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{{IB-Level
{{IB-Level
  |image     = GRIEF.png
  |image = GRIEF.png
  |id         = 149992717
  |id = 149992717
  |creator   = [[icedcave]] (host and publisher)
  |creator = [[icedcave]] (host and publisher)
;Contributors
;Contributors
RealVet, GD Iris, Doop, greafer, Triplash, DrCuber, GhostVandalf, NineDice, MercuryDT, Burgadahz, GrenadeofTacos, CDMusic, Rynoxious, and avalawns
RealVet, GD Iris, Doop, greafer, Triplash, DrCuber, GhostVandalf, NineDice, MercuryDT, Burgadahz, GrenadeofTacos, CDMusic, Rynoxious, and avalawns
  |verifier   = [[Doggie]]
  |verifier = [[Doggie]]
  |created   = [[Update 2.0]]
  |created = [[Update 2.0]]
  |updated   = [[Update 2.2]]
  |updated = [[Update 2.2]]
  |difficulty = {{ExtremeDemon}}
  |difficulty = {{ExtremeDemon}}
  |stars     = 10
  |stars = 10
  |length     = 2m 46s (XL)
  |length = 2m 45s (XL)
  |objects   = 189,440
  |objects = 189,605
  |copytype   = No password
  |copytype = No password
  |downloads = 1.94M
  |downloads = 2.76M
  |likes     = 255.3K
  |likes = 287.6K
  |rating     = Epic
  |rating = Epic
  |artist     = [https://kayoszx.newgrounds.com/ Kayoz X (KzX)]
  |artist = [https://kayoszx.newgrounds.com/ Kayoz X (KzX)]
  |music     = [https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/482872 Stalemate]
  |music = [https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/482872 Stalemate]
  |musicid   = 482872
  |musicid = 482872
}}
}}
'''GRIEF''' is a [[Update 2.0|2.0]]-[[Update 2.2|2.2]] Extreme Demon mega-collaboration level hosted by [[icedcave]], verified by [[Doggie]] and published on 5 October 2026.<ref name="Verification">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc</ref> It is an extended, possible remake of icedcave's 2.0 impossible level Slaughterhouse and the prequel to his [[Update 2.1|2.1]] [[Slaughterhouse|Extreme Demon with the same name]]. The level features an art-based hell theme with motifs including crosses, Baphomet, and pentagrams, revised wave-centric gameplay in line with its sequel, and an extension of over a minute.
'''GRIEF''' is a 2.0–2.2 [[Extreme Demon]] mega-collaboration hosted and published by [[icedcave]], decorated by fourteen contributors, and verified by [[Doggie]]. It was published on 5 October 2026 after Doggie completed it on his 396th verification stream, ending a two-year-and-five-month effort totalling 436,879 attempts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc


GRIEF was rated less than an hour after being uploaded to the servers and placed at #1 on the Demonlist, surpassing [[Society]] and becoming the [[Demonlist Top 1 Levels|current hardest level]] in the game. With its verification spanning 436,879 attempts and 2.5 years, GRIEF is also the longest verification of a Top 1 level.
The level reworks icedcave's impossible 2015 version of ''Slaughterhouse'', makes its gameplay humanly possible, and extends it by more than one minute. Although created after the rated [[Slaughterhouse]], GRIEF is presented as its prequel. Its predominantly red, black, and white art direction expands the original level's hell theme through distorted faces, crosses, pentagrams, demonic imagery, and repeated visual references to the 2015 version.
 
GRIEF received an Epic rating shortly after publication and was placed at #1 on the [[Demonlist (Pointercrate)|Pointercrate Demonlist]], above [[Society]].https://www.pointercrate.com/demonlist/1/ Its release therefore made it the list's highest-ranked rated level at the time.


==History==
==History==
In late 2015, icedcave released the impossible hell-themed level Slaughterhouse, known for its simple decoration and intense spam, made as a sequel to icedcave's older level Challenge Club and inspired by one of [[Cyrillic|Cyrillic's]] unfinished levels, Death Angel River. [[ToshDeluxe]] notably showcased it on YouTube on 3 October 2015, where it gained popularity quickly.<ref name="ToshDeluxe">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLA88xah4g</ref>
===Origins and development===
 
In late 2015, icedcave created the original ''Slaughterhouse'', an impossible 2.0 level characterised by sparse hell-themed decoration and sustained wave spam. The level became widely known after ToshDeluxe uploaded a showcase on 3 October 2015.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLA88xah4g The monster face appearing near its ending originated in an unfinished level by Cyrillic titled ''Death Angel River''.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-b4xXAcsU&t=728s
From 2018 to 2021, icedcave hosted an Extreme Demon also titled Slaughterhouse because he was frustrated by the original level's popularity, given how poorly it was made. The level was supposedly verified by [[spaceuk]] on 24 October 2021; however, after it was proven that his verification was hacked, the level's first victor and former verifier, Doggie, was deemed its actual verifier.
 
In 2019, icedcave considered remaking the original Slaughterhouse from 2015.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTFJsybcJog&t=5476</ref> Over the following years, icedcave amended the old version of the level to make it possible and added a minute-long extension. In December 2021, after hearing rumours about a 'Slaughterhouse sequel' and seeking an ambitious project, Doggie asked icedcave for permission to verify it, to which icedcave agreed.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4PlhND44Nc&t=1064</ref> In early 2022, icedcave publicly announced the level as GRIEF, the 'prequel' to Slaughterhouse.


===Creation process/cancellation===
Icedcave considered producing a possible remake as early as 2019.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTFJsybcJog&t=5476 During the following years, he revised the original gameplay and built a new extension. In December 2021, Doggie asked to verify the project after hearing rumours of another level related to ''Slaughterhouse''; icedcave accepted.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4PlhND44Nc&t=1064 The project was publicly announced as GRIEF in early 2022 and was framed as a prequel to icedcave's rated 2021 [[Slaughterhouse]].
In April 2022, GRIEF's layout was finished,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd2qPxNi6Zw</ref> stirring mixed reactions. Some praised it as a nostalgic nod to its predecessor, while others criticised it for a lack of originality. Despite criticism, production continued, with the decoration process lasting 16 months and featuring periodic showcases from decorators. A preview was released on icedcave's channel on 15 April 2023.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCHbxxWhgSI</ref> However, complications arose when one of the two parts Burgadahz decorated was allegedly replaced by greafer.


The level was completed in August 2023 and showcased on the 11th.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQXnREyaO34</ref> Unfortunately, it faced criticism after its showcase and was labelled unoriginal. Additionally, the supposed removal of Burgadahz's part sparked criticism, raising concerns about icedcave casually discarding hard work. There was speculation that icedcave replaced Burgadahz's part because Burgadahz had leaked Aeternus, a project icedcave was closely associated with. According to icedcave, greafer made his part before Burgadahz did and that the Aeternus leak had nothing to do with removing Burgadahz's part. icedcave further stated that Burgadahz's second part was only made because greafer was not satisfied with his part, and Burgadahz offered to make another part with icedcave's approval, but icedcave stated he would only replace greafer's part if he liked the new one more, which he did not, so it never got implemented.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsebPNu9lM&lc=Ugw7qyzpYkjlI8lj7wF4AaABAg</ref> However, from Burgadahz's perspective, icedcave told him he liked his part more than greafer's because it fit better and was more optimised, taking about 5,000 objects. Unfortunately, icedcave allegedly never told him his part would be replaced, and he said he was going to keep it on the level.
The layout was completed in April 2022.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd2qPxNi6Zw Its decoration was distributed among a group of creators, with a preview released on 15 April 2023.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCHbxxWhgSI The decorated level was showcased on 11 August 2023 after approximately sixteen months of production.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQXnREyaO34 Reception to the showcase was mixed: some viewers regarded the level as an effective expansion of its source material, while others criticised its close visual and gameplay resemblance to ''Slaughterhouse''.


Regardless, because of the backlash, icedcave cancelled the level altogether. However, once the controversy settled, he revived it and waited for Doggie to begin verification.
A dispute also developed over the extension. Burgadahz decorated two proposed sections, but the section from 65% to 75% ultimately used greafer's version. Icedcave stated that greafer's part had been made first and that Burgadahz's replacement had never been guaranteed; Burgadahz maintained that he had expected his version to remain.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsebPNu9lM&lc=Ugw7qyzpYkjlI8lj7wF4AaABAg Icedcave temporarily cancelled the project amid the resulting criticism, but later resumed it and prepared the level for verification.


===Leaking===
===Leak and Update 2.2 conversion===
During a stream unrelated to GRIEF, Doggie accidentally revealed a Discord link to a .gmd file. This is the file format used by the GDShare mod, which allows for local importing and exporting of levels.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1191</ref> He did not realise the slip-up until his friend lolwut told him.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1243</ref> At the time, no one appeared to notice the mistake. However, later, Deadlox leaked the level to public servers, suggesting someone had seen the link and shared it with him.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1261</ref> The copy remains public as ID 102422025, though it is an early version of the level. Despite this setback, the level was still set for verification.
Before verification began, Doggie accidentally displayed a Discord link to a GDShare file during a livestream.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1191 A viewer subsequently distributed the file, and an unfinished build was uploaded to the servers as level ID 102422025.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1261 The leaked copy predates later balancing and Update 2.2 revisions and is not the version eventually verified.


===Physics conflict/CBF===
GRIEF had been designed around the high-refresh-rate physics used by top players before [[Update 2.2]]. The update standardised the game's physics at 240 steps per second, changing the behaviour and input timing of parts of the level. Doggie consequently delayed full verification while GRIEF was converted and balanced for the new physics.
Doggie originally planned to start verifying GRIEF after Update 2.2 was released. However, in October 2023, [[Robert Topala|RobTop]] announced that in Update 2.2, the game's physics would be locked to a uniform 240Hz across all devices, replacing the previous 360FPS physics-bypass meta that top players preferred. This decision sparked controversy, particularly among players like Doggie,<ref>https://x.com/DasherDoggie/status/1716576092385894572</ref><ref>https://x.com/DasherDoggie/status/1717231008654021070</ref> who argued that it would significantly impact high-level play due to increased input delay, making it harder to complete difficult levels like GRIEF. Consequently, Doggie postponed his GRIEF verification until a solution was reached. Later, in April 2024, syzzi released a mod on Geode called Click Between Frames (CBF), which lets players click between frame ticks with no input delay.<ref>https://x.com/zoe_bve/status/1776106599247143030</ref> Doggie took a liking to the mod,<ref>https://x.com/DasherDoggie/status/1776440902233321575</ref> showcasing impressive runs with it on Twitter.<ref>https://x.com/DasherDoggie/status/1776826460906430562</ref> He ultimately used it to verify GRIEF, sparking controversy and accusations that he gained an unfair advantage over other players. He also understood that verifying GRIEF with CBF would make the level ineligible for a rating—required for inclusion on the [[Demonlist (Pointercrate)|Demonlist]]—unless the mod was officially implemented in the vanilla game. To advocate for its implementation, he, along with Diamond<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcPjLy2W0HM</ref> and LordVadercraft,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRv462sRxlc</ref> released a video on 7 May 2024.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ1w88fEgoA</ref> It featured insights from players like [[Technical]] and icedcave, advocating for the mod's inclusion in the vanilla game.


In June, RobTop stated that CBF would not be added to the game, making it effectively impossible to rate GRIEF if Doggie verified it with CBF. Since a rating was required for Demonlist placement, Doggie planned to verify GRIEF with CBF enabled, then rebeat it without CBF to qualify it for a rating.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadA-qSrrjs&t=2255</ref> He preferred this approach over verifying without CBF from the start, since he did not want to nerf any parts of the level that he would not have nerfed with CBF.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadA-qSrrjs&t=2274</ref> However, he later found that beating GRIEF without CBF was extremely difficult. He even considered having another player reverify the level without CBF after his own verification, but quickly realised no one would attempt it because it was brutal without the mod enabled.
On 8 April 2024, syzzi released Click Between Frames (CBF), a Geode mod that recorded an input's position between physics steps. Doggie adopted the mod for GRIEF, but [[Robert Topala|RobTop]] stated in June 2024 that levels verified with the external implementation would not be rated. Doggie initially proposed completing the level with CBF and then repeating it without the mod, but found that the latter version would require changes he did not want to make.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadA-qSrrjs&t=2255


At that point, it seemed like GRIEF would never be rated. However, the issue eventually resolved itself. Doggie's only reason for wanting GRIEF rated was so it could appear on the Demonlist, which traditionally required levels to be rated. In May 2025, the Demonlist team announced a new section: the Rated+ list, which would include both rated and unrated levels.<ref>https://discord.com/channels/395654171422097420/395692399919366147/1376399042942074962</ref> Notably, the Demonlist had supported the use of CBF since as early as June 2024, accepting records achieved with the mod. They favoured including levels verified with CBF and wanted to feature them on the list, but the main obstacle was that such levels could not be rated because of RobTop's firm stance against rating them. However, the community's strong desire to see GRIEF listed—despite the use of CBF—prompted them to consider alternatives, primarily allowing unrated levels on the list. After a poll showed 82% support for a new list format, the Rated+ tab was confirmed. In the end, however, CBF was added to vanilla [[Geometry Dash]] in Update 2.208 on 19 January 2026, and perfected in 2.2081, ending all fears that GRIEF would not be rated upon its verification.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/geometrydash/comments/1qhdelj/cbf_added_to_vanilla/</ref> As such, the Rated+ tab was originally cancelled before being revisited a couple of months later.
The rating issue was resolved before verification concluded. [[Update 2.2|Update 2.208]], released on Steam on 19 January 2026, introduced the official ''Click Between / On Steps'' input options; Update 2.2081 revised their behaviour two days later.https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/322170/view/499469783108947285https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/322170/view/525366013426925584 As a result, GRIEF could be completed using precise between-step input without relying on the external CBF mod.


===Verification===
===Verification===
Doggie began streaming GRIEF on 1 May 2024. For his first achievement on the level, he tried to complete a 65-100% run, which he eventually accomplished on 27 May 2024 on stream #16, comparing it to beating a Top 20 level like [[Edge of Destiny]].
Doggie began streaming the verification on 1 May 2024. His first major goal was to complete the extension from 65% to 100%, which he achieved on 27 May during stream 16. He reached the first drop from 0% on 30 May and progressed to 41% on 14 July. During July he also completed 56–100% and 49–100% runs. His record advanced to 47% on 19 August, 49% two days later, 52% on 13 September, 54% on 16 September, and 56% on 25 September. He reached 68% off-stream the following day.


Doggie first reached the drop on 30 May with 27%. In later streams, he mostly played runs, though he occasionally started from 0% and made some progress. On 14 July, he achieved 41%, which remained his best for nearly two months. He completed a 56-100% run on 17 July and a 49-100% run on 29 July. He finally broke his 41% record on 19 August with 47%. Two days later, he got 49%. He finally reached MercuryDT's part on 13 September with a 52% best, followed by a 54% best three days later. He reached the level's extension on 25 September, achieving 56%. One day later, off-stream, he reached the second drop, achieving 68%.
After periods of declining consistency and breaks from the level, Doggie reached 80% on 24 November 2024. He continued practising both full runs and start-position runs throughout 2025, including a 25–100% run on a slightly easier practice copy on 26 February. In November 2025, he raised his record to 83%.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp8TSHLoW8Q


Doggie's consistency declined steadily in October and continued into early November, prompting a short break. After returning, he quickly reached 80% on 24 November. He then took another break in December due to his school commitments. Progress remained slow until late January, when he started reaching the second drop more often. By February, he was reaching the second drop in nearly every stream. He achieved a 25-100% run on 26 February on a slightly easier version of GRIEF, which was his best run to 100%. Progress eventually slowed, with Doggie not reaching the second drop at all for over three months, starting in mid-July. Finally, in November 2025, Doggie would achieve a new best of 83%, sparking new confidence and consistency in the verification after that point.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp8TSHLoW8Q</ref>
Doggie returned to a near-daily schedule in early 2026. On 28 April, he produced a practice version in which selected obstacles were moved by very small distances, using it to build consistency before returning to the verified copy.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMCLmnhKC4 He reached 84% on 7 May.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLqlssP1Dxw On 14 June, during stream 361, he passed GrenadeofTacos's section from 0% for the first time but died at 97%.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emd2tWP2FkI A second 97% death occurred during stream 390 on 21 September, followed by a 91% attempt later in the same stream.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nv9UsomBi0


In 2026, Doggie streamed the GRIEF verification almost every day of February 2026 (26 days, taking two breaks to rest his hand)<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-v769GzrjQ&t=196s</ref> and reached greafer (66%+) on every stream in March. He has achieved several notable attempts since his return on 21 January 2026, including 73% three times, 78%, 79% twice, 80%, 81% twice, 35-97% twice, 25-92%, 25-95%, and 25-100% four times.<ref>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ldsEF0yNXeTS1r5rape9wjTLor6KWyeJvZk9-_HdFrE</ref> From this observation, this month's session has been his most consistent one for reaching GrenadeofTacos's part so far.
On 5 October 2026, Doggie completed GRIEF during stream 396 after 436,879 attempts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc The verification attracted approximately 40,000–50,000 concurrent viewers, and the surge of players attempting to access the published level was followed by outages affecting the Geometry Dash servers.https://sports.ndtv.com/us/us-streamers/geometry-dash-streamer-doggie-completes-grief-after-nearly-440-000-attempts-over-two-years-12139820 GRIEF was rated about 37 minutes after publication and was placed at #1 on the Pointercrate Demonlist later that day.


Doggie continued to stream periodically. On 28 April 2026, Doggie created a slightly nerfed version of GRIEF, moving obstacles by only a micro-step to help him improve on the level and hopefully perform better on the real version.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMCLmnhKC4</ref> On 7 May 2026, [[Zoink]] decided to join the verification race for [[Heliopolis]], leading to a competitive Top 1 verification race. On the same day, Doggie reached 84% after six months from his previous record,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLqlssP1Dxw</ref> which, ironically, he mentioned earlier in the stream he did not want to fail there.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBgbzet6-yY&t=896s</ref>
==Gameplay==
The gameplay was built by icedcave; the listed contributors primarily decorated their assigned sections. GRIEF lasts approximately two minutes and forty-five seconds and is dominated by wave gameplay, short mode changes, speed shifts, narrow corridors, and click-pattern endurance. The first 56% adapts the 2015 ''Slaughterhouse'' layout, while the remainder is the extension created for GRIEF.


About a month later, on 14 June 2026, Doggie finally broke the barrier of GrenadeofTacos's part, almost fluking the end, and failed at 97% on his 361st stream.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emd2tWP2FkI</ref> On 21 September, Doggie failed at 97% again on his 390th stream, followed by another ending run of 91% during the same stream.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nv9UsomBi0</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro__P8vGP6k&t=9204s</ref>
===Original section===
 
*'''0–11% (RealVet and GD Iris):''' The level opens at normal speed with wave corridors of changing size and gravity. Short bursts of spam alternate with controlled movements around sawblades and monster-shaped structures. A brief straight-fly section appears near 2%, and a cube timing closes the section.
On 5 October 2026, two years and five months after the first stream, Doggie finally verified GRIEF during stream #396 after 436,879 attempts.<ref name="Verification" /> The Geometry Dash community's reaction caused the game's servers to crash, along with other related websites, due to a massive traffic surge.
*'''11–25% (icedcave, Doop, and greafer):''' A long wave endurance sequence reinterprets the original ''Slaughterhouse'' spam. It begins at half speed before passing through normal-, double-, and triple-speed changes. Teleportation, gravity changes, and alternating corridors require the player to maintain distinct click patterns. A short cube sequence leads to a title card in which ''GRIEF'' changes into ''RIP''.
 
*'''25–35% (Triplash):''' The first drop begins with fast wave movements through alternating sizes and gravity states. The wave enters a tooth-like corridor before changing into a ship for short straight-fly inputs and then a UFO for a sequence of orb timings. A crescent above a castle provides a brief visual pause at the end.
==Description==
*'''35–44% (DrCuber, GhostVandalf, and NineDice):''' A triple-speed mini-wave repeatedly teleports between the upper and lower halves of the screen. Tight ship corridors and a yellow-orb timing follow before another wave sequence combines size changes with controlled spam.
''Note: The gameplay was entirely built by icedcave. The creators listed here are the decorators.''
*'''44–49% (GD Iris):''' The pace decreases and the level cycles quickly through ship, wave, UFO, and ball. The wave portions use short, narrow corridors, while the UFO and ball rely on isolated timings.
 
*'''49–56% (MercuryDT):''' Ship and UFO inputs lead into several wave passages, including a mini-wave corridor. The section ends with dual-cube timings modelled on the ending of the 2015 level. An automatic transition then displays the original red monster face and icedcave's name.
*'''0-11% (RealVet + GD Iris):''' GRIEF begins at normal speed, with most of this section being wave-based. There is a quick straight-fly segment at 2%, but otherwise it focuses on navigating varying wave sizes with sharp timings and occasional quick spam challenges. [[Clubstep]] monsters are strategically placed to test the player's spamming skills. A brief cube timing leads into the next sequence.
*'''11-25% (icedcave + doop + greafer):''' The endurance test ahead mirrors its predecessor, demanding extreme coordination and click consistency. The first half moves at half speed until the 17% mark, where it suddenly surges to normal speed, then doubles and even triples in brief bursts before returning to half speed. Momentum picks up again, ending in a brutal test of click consistency that starts at double speed but quickly ramps up to triple speed. The segment ends with a brief cube section at half speed, followed by the level's title, which gradually morphs into the word 'RIP'.
*'''25-35% (Triplash):''' The first drop starts with a fast-paced wave section, alternating between different sizes and gravity settings to keep the player on their toes. Next, the player must navigate narrow gaps resembling a monster's teeth, requiring quick reflexes. It leads into a brief but intense ship segment, featuring straight-flying with occasional gravity changes. The section concludes with a series of precise UFO clicks on orbs. The final orb transitions into a crescent above a castle with Triplash's name on the left. It acts as a brief break before the following section.
*'''35-44% (DrCuber + GhostVandalf + NineDice):''' The next section begins with a triple-speed mini-wave click consistency test, teleporting the player sporadically to the top and bottom of the screen for added confusion. Following this, the player transforms into a ship and must navigate tight straight-fly sections up and down. After a precise timing with a yellow orb, the player reverts to a wave, encountering varied gameplay with size-changing elements before tackling another click-consistency challenge similar to the previous one.
*'''44-49% (GD Iris):''' The drop ends, leading to a deceleration in the level. This section combines gameplay from various modes, starting in a ship ascending into a tight wave segment, followed by challenging UFO timings. The player then navigates through a wave corridor with tight manoeuvres and spam, and the section then concludes with a short but tight ball part.
*'''49-56% (MercuryDT):''' Next, a ship part leads into a short downward corridor, testing control, followed by a couple of UFO clicks. Then, a wave section appears, with brief spams and tight timings. After an upward ship slope, another wave segment emerges with tighter spaces and a mini-size change. It concludes with a two-player cube segment reminiscent of the ending of the 2015 version of Slaughterhouse, demanding tight jumps from both sides, followed by an auto part showing the red monster face from the end of its predecessor, with icedcave's name (in its original capitalisation, IcEDCave) below it.


===Extension===
===Extension===
*'''56-65% (Burgadahz):''' The extension starts with a ship part comprised of tight corridors, followed by a gravity switch leading into a wave segment with more tight corridors. After a UFO part with tight timings, the player enters a cube part with timings and teleport portals, transitioning into a ball segment. A quick straight-fly ship part precedes more cube jumps, a tight wave segment, and a two-player cube part before the second drop.
*'''56–65% (Burgadahz):''' The extension begins with ship corridors, followed by wave, UFO, cube, ball, and another short ship sequence. Teleport portals and rapid mode changes divide the section into brief timing-based passages. A dual-cube sequence leads into the second drop.
*'''65-75% (greafer):''' The second drop starts with the first instance of quadruple-speed in the level. It is notorious for its swift opening: eight rapid wave clicks, split between top and bottom, followed by intricate wave manoeuvres, including a Clubstep monster and tight mini-wave gaps. A quick shift to the ship precedes some ball timings before the level revisits the wave patterns. Finally, the section concludes with four cube clicks, each decreasing speed, before a glimpse of the 2015 Slaughterhouse drop flashes in the background.
*'''65–75% (greafer):''' GRIEF first reaches quadruple speed. The section opens with eight rapid wave inputs divided between the top and bottom of the screen, then combines mini-wave movements, a monster corridor, ship control, and ball timings. Four cube inputs progressively reduce the speed while the 2015 drop appears in the background.
*'''75-88% (GrenadeofTacos):''' The hardest part of the level, according to Doggie.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D7xBUdr6VA&t=4663</ref> This section features a rapid display of challenging gameplay modes: ship straight-flying, UFO timings, ball timings, and the formidable 'Tacos Wave'. A tough ship segment ensues, along with wave spam and a barrage of mode changes: ship, wave, UFO, ship again, culminating in a final wave spam. The 2015 Slaughterhouse drop distorts and ripples as staticky foreground decoration over this section.
*'''75–88% (GrenadeofTacos):''' Doggie identified this as the level's hardest section.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D7xBUdr6VA&t=4663 It alternates rapidly between straight-fly ship, UFO, ball, and wave, with the prominent ''Tacos Wave'' serving as its central obstacle. Distorted footage and imagery from the 2015 version cover much of the background and foreground.
*'''88-100% (CDMusic + Rynoxious + avalawns):''' The finale slows to half-speed, starting with a brief ball part, followed by UFO clicks and a wave section with darkening visibility. A mini-ship segment follows, testing precise control, then leads into ball clicks and UFO clicks. Another ship part follows, leading into the final mini-wave sequence with limited visibility and speed changes similar to the pre-drop. The level concludes with a tight spam segment within the 2015 Slaughterhouse monster face with fake spikes. The end-screen displays dragon art created by avalawns.
*'''88–100% (CDMusic, Rynoxious, and avalawns):''' The level slows to half speed and moves through ball, UFO, wave, mini-ship, and mini-wave passages as the visibility gradually decreases. The final obstacle is a controlled spam sequence inside the original monster face, where several spikes are decorative. The completion screen uses dragon artwork by avalawns.


==Gameplay==
==Victors==
{{VC|Zy9jFFiWx8Q}}
 
==First 10 victors==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
  !Victor #
  !Status
  !Player
  !Player
  !Date Completed
  !Date
  !Total Attempts
  !Attempts
  !Furthest Fail
  !Furthest previous fail
  !Video
  !Video
  |-
  |-
  |'''Verifier'''
  |'''Verifier'''
  |'''Doggie'''
  |'''[[Doggie]]'''
  |5 October 2026
  |5 October 2026
  |436,879
  |436,879
  |97% x2
  |97% ×2
  |[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc YouTube]
  |[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc YouTube]
|}
|}
{{Togglebox
|header = Most recent community progress
|body  = <nowiki />
*dewbbs has 46%, 35-77%, and 49-100% as of 8 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6HdG_XsvFE</ref>
*Slaylarius has 38%, 11-69%, 25-94%, and 44-100% as of 10 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW3XfjHxLfY</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao0xWNFw3ko</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0s_b0Yyq7A</ref>
*[[Trick]] has 37%, 29-82%, and 56-100% as of 10 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcrqBNsVnRI</ref>
*[[Zoink]] has 28%, 17-44%, 35-87%, and 62-100% as of 10 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw6iAc8rsgk</ref>
*Jonah has 20% and 65-100% as of 7 October 2026.<ref>https://x.com/Jonah_GD/status/2107624147333329042</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1bAEDHbqkk</ref>
*[[wPopoff]] has 18%, 25-52%, 44-80%, and 71-100% as of 10 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaHxqgQTV-w</ref>
*Diamond has 65-92% and 75-100% as of 8 October 2026.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKegBqzUcUM</ref>
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*GRIEF was rated on 5 October 2026 and placed at #1 on the Demonlist the same day, dethroning Society after three months.
*GRIEF's in-game description is "The End."
**This addition pushed The Catacombs into the Extended List and [[Kenos]] into the Legacy List after almost seven years.
*The level was rated approximately 37 minutes after it was published and entered the Pointercrate Demonlist at #1 on the same day.
***With Kenos falling into the Legacy List, no levels from 2019 or the 2010s remain on the Demonlist. Doggie made mention of this on the Demon List Discord server when announcing GRIEF's placement, calling it a 'new era of Geometry Dash'.<ref>https://discord.com/channels/395654171422097420/456448992482689025/1556501550678020107</ref>
*GRIEF was the first Top 1 Demonlist level to use two-player mode.
***Many have called GRIEF's effect on Kenos strongly poetic, as Doggie used to be an editor for the verifier of Kenos, [[npesta]], and failed at 97% twice on both Kenos and GRIEF.
*It was the third Top 1 to hold an Epic in-game rating, after [[Bloodlust]] and [[Digital Descent]].
***Both The Catacombs and Kenos use the same song, 'Iron God: Sakupen Hell Yes RMX'.
*Its placement moved [[Kenos]] from the Extended List to the Legacy List, leaving no level released during the 2010s on the active Demonlist.
*GRIEF is:
*Doggie had also failed at 97% twice while completing Kenos. He formerly edited videos for Kenos's verifier, [[npesta]].
**The first Top 1 to use 2-player mode.
*The red monster face shown at 54% and near the ending was originally designed by Cyrillic for ''Death Angel River'' and reused in the 2015 ''Slaughterhouse''.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-b4xXAcsU&t=728s
**The first Top 1 since [[Avernus]] to be hell themed.
*The verification occurred almost eleven years after ToshDeluxe's 3 October 2015 showcase popularised the original level.
**The first Top 1 since [[Abyss of Darkness]] to not be verified by Zoink or [[wPopoff]].
*An early version allowed the player to remain as a mini-wave and bypass the parts by greafer and GrenadeofTacos. The published version blocks the route with a spike wall and an image of the cat from [[pg clubstep]].
**The first Top 1 since [[Stalemate Redux]] to use the song 'Stalemate'.
*Kayoz X, the creator of "Stalemate", published a Newgrounds post responding to the verification.https://kayoszx.newgrounds.com/news/post/1666502
**The third Top 1 level to have an Epic rating, and the first in over eight years, following Bloodlust and [[Digital Descent]].
***Additionally, this makes it the hardest Epic-rated level, surpassing [[Flamewall]].
*GRIEF is one of, if not the fastest, levels to get rated in Geometry Dash history, taking approximately 37 minutes to receive its rating after being published to the servers.
*During his GRIEF verification streams, Doggie took short breaks to play other levels, like daily levels and Slaughterhouse, which became a running joke, with Zoink's famous quote 'get back on GRIEF'.
**Doggie spoke against this joke, as it had been overused to the point where he would see it whenever he took a break due to his arm giving out, and has called it disheartening.<ref>https://x.com/DasherDoggie/status/1905834784464441440</ref>
*After icedcave uploaded the newer version of Slaughterhouse, he reuploaded a copy of the original level with the ID and the title changed (Slaughterhouse > Slaughterhouse II).
*river used to have a decorated part in collaboration with MercuryDT. However, river dropped out of the level due to personal reasons, leaving MercuryDT to finish it.
*The original layout of GRIEF featured a different ending to the pre-drop, as well as omitting the final spam; the latter is also missing in the showcase of the level's finished decoration.
*The monster face featured at the end of MercuryDT and CDMusic's parts, as well as in the original version of Slaughterhouse, was originally made by Cyrillic.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-b4xXAcsU&t=728s</ref>
*Popular American content creators Steak and CaseOh gave their reactions to GRIEF.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvIzYvVCY4M</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdYTgH7wNyw</ref>
*Doggie faked a 99% run on GRIEF during a [[Vortrox]] stream on 1 April 2025, as an April Fools' joke.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5FCw7y4o6Q&t=1380s</ref>
*On 24 April 2025, Doggie ended up achieving a 56-100% run and a 67% run in a row, in which he said he essentially 'beat the level backwards'.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqg-2kThaSc</ref>
*On 25 May 2025, [[Amethyst]] and [[Thinking Space II]] were successfully verified. Many wanted Doggie to verify GRIEF on this day too, saying it would 'complete the trio'. Although he did not complete GRIEF that day, he reached 65% six times, including a death at 76%, as Doggie had reached a peak in his consistency. The live stream also reached 10,000 concurrent viewers.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQOC2XBzUU</ref>
**On stream 365, Doggie's stream reached over 55,000 concurrent viewers, his highest viewer count until his verification stream.<ref>https://x.com/DashwordGD/status/2068917696599621941</ref>
*Viewbotting has occurred several times on Doggie's GRIEF streams. A notable example is Stream 289, where his viewer count skyrocketed to an unrealistically high level, peaking at 218,000 near the end.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfAR894poUo</ref>
*[[MindCap]], the host of [[Heliopolis]], posted a long statement on Twitter titled 'Enough' on 7 May 2026, and in that statement mentioned that GRIEF might be harder than Heliopolis.<ref>https://x.com/MindCap/status/2052525131054850185</ref>
*Stell06, known for beating various 'Sh*tty' versions of Extreme Demons from the ''[https://globalshittylist.pages.dev/ Sh*tty List]'', verified the 'Sh*tty' version of GRIEF on 26 April 2026, after 115,385 attempts and 71 greafer deaths.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkyYX8iPCUM</ref> The level placed at #2 on that list.
*There is a level called Deathmate, created by Zronk. It is a redecorated version of Stalemate, inspired by GRIEF. It also has the same song.
*On 17 June 2025, an Insane 8-star parody level of GRIEF named 'GREIF' by wdlucas was set as the [[Daily Level]].
*There is an Extreme Demon parody level named GREFG, based on the Spanish YouTuber TheGrefg, as the name suggests. The level uses a designated mashup of 'Stalemate' by Kayoz X and 'Calvaland Rap' by Zarcort and Piter-G, a song dedicated to TheGrefg's ''[[Wikipedia:Minecraft|Minecraft]]'' series 'Calvaland'.
*Doggie's 'Grief 97% Stream' is on IMDb, an online database consisting of information related to various types of media, where, as of 5 October 2026, it has a rating of 9.9/10.<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43562903/</ref> For a period of approximately two months, the stream held a rating of 10/10 and served as the highest-rated piece of media ever.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/geometrydash/comments/1rs1etp/doggies_grief_stream_283_has_a_10_on_imdb_this/</ref>
*Doggie managed to get 68% and 72% in a row on 18 June 2026, which he considered harder than beating the entirety of GRIEF.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apmslJgRMow&t=11678s</ref>
*Doggie verified GRIEF on 5 October 2026, which is almost exactly one year after he uploaded his Legendary-rated level, [[The End is Here]], on 3 October 2025.
**Additionally, the oldest known upload of the original Slaughterhouse by ToshDeluxe was on 3 October 2015, nearly the same day GRIEF got verified 11 years before.<ref name="ToshDeluxe" />
***Moreover, the oldest public video on Doggie's main channel was uploaded on 4 October 2015, a day after ToshDeluxe's video.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAWbbcVLEI</ref>
*Upon the verification and release of GRIEF, the game's servers crashed due to the massive influx of players trying to play the level. RobTop later messaged Doggie's Twitch chat, saying, 'you beat grief and my server at the same time'.
*Doggie's verification video of GRIEF reached 1 million views within seven hours, making it one of the fastest Geometry Dash videos to reach this milestone.<ref name="Verification" />
**Due to how fast GRIEF got rated and placed, the Pointercrate Demonlist temporarily had to use Doggie's live stream as the verification footage on the website.
**The intro to the video was created by Pyrox as an homage to that of the original hacked verification of Slaughterhouse by spaceuk.
***The sound bite is a clip of dialogue spoken by a grieving [[Wikipedia:Thor (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Thor]] in the film ''[[Wikipedia:Avengers: Infinity War|Avengers: Infinity War]]''.
*After its rating, the servers would briefly redirect players to GRIEF no matter what they typed in the search bar.
**This issue was mostly fixed, but the servers currently still only show GRIEF if searching 'grief' or 'greif', making the rated levels Grief by Moffe and GREIF by wdlucas unsearchable by name.
*The music artist of 'Stalemate', Kayoz X, gave his reaction to GRIEF being verified on Newgrounds.<ref>https://kayoszx.newgrounds.com/news/post/1666502</ref>
*Wave spam segments at 40% and 87% feature a limit to how many clicks are needed to pass—maximum for 40% is three and 87% is five.
*There was initially a skip that would completely bypass greafer and GrenadeofTacos's parts by staying as a mini-wave in Burgadahz's part and avoiding the sawblade wall in the transition.
**An update patched the skip by adding the cat from [[pg clubstep]] and a spike wall.


==Videos==
==Videos==
{{VC|gB8slBPlOjc|bQXnREyaO34|hgxSPhlEU4g
{{VC|gB8slBPlOjc|bQXnREyaO34|hgxSPhlEU4g
  |cpt1 = Verification
  |cpt1 = Verification
  |cpt2 = Old version
  |cpt2 = 2023 showcase
  |cpt3 = Old Slaughterhouse
  |cpt3 = Original Slaughterhouse
}}
}}


==References==
==References==
<references />
 
[[Category:Demon List levels]]
[[Category:Demon List levels]]

Revision as of 12:48, 10 October 2026

GRIEF
ID

149992717

Creator(s)

icedcave (host and publisher)

Contributors

RealVet, GD Iris, Doop, greafer, Triplash, DrCuber, GhostVandalf, NineDice, MercuryDT, Burgadahz, GrenadeofTacos, CDMusic, Rynoxious, and avalawns

Verifier(s)

Doggie

Created

Update 2.0

Last updated

Update 2.2

Attributes
Difficulty

Stars

10

Length

2m 45s (XL)

Objects

189,605

Copy type

No password

Statistics
Downloads

2.76M

Likes

287.6K

Rating

Epic

Audio info
Artist(s)

Kayoz X (KzX)

Music

Stalemate

Music ID

482872

GRIEF is a 2.0–2.2 Extreme Demon mega-collaboration hosted and published by icedcave, decorated by fourteen contributors, and verified by Doggie. It was published on 5 October 2026 after Doggie completed it on his 396th verification stream, ending a two-year-and-five-month effort totalling 436,879 attempts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc

The level reworks icedcave's impossible 2015 version of Slaughterhouse, makes its gameplay humanly possible, and extends it by more than one minute. Although created after the rated Slaughterhouse, GRIEF is presented as its prequel. Its predominantly red, black, and white art direction expands the original level's hell theme through distorted faces, crosses, pentagrams, demonic imagery, and repeated visual references to the 2015 version.

GRIEF received an Epic rating shortly after publication and was placed at #1 on the Pointercrate Demonlist, above Society.https://www.pointercrate.com/demonlist/1/ Its release therefore made it the list's highest-ranked rated level at the time.

History

Origins and development

In late 2015, icedcave created the original Slaughterhouse, an impossible 2.0 level characterised by sparse hell-themed decoration and sustained wave spam. The level became widely known after ToshDeluxe uploaded a showcase on 3 October 2015.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLA88xah4g The monster face appearing near its ending originated in an unfinished level by Cyrillic titled Death Angel River.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-b4xXAcsU&t=728s

Icedcave considered producing a possible remake as early as 2019.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTFJsybcJog&t=5476 During the following years, he revised the original gameplay and built a new extension. In December 2021, Doggie asked to verify the project after hearing rumours of another level related to Slaughterhouse; icedcave accepted.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4PlhND44Nc&t=1064 The project was publicly announced as GRIEF in early 2022 and was framed as a prequel to icedcave's rated 2021 Slaughterhouse.

The layout was completed in April 2022.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd2qPxNi6Zw Its decoration was distributed among a group of creators, with a preview released on 15 April 2023.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCHbxxWhgSI The decorated level was showcased on 11 August 2023 after approximately sixteen months of production.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQXnREyaO34 Reception to the showcase was mixed: some viewers regarded the level as an effective expansion of its source material, while others criticised its close visual and gameplay resemblance to Slaughterhouse.

A dispute also developed over the extension. Burgadahz decorated two proposed sections, but the section from 65% to 75% ultimately used greafer's version. Icedcave stated that greafer's part had been made first and that Burgadahz's replacement had never been guaranteed; Burgadahz maintained that he had expected his version to remain.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsebPNu9lM&lc=Ugw7qyzpYkjlI8lj7wF4AaABAg Icedcave temporarily cancelled the project amid the resulting criticism, but later resumed it and prepared the level for verification.

Leak and Update 2.2 conversion

Before verification began, Doggie accidentally displayed a Discord link to a GDShare file during a livestream.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1191 A viewer subsequently distributed the file, and an unfinished build was uploaded to the servers as level ID 102422025.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDl8eQWrc5o&t=1261 The leaked copy predates later balancing and Update 2.2 revisions and is not the version eventually verified.

GRIEF had been designed around the high-refresh-rate physics used by top players before Update 2.2. The update standardised the game's physics at 240 steps per second, changing the behaviour and input timing of parts of the level. Doggie consequently delayed full verification while GRIEF was converted and balanced for the new physics.

On 8 April 2024, syzzi released Click Between Frames (CBF), a Geode mod that recorded an input's position between physics steps. Doggie adopted the mod for GRIEF, but RobTop stated in June 2024 that levels verified with the external implementation would not be rated. Doggie initially proposed completing the level with CBF and then repeating it without the mod, but found that the latter version would require changes he did not want to make.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadA-qSrrjs&t=2255

The rating issue was resolved before verification concluded. Update 2.208, released on Steam on 19 January 2026, introduced the official Click Between / On Steps input options; Update 2.2081 revised their behaviour two days later.https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/322170/view/499469783108947285https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/322170/view/525366013426925584 As a result, GRIEF could be completed using precise between-step input without relying on the external CBF mod.

Verification

Doggie began streaming the verification on 1 May 2024. His first major goal was to complete the extension from 65% to 100%, which he achieved on 27 May during stream 16. He reached the first drop from 0% on 30 May and progressed to 41% on 14 July. During July he also completed 56–100% and 49–100% runs. His record advanced to 47% on 19 August, 49% two days later, 52% on 13 September, 54% on 16 September, and 56% on 25 September. He reached 68% off-stream the following day.

After periods of declining consistency and breaks from the level, Doggie reached 80% on 24 November 2024. He continued practising both full runs and start-position runs throughout 2025, including a 25–100% run on a slightly easier practice copy on 26 February. In November 2025, he raised his record to 83%.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp8TSHLoW8Q

Doggie returned to a near-daily schedule in early 2026. On 28 April, he produced a practice version in which selected obstacles were moved by very small distances, using it to build consistency before returning to the verified copy.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMCLmnhKC4 He reached 84% on 7 May.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLqlssP1Dxw On 14 June, during stream 361, he passed GrenadeofTacos's section from 0% for the first time but died at 97%.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emd2tWP2FkI A second 97% death occurred during stream 390 on 21 September, followed by a 91% attempt later in the same stream.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nv9UsomBi0

On 5 October 2026, Doggie completed GRIEF during stream 396 after 436,879 attempts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB8slBPlOjc The verification attracted approximately 40,000–50,000 concurrent viewers, and the surge of players attempting to access the published level was followed by outages affecting the Geometry Dash servers.https://sports.ndtv.com/us/us-streamers/geometry-dash-streamer-doggie-completes-grief-after-nearly-440-000-attempts-over-two-years-12139820 GRIEF was rated about 37 minutes after publication and was placed at #1 on the Pointercrate Demonlist later that day.

Gameplay

The gameplay was built by icedcave; the listed contributors primarily decorated their assigned sections. GRIEF lasts approximately two minutes and forty-five seconds and is dominated by wave gameplay, short mode changes, speed shifts, narrow corridors, and click-pattern endurance. The first 56% adapts the 2015 Slaughterhouse layout, while the remainder is the extension created for GRIEF.

Original section

  • 0–11% (RealVet and GD Iris): The level opens at normal speed with wave corridors of changing size and gravity. Short bursts of spam alternate with controlled movements around sawblades and monster-shaped structures. A brief straight-fly section appears near 2%, and a cube timing closes the section.
  • 11–25% (icedcave, Doop, and greafer): A long wave endurance sequence reinterprets the original Slaughterhouse spam. It begins at half speed before passing through normal-, double-, and triple-speed changes. Teleportation, gravity changes, and alternating corridors require the player to maintain distinct click patterns. A short cube sequence leads to a title card in which GRIEF changes into RIP.
  • 25–35% (Triplash): The first drop begins with fast wave movements through alternating sizes and gravity states. The wave enters a tooth-like corridor before changing into a ship for short straight-fly inputs and then a UFO for a sequence of orb timings. A crescent above a castle provides a brief visual pause at the end.
  • 35–44% (DrCuber, GhostVandalf, and NineDice): A triple-speed mini-wave repeatedly teleports between the upper and lower halves of the screen. Tight ship corridors and a yellow-orb timing follow before another wave sequence combines size changes with controlled spam.
  • 44–49% (GD Iris): The pace decreases and the level cycles quickly through ship, wave, UFO, and ball. The wave portions use short, narrow corridors, while the UFO and ball rely on isolated timings.
  • 49–56% (MercuryDT): Ship and UFO inputs lead into several wave passages, including a mini-wave corridor. The section ends with dual-cube timings modelled on the ending of the 2015 level. An automatic transition then displays the original red monster face and icedcave's name.

Extension

  • 56–65% (Burgadahz): The extension begins with ship corridors, followed by wave, UFO, cube, ball, and another short ship sequence. Teleport portals and rapid mode changes divide the section into brief timing-based passages. A dual-cube sequence leads into the second drop.
  • 65–75% (greafer): GRIEF first reaches quadruple speed. The section opens with eight rapid wave inputs divided between the top and bottom of the screen, then combines mini-wave movements, a monster corridor, ship control, and ball timings. Four cube inputs progressively reduce the speed while the 2015 drop appears in the background.
  • 75–88% (GrenadeofTacos): Doggie identified this as the level's hardest section.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D7xBUdr6VA&t=4663 It alternates rapidly between straight-fly ship, UFO, ball, and wave, with the prominent Tacos Wave serving as its central obstacle. Distorted footage and imagery from the 2015 version cover much of the background and foreground.
  • 88–100% (CDMusic, Rynoxious, and avalawns): The level slows to half speed and moves through ball, UFO, wave, mini-ship, and mini-wave passages as the visibility gradually decreases. The final obstacle is a controlled spam sequence inside the original monster face, where several spikes are decorative. The completion screen uses dragon artwork by avalawns.

Victors

Status Player Date Attempts Furthest previous fail Video
Verifier Doggie 5 October 2026 436,879 97% ×2 YouTube

Trivia

  • GRIEF's in-game description is "The End."
  • The level was rated approximately 37 minutes after it was published and entered the Pointercrate Demonlist at #1 on the same day.
  • GRIEF was the first Top 1 Demonlist level to use two-player mode.
  • It was the third Top 1 to hold an Epic in-game rating, after Bloodlust and Digital Descent.
  • Its placement moved Kenos from the Extended List to the Legacy List, leaving no level released during the 2010s on the active Demonlist.
  • Doggie had also failed at 97% twice while completing Kenos. He formerly edited videos for Kenos's verifier, npesta.
  • The red monster face shown at 54% and near the ending was originally designed by Cyrillic for Death Angel River and reused in the 2015 Slaughterhouse.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-b4xXAcsU&t=728s
  • The verification occurred almost eleven years after ToshDeluxe's 3 October 2015 showcase popularised the original level.
  • An early version allowed the player to remain as a mini-wave and bypass the parts by greafer and GrenadeofTacos. The published version blocks the route with a spike wall and an image of the cat from pg clubstep.
  • Kayoz X, the creator of "Stalemate", published a Newgrounds post responding to the verification.https://kayoszx.newgrounds.com/news/post/1666502

Videos

Load video
YouTube
Verification
Load video
YouTube
2023 showcase
Load video
YouTube
Original Slaughterhouse





References

Retrieved from "https://geometrydashwiki.com/eng/GRIEF?oldid=92260"