What Is Speedrunning?

Speedrunning is the art of completing a video game — or a section of one — as fast as possible. What started as a niche hobby in gaming forums has grown into a thriving global community with live events, world records, and charity marathons like Games Done Quick raising millions for good causes. If you've ever watched a speedrun and thought "I want to try that," this guide will get you started.

Step 1: Choose the Right Game

The most important decision a new speedrunner makes is game selection. Don't start with your favourite game just because you love it — consider these factors:

  • Run length: Shorter games (under 30 minutes) are far better for beginners. Dying 40 minutes into a 2-hour run is brutal.
  • Community size: A healthy community means active guides, Discord servers, and fellow runners to learn from.
  • Trick accessibility: Some games require frame-perfect inputs; others are more forgiving. Start with the latter.
  • Your enjoyment: You'll see this game hundreds of times. Make sure you genuinely like it.

Beginner-friendly games often recommended by the community include: Celeste (Any%), A Short Hike, Portal, Super Mario Odyssey (Moons%), and Hollow Knight.

Step 2: Learn the Categories

Every speedrun game has multiple categories — different rule sets that define what counts as a complete run. The most common are:

  • Any% — Reach the credits by any means necessary. Glitches and skips usually allowed. Often the fastest category.
  • 100% — Complete every objective the game offers. Much longer but deeply satisfying.
  • Glitchless — Complete the game without using known bugs or exploits. Tests pure game knowledge.
  • Low% — Complete the game with as few items/upgrades as possible. A challenge category.

For beginners, Any% Glitchless is often the ideal starting point — it's faster than 100% but doesn't require learning complex glitch execution right away.

Step 3: Set Up Your Tools

You don't need expensive hardware to start speedrunning, but a few free tools are essential:

  1. LiveSplit (free, Windows/Mac) — The industry-standard timer. Tracks your splits, compares to your personal best, and syncs with speedrun.com. Download it first.
  2. speedrun.com — The central hub for all speedrunning. This is where leaderboards, guides, and resources live for almost every game.
  3. OBS Studio (free) — If you want to record or stream your runs, OBS is the go-to. Also useful for reviewing your own footage to find improvements.

Step 4: Study Existing Runs

Before you run, watch. Find the world record or a top-10 run of your chosen category on speedrun.com or YouTube. Watch it multiple times and take note of:

  • Which routes the runner takes
  • Any tricks, skips, or glitches used
  • Where time is saved compared to a casual playthrough

Most games also have community-written guides on their speedrun.com page under the "Guides" tab — read these thoroughly before your first run.

Step 5: Submit Your First Time

Once you've completed a run, submit it to speedrun.com. Here's the general process:

  1. Create a free account on speedrun.com
  2. Navigate to your game's leaderboard
  3. Click "Submit Run"
  4. Provide your time, platform, category, and a video link (required for most boards)
  5. Wait for moderator verification (usually 24–72 hours)

Don't worry about your time being slow — everyone starts at the bottom. The community is generally welcoming to new runners improving over time.

The Golden Rule: Have Fun with It

Speedrunning is ultimately about finding a new way to enjoy games you love. Chasing personal bests, learning routing logic, and celebrating small improvements is the real reward. World records are for the few; personal growth is for everyone.