Stronghold
Stronghold is a 2.2 Insane level by Debihan, published on 22 November 2025. Designed to be a tribute to the classic flash game Stick War, it features extensive custom art and unique stickman animations in the background of the level. It is the 20th Event Level.
Description
[edit | edit source]Stronghold begins with a mini-cube section that consists of jumping on platforms and orbs in a castle. At one point, the music's tempo increases, and the stickman raises the flag in the background. At the end of this section, a ship is waiting, and the player must fly to the exit from the fortress. The player then finds themselves in a city. There is brief robot gameplay consisting of fairly simple jumps and orbs before the speed increases. Next, there is a short ball section, then a cube section. At this section, military exercises are underway in the city. In the background, a statue of the king stands, and the city continues. At the end, the player transitions to the next section.
The player enters a short cutscene where the cube jumps into the back of a wagon pulled by horses, then finds themselves in a forest, jumping on orbs, logs, and branches. There is a short spider section, and then back to the cube. Military exercises in the background continue, involving crossbows and other tools. It is then nighttime; the only sources of light are lanterns and fireflies. The gameplay on the cube is similar to the previous one, with jumping over obstacles and orbs. However, the speed decreases. Orbs are initially black but get ignited with fireflies. There is also a part where the player, as the ship, must fly over the stickmen sitting around the campfire.
The player is now in the snowy mountains. There is a short cube section and a ship segment here. There are Christmas trees and rocks with wooden platforms around, orbs in the ice. As the ship, the player must fly around people frozen in the ice. The player then enters another cutscene that shows a map. The player is still in the mountains, but there is no snow here. Here, the gameplay is more diverse: first comes the robot section, then a cube, a short ball, and a UFO section, where the player impales a stick figure with a spear. The player returns to a castle; there are cube and ball sections. Great attention is paid to the background; tapestries and shields adorn the castle walls.
The music's pace increases at this point. The player leaves the castle and goes out into the rocks in the evening, jumping on walls, platforms, and bridges. The gameplay is varied: first, there is the usual cube stage, then a ball, a UFO, a cube, and a swing alternate. At the end, there is a beautiful transition to the next part of the level. Then a battle begins. The player is in the city of another kingdom while it is raining. The gameplay and change of game-modes are the same as in the last sections, but they are not as sharp. At the end, the player demolishes the head of the king's statue, which symbolizes victory over another kingdom.
The final part of the level consists of credits, and the level ends.
Gameplay
[edit | edit source]Trivia
[edit | edit source]- Stronghold uses one song and 41 sound effects (SFXs).
- Stronghold uses the mash-up 'Entering the Stronghold' by Danny Schneidemesser and 'Field of Memories' by Waterflame. Both were used in the game Stick War.
- Stronghold was nominated for Best Intermediate Classic in The Geometry Dash Awards 2025, along with its predecessors Eta Carnis and FUNHOUSE. It ranked lowest among the three, placing sixth.
- With a duration of 72 days before its replacement, Stronghold is the second-longest-lasting Event Level, only behind Skeletal Shenanigans.