Speedrunning

Some people play video games very fast.

This is called speedrunning. They try to finish a game as fast as they can.

Players find new ways to move. They might skip parts of a game to save time. They also look for glitches. A glitch is a mistake in the game. These mistakes can help them go faster.

Some people use tools to play perfectly. This is called a TAS. They use tools to control every move.

Many people play together online. They share videos on sites like YouTube. They also use timers to track their speed.

Speedrunning is a fun way to share skills.

Speedrunning is a way to play video games very fast. The goal is to finish a game or a part of it as quickly as possible.

Speedrunners use special plans called routing. They find the best paths to save time. Some players use glitches to move faster. A glitch is a mistake in the game code. They might use these to skip parts of a level. This is called sequence breaking.

Some people use tools to make a perfect run. This is called a tool-assisted speedrun, or a TAS. They use software to control every single button press. This lets them make moves that a human cannot do.

Speedrunners often compete in different groups. In an "Any%" run, they try to finish as fast as they can. In a "100%" run, they must finish everything in the game.

People love this hobby because of the community. They share videos on YouTube and Twitch. They use sites like Speedrun.com to see who is the fastest. They also use timers to track their progress.

Many players say these groups help them feel happy and connected.

Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game as fast as possible. Some players try to finish an entire game in record time. Others focus on finishing just one small section of a game.

Speedrunners often use a plan called routing to find the best path. They might use glitches to move faster or skip parts of a level. This is called sequence breaking.

Some players even find ways to write their own code into a game. This is a very difficult skill that requires a lot of study.

There are different ways to categorize these fast runs. In an "Any%" run, the goal is simply to reach the end. A "100%" run requires the player to complete everything in the game. This might mean collecting every single item available. There is also a "Low%" category where players finish with the least amount of items.

Some runners choose to play "Glitchless" to avoid using mistakes in the game code. These rules help people compete fairly on leaderboards. Most runners use a timer to track their progress through different sections.

Speedrunning has been around since the early days of video games. Games like Metroid from 1986 and Prince of Persia from 1989 showed players their completion times. In 1992, the game Wolfenstein 3D included a "par time" for players to beat. A developer named John Romero even printed his own best times in a hint book. This encouraged people to try and beat his records. The game Doom, released in 1993, helped create a real community. It allowed players to record their gameplay using small files called demos.

As the internet grew, speedrunning became much more popular. In 1997, Nolan "Radix" Pflug released a famous video called Quake Done Quick. This video showed many new ways to move through the game. Later, a website called Speed Demos Archive began accepting runs for all kinds of games. In 2003, a user named Morimoto shared a tool-assisted speedrun of Super Mario Bros. 3. This video used software to make perfect moves that a human could not do.

This led to the creation of TASVideos, a site just for these special runs.

Today, speedrunning is a huge part of gaming culture. People watch runners live on websites like Twitch or on YouTube.

Large events called marathons bring many people together to perform runs. Many players say the community is the best part of the hobby. They use sites like Discord to share tips and new tricks. Speedrun.com now hosts leaderboards for over 20,000 different video games. This teamwork helps everyone find new ways to break world records.

Speedrunning is the competitive act of playing a video game as fast as possible. Players may attempt to complete an entire game or just a specific section. This hobby relies on intense practice and deep knowledge of game mechanics. Speedrunners often follow a carefully developed plan called routing. Routing is the process of finding the most efficient sequence of actions to reach the end.

To achieve record times, runners use specialized strategies and techniques. One method is sequence breaking, which involves skipping parts of a game normally required for progress. This is often achieved through glitches, which are unintended errors in the game's code. Some advanced players engage in arbitrary code execution. This allows them to write their own code into the game's memory. This can result in a "credits warp," where the game immediately plays its ending credits.

Speedrunning is divided into several distinct categories to ensure fair competition. The Any% category is the most common, where the goal is simply to finish the game as fast as possible. In contrast, the 100% category requires players to complete everything, such as collecting all items. There is also a Low% category, which is the opposite of 100%. In Low%, players aim to beat the game while completing the absolute minimum amount of content. Other categories include Glitchless or No Major Glitches, which restrict the use of game-breaking errors.

The history of speedrunning began with the earliest days of video games. Early titles like Metroid (1986) and Prince of Persia (1989) tracked player completion times. In 1992, the game Wolfenstein 3D introduced a "par time" statistic. This was based on the personal records of developer John Romero. Romero even printed his best times in an official hint book to challenge players. The release of Doom in 1993 provided the foundation for modern speedrunning communities. Doom featured a demo system, which created small files that players could easily share online.

As the internet expanded, new tools and websites emerged to organize the community. In 1997, Nolan "Radix" Pflug released Quake Done Quick, a video that introduced speedrunning to a wider audience. He also created the Nightmare Speed Demos website. Later, the Speed Demos Archive (SDA) became a central hub for various games. In 2003, a user named Morimoto published a tool-assisted speedrun of Super Mario Bros. 3. This video used emulation software to create a theoretically perfect playthrough. Because it lacked context, many viewers initially thought it was a human performance. This event led to the creation of TASVideos, a site dedicated to tool-assisted runs.

Today, speedrunning is a massive global phenomenon supported by advanced technology. Many runners use specialized software like LiveSplit to track their progress. These timers show "splits," which are the times taken to complete specific sections. This helps runners see if they are on pace for a record.

The rise of YouTube and Twitch has made speedrunning highly accessible. Platforms like Twitch allow for livestreaming, which helps verify runs and encourages real-time collaboration. Speedrun.com now serves as a central leaderboard for over 20,000 different video games.

The speedrunning community is defined by its high level of cooperation and research. While players compete for rankings, they also work together to share tips and discover new routes. Many runners participate in large marathon events to showcase their skills. These gaming conventions feature many people performing runs across a variety of different games. Members use communication tools like Discord to build sub-communities around specific titles. This collective effort is what allows the community to continuously push the limits of what is possible in a game.