# Losslikes Losslikes are simulacrum image memes where the joke depends on recognizing a specific shape or pattern from pop culture hidden inside an unrelated image. The format grew out of minimalist edits of the Loss webcomic around 2014, then expanded in the 2020s to include patterns from Piper Perri Surrounded, Geometry Dash, and Celeste. ## Overview Losslikes are simulacrum image memes in which the punchline is the viewer noticing that a scene, arrangement, or drawing secretly mirrors a specific piece of pop culture[1]. The archetypal example is the four-panel Loss webcomic, whose character positioning was abstracted into an 'I II II I_' shape that memers hide inside unrelated images[3]. The format uses lines, real-world objects, or spatial rearrangements to plant a recognizable pattern that a knowing audience decodes at a glance[3]. The intended reaction is a mix of recognition and frustration, since the whole gag rests on catching the reference. Losslikes tend to cluster around infamous or overexposed images, which is why patterns from Piper Perri Surrounded, Devil Vortex Saws, and Celeste's B-sides have all been folded into the format alongside Loss itself[3]. ## How It Spread Minimalist Loss edits stayed a fixture of /v/ and other imageboards throughout the late 2010s before Reddit gave the format a dedicated home with /r/PeterExplainsTheLoss, founded in January 2024 for posting and decoding minimalist Loss edits[1]. The 2020s brought a wave of new simulacrum formats built on the same recognition gag. False's DK Combo, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate clip tied to abuse allegations against player Corey 'False' Shin, was remixed heavily in July 2020, including an MS Paint minimalist edit by @Dusty_Carpet on July 12, 2020 that pulled roughly 6,900 likes[2], and a Minecraft version by @iPokelam posted the following day[5]. Geometry Dash produced two of its own Losslikes: Devil Vortex Saws, a 54-sawblade arrangement verified by ToshDeluxe in 2017, and Dash Spider, also called 'This Isn't Sightreadable,' which took off on /r/geometrydash in early 2024[3]. February 2024 added Celeste Chapter 2 B-sides Last Screen, whose two parallel lines flanking three diamonds got transposed into unrelated games in the same Loss-style pattern hunt[3]. ## How to Use Pick a pattern with strong recognition inside a specific fandom, typically a screenshot, level layout, or image composition that community members have seen countless times. Rebuild that pattern using unrelated objects, lines, or scenery so it hides in plain sight[1]. Common conventions include stripping the reference down to bare geometry, like Loss's 'I II II I_,' and letting the reveal do the work with no caption[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Losslikes? Losslikes is an umbrella term for simulacrum image memes where the joke is recognizing a specific pop-culture shape or pattern hidden in an unrelated image[3]. ### Where did Losslikes come from? The format grew out of minimalist edits of Buckley's 2008 Ctrl+Alt+Del strip 'Loss,' with the 'I II II I_' abstraction taking hold around 2014[4]. ### What does Losslikes mean? It refers to memes that behave like Loss edits: a knowing audience decodes a hidden reference from bare lines, objects, or arrangements[3]. ### How do you use Losslikes? You embed a well-known pattern, such as the Loss silhouette or Celeste's diamond layout, inside an unrelated scene so viewers spot the reference on their own[1]. ### Is Losslikes still popular? The format is active enough that /r/PeterExplainsTheLoss launched in January 2024 and new Losslikes like Dash Spider and Celeste B-sides edits emerged that same year[1]. ## References 1. [https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterExplainsTheLoss/]() 2. [https://x.com/i/status/1282423721362362370]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/losslikes]() 4. [https://cad-comic.com/comic/loss/]() 5. [https://twitter.com/iPokelam/status/1282667793361965057]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/losslikes Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library