set in a bleak post-apocalyptic world, with the player controlling a blob-like individual named Ash setting out to find a friend in the wasteland. This involves progressing through intense platforming stages, picking up items and unlockables along the way, granting access to retro-game themed bonus levels. The game retains the stripped-down art design that McMillen brought to "Super Meat Boy" but with a more foreboding aesthetic and color palette.

Like McMillen's other prior title, "The Binding of Isaac," "The End Is Nigh" feels like an intensely personal story. This fuels the determination to power through challenging levels, guiding Ash on his tale of isolation, loss, betrayal, and acceptance. Narrative themes and personal investment aside, the title is just an incredibly well-crafted platformer that is sure to thrill fans of "Geometry Dash." One of the best retro-styled games of 2017, "The End Is Nigh" arguably stands as McMillen's greatest game to date.

Developer Maddy Thorson teamed up with programmer and artist Noel Berry for the 2018 side-scrolling platforming game "Celeste," which was dubbed "a surprise masterpiece" by IGN. The game's protagonist, Madeline, sets out to climb a haunted version of Mount Celeste in Canada, inhibited by her sense of self-doubt. This anxiety and insecurity stands personified as Badeline, who tries to foil Madeline's attempt to reach the mountain's summit. The way to the mountaintop is full of deadly obstacles for Madeline to overcome as she explores the mountain's abandoned resort and discovers her inner strength.

"Celeste" stands as one of the best indie games on the Switch along with the other platforms it became available to play on. Though the level design presents a thorough challenge, the game also offers an assist mode for players who could use some breathing room. The title also features an emotional story at its core, adding to the sense of payoff upon successfully completing it. "Celeste" won the award for best indie game at The Game Awards in 2018, one of several accolades it scooped.