EATEOT
EATEOT, short for Everywhere at the End of Time, is an unrated 2.2 level by DarkFeind, verified by Striker820 on 2 January 2026.[1] It is generally considered an Extreme Demon due to its absurd length of 6 hours, 31 minutes and 34 seconds.
The level adapts the six-part ambient project Everywhere at the End of Time by James Leyland Kirby under the alias the Caretaker. Both works portray the progression of dementia: initially familiar music and scenery become increasingly distorted, repetitive and indistinct before fading into darkness. The level follows all six stages of the project and uses deliberately simple 1.0-style structures to create a sense of familiarity.
The Caretaker's original recording is not available through Newgrounds. The level therefore uses Just a Burning Memory (Cover) by Coffin3561 as its downloadable replacement track; players must use the original project as a local replacement to experience the intended synchronization.
History
[edit | edit source]DarkFeind constructed EATEOT over approximately seven months and uploaded it in December 2025. Stage 1 reportedly required four of those months, whereas the final two stages were completed in one day. Striker820 verified the original version on 2 January 2026, approximately one month after its upload.[1]
The original release was criticized for uneven balancing and severe chokepoints. These included repeated triple-spike sequences around 15.73% and 25.5%, an x-position rounding issue that altered jumps around 18%, and an unintended increase in movement speed during Stage 5. Its full-detail visual effects also caused substantial performance problems on some devices.
DarkFeind announced a bug-fix and balancing update on 10 July 2026.[2] The update corrected the position and speed problems and reduced several of the most severe spike sequences. Striker820 verified the revised version on 23 July 2026.[3]
Description
[edit | edit source]EATEOT is divided into six stages corresponding to the six parts of the Caretaker project. Individual tracks are identified in-game, while messages such as 'SIDE A COMPLETE' mark divisions within the first three stages. One per cent of progress represents approximately 3 minutes and 55 seconds.
The level primarily uses cube, ship, ball and UFO gameplay. Its visual language is intentionally restricted: basic blocks, spikes, yellow and pink jump rings, jump pads, gravity portals and early game-mode portals are used throughout. Noise, blackouts and shader effects are gradually layered over these elements as the level progresses.
Stage 1
[edit | edit source]0–10.57%
Stage 1 begins with a frame-rate selection and introductory instructions. Its blue background, recognizable block structures and ballroom music establish the level's initially calm presentation. The gameplay alternates among basic cube, ship, ball and UFO sequences, although occasional gravity changes and triple spikes create isolated difficulty spikes. The side-completion messages divide the stage into its A and B tracks.
Stage 2
[edit | edit source]10.57–21.27%
The scenery remains recognizable but begins to flicker and lose stability. Gameplay patterns become longer and more repetitive, while triple spikes occur more frequently. The latter portion of C5, Surrendering to despair, was one of the original version's principal chokepoints, requiring several consecutive groups of triple-spike jumps. The stage then continues through the D tracks with longer periods of subdued gameplay.
Stage 3
[edit | edit source]21.27–32.92%
Repetition becomes a central mechanic during Stage 3. Short cube, ball and ship arrangements are reused for entire tracks, reflecting the music's increasingly fragmented recollections. E7, Bewildered in other eyes, contains the last major concentration of triple spikes; subsequent sections are generally easier but require the player to maintain attention through several minutes of repeated movements. The screen darkens temporarily during F5 before returning to its earlier colours. The message 'SIDE F COMPLETE' concludes the final recognizable stage.
Stage 4
[edit | edit source]32.92–55.22%
Stage 4 begins with a blackout. The screen becomes considerably darker and is covered by noise and distortion representing the project's 'Post-Awareness' stages. Long sequences of cube, ship and UFO gameplay repeat with blackouts between pattern changes. G1 and H1 use the title Post Awareness Confusions, while I1 briefly represents a 'Temporary Bliss State'. The ship sequences require sustained controlled flight because spikes prevent the player from remaining continuously against either boundary.
Stage 5
[edit | edit source]55.22–77.78%
The music and visual noise become more chaotic while the gameplay is reduced to increasingly short loops. K1 and L1 alternate between several minutes of repeated cube, ship and UFO arrangements. M1 repeats a sequence requiring only two inputs for more than twenty minutes, and N1 cycles through three structures for a similar duration. Although mechanically simpler than the early stages, this portion tests concentration and stamina because a lapse late in the run requires restarting the entire level.
Stage 6
[edit | edit source]77.78–100%
Stage 6 removes almost all visible scenery and game-mode variation. The player remains a cube in near-total darkness while isolated spikes appear at increasingly long intervals. O1 contains 17 spikes across approximately 22 minutes; P1 and Q1 each contain nine, and R1 contains four. The final required jump occurs at approximately 97.4%.
The ending is automatic. A blue background and simple structures move slowly past the player during the project's final clear musical passage. The screen then remains black for approximately one minute before the final artwork and the Caretaker's farewell message appear.
Difficulty
[edit | edit source]Most individual inputs are considerably easier than those of a typical Extreme Demon. EATEOT's difficulty instead comes from endurance, memorization and the consequence of failing after several hours. The densest conventional obstacles are concentrated in the first quarter, while Stages 4 and 5 require the player to remember when repeated arrangements change. Stage 6 contains very few inputs, but the long gaps between them make losing focus particularly dangerous.
The level remains unrated. Its displayed Insane difficulty is determined by community votes and is not an official rating; the Extreme Demon description refers to its generally accepted overall challenge rather than an in-game Demon rating.
Gameplay
[edit | edit source]Trivia
[edit | edit source]- The in-game description reads, 'This level is without description.'
- The intended soundtrack was released as six albums between 2016 and 2019 and lasts approximately as long as the level itself.
- After 32.92%, much of the gameplay consists of short arrangements repeated for several minutes at a time.
- The ending displays a quotation from the Caretaker: 'Thanks for the support through the years. May the ballroom remain eternal. C'est fini.' The final phrase is French for 'It is finished.'