Speedrunning Explained

To the average gamer, finishing a game is the goal. To a speedrunner, the credits rolling is just the beginning. Speedrunning is the art of completing a game as fast as humanly (or inhumanly) possible. It transforms games into science experiments, breaking them down to their code to find exploits, glitches, and optimizations.

Categories: Any% vs 100%

Any% means reaching the end by any means necessary. This usually involves massive glitches, skipping entire levels, or warping through walls. 100% requires completing everything—collecting every item, beating every boss. Glitchless is for purists who want to play the game as intended, just perfectly.

Breaking the Game

Speedrunners view walls not as barriers but as suggestions. They use techniques like "clip-warping" to pass through solid objects. In Mario 64, the "Backwards Long Jump" allows players to build infinite speed and shoot up stairs. In Ocarina of Time, players can rewrite the game's memory by dropping bugs and playing specific songs, warping directly to the end credits.

Frame Perfect Inputs

Speedrunning operates on frames. A game running at 60 frames per second gives you a 16-millisecond window to perform an action. Runners practice "frame perfect" tricks for thousands of hours. It is a display of dexterity and muscle memory that rivals playing a musical instrument.

GDQ: Gaming for Good

Games Done Quick (GDQ) is a biannual charity marathon where runners showcase their skills 24/7 for a week. They have raised nearly $50 million for Doctors Without Borders and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It turns a solitary, obsessive hobby into a communal celebration of gaming history and charity.