Are you the kind of gamer who finishes a game and immediately thinks, “How can I do that faster?” Do you find joy in optimizing every movement, skipping every unnecessary cutscene, and pushing game mechanics to their absolute limit? If so, you might have the heart of a speedrunner. Speedrunning, the art of completing a video game as quickly as possible, has grown from a niche hobby into a global phenomenon, captivating millions with its blend of precision, strategy, and sheer dedication.
But how do you even begin to delve into this exhilarating world? This guide will break down the essentials of getting started with speedrunning, transforming you from a casual player into a clock-defying master.
What Exactly is Speedrunning?
At its core, speedrunning is about completing a game or a specific segment of a game in the shortest possible time. However, it’s far more nuanced than just mashing buttons. Speedrunners often adhere to specific “categories” that define the rules of a run.
The most common categories include:
- Any%: Finish the game as fast as possible, using any glitches or skips.
- 100%: Complete every objective, collect every item, and then finish the game as fast as possible.
- Low%: Finish the game using the fewest possible items or upgrades.
- Glitchless: Finish the game without using major sequence-breaking glitches.
Understanding these categories is your first step, as they dictate the strategies you’ll employ. Your personal goal might be simply to beat your own time, or it could be to compete on global leaderboards.
Choosing Your First Game
The most crucial decision when starting is selecting the right game. While you might be tempted to pick your all-time favorite, consider these factors:
- Your Familiarity: It helps immensely to pick a game you already know inside out. Understanding the level layout, enemy patterns, and boss mechanics will give you a significant head start.
- Community Support: A strong speedrunning community is invaluable. Look for games with active Discord servers, forums, and established wikis. These resources provide routes, glitch explanations, and a supportive environment for learning.
- Run Length: For your first few runs, consider games with shorter completion times (e.g., under an hour). This allows for more practice runs without a massive time commitment for each attempt. Games like Super Mario 64, Portal, or older Mega Man titles are popular starting points.
- Route Complexity: Some games have incredibly complex routes with frame-perfect tricks and obscure glitches. While these are impressive, a simpler game with a more straightforward “Any%” route might be better for your inaugural journey.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Watch some speedruns of games you enjoy and see what looks manageable and fun.
Essential Tools of the Trade
You don’t need a professional setup to start, but a few tools will significantly aid your speedrunning journey:
- A Timer: This is non-negotiable. Software like LiveSplit (for PC) or consoles with built-in timers are essential. These timers allow you to track your overall time, individual segment times (splits), and compare them against your personal bests or world records. They provide crucial feedback on where you’re gaining or losing time.
- Recording Software: To review your runs and identify areas for improvement, you’ll want to record your gameplay. OBS Studio is a free and popular choice for PC. Console users might need capture cards. Watching your own runs back is one of the fastest ways to learn.
- External Resources:
- Speedrun.com: The central hub for speedrunning leaderboards and resources for thousands of games. You’ll find categories, rules, and links to community pages here.
- YouTube/Twitch: Watch established speedrunners play your chosen game. Pay attention to their routes, techniques, and how they execute glitches. Don’t just watch passively; try to understand why they do what they do.
- Community Discords: Join the specific Discord server for your game. This is where you can ask questions, get feedback, and find fellow runners to learn from.
Learning the Route and Techniques
Once you’ve chosen your game and gathered your tools, it’s time to dive into the specifics:
- Watch a World Record (WR) or Top Run: Find a current WR or a highly optimized run for your chosen category on Speedrun.com or YouTube. Don’t try to replicate it perfectly at first. Instead, focus on understanding the general flow, major skips, and key strategies.
- Break It Down into Segments: Don’t try to learn the entire run at once. Focus on one segment (e.g., the first level, the first boss) until you can execute it consistently. Most timers allow for “splitting” segments, which helps you track progress.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: This is the core of speedrunning.
- Individual Trick Practice: Is there a difficult jump, a precise movement, or a complex glitch? Go into a practice file or a specific save state and drill that one trick until it becomes second nature.
- Segment Practice: Once you’ve mastered individual tricks, chain them together within a segment.
- Full Run Attempts: Only when you feel comfortable with most segments should you attempt full runs. Don’t worry about perfect execution; the goal is to get through the game.
- Analyze Your Runs: After each run (or even a segment practice), review your recording.
- Where did you lose time?
- Did you execute a trick poorly?
- Was there a more efficient way to navigate an area?
- Compare your splits to the world record or a strong benchmark. This iterative process of running, reviewing, and refining is how you improve.
The Mindset of a Speedrunner
Speedrunning isn’t just about fast fingers; it’s also about a resilient mindset:
- Patience is Key: You will fail. A lot. Expect to spend hours, days, or even weeks on a single trick or route optimization. Embrace the grind.
- Celebrate Small Victories: Don’t wait for a world record to feel accomplished. Shaving a few seconds off your personal best, finally landing a difficult trick, or completing a full run without a major mistake are all reasons to celebrate.
- Learn from Mistakes: Every failed attempt is a learning opportunity. Analyze what went wrong and adjust your approach.
- Stay Hydrated and Take Breaks: Long practice sessions can be mentally and physically draining. Step away, stretch, and come back refreshed.
- Have Fun! Above all, speedrunning should be enjoyable. If you’re not having fun, perhaps it’s time to try a different game, category, or simply take a break.
Conclusion: Your Journey Begins
Getting started with speedrunning might seem daunting, but with the right game, the right tools, and a healthy dose of patience, you’ll be shaving seconds off your favorite titles in no time. It’s a journey of continuous learning, self-improvement, and connecting with a passionate community. So, pick your game, fire up that timer, and prepare to see your beloved virtual worlds in a whole new, exhilarating light. The clock is ticking – are you ready?
