Introduction to Speedrunning

Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game with the goal of completing it as quickly as possible. This practice has grown from a niche hobby into a global phenomenon with dedicated communities, competitive leaderboards, and charity marathons watched by millions worldwide.

The origins of speedrunning can be traced back to the early 1990s, when players began competing for the fastest completion times in games like Doom and Quake. These early competitions were often organized through online forums and email chains, with players recording their times on VHS tapes as proof.

The term "speedrun" itself became widely adopted in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With the rise of video sharing platforms like YouTube and streaming services like Twitch, speedrunning exploded in popularity. What was once a small community of dedicated players has transformed into a vibrant ecosystem with professional runners, content creators, and even sponsorships.

Today, speedrunning encompasses thousands of games across all platforms and genres. From classic platformers like Super Mario 64 to modern indie titles like Celeste, virtually any game with a clear completion point can be speedrun. The community has developed sophisticated strategies, discovered countless glitches, and pushed games to their absolute limits.

The appeal of speedrunning lies in its blend of skill, knowledge, and optimization. It transforms games players thought they knew inside and out into entirely new challenges, revealing hidden depths and possibilities that developers never intended.

Getting Started

Choosing Your Game and Category

Beginning your speedrunning journey requires choosing the right game and category. The choice of game is highly personal and should be something you genuinely enjoy playing repeatedly. Many runners recommend starting with games you already know well, as familiarity with the mechanics and layout provides a solid foundation.

Speedruns are divided into various categories, each with different rules and objectives. Understanding these categories is essential:

Essential Tools and Software

Essential tools for speedrunners include timing software like LiveSplit or WSplit, which tracks your splits and compares them to your personal best in real-time. These programs display how far ahead or behind you are compared to previous attempts, helping you identify which segments need improvement.

Recording software such as OBS Studio is crucial for submitting runs to leaderboards and reviewing your attempts. Most leaderboards require video proof, especially for top times. OBS allows you to capture gameplay while maintaining good performance, and it's free and highly customizable.

Common keyboard shortcuts in OBS include Ctrl+R to start/stop recording and Ctrl+Shift+S for streaming. Learning these hotkeys helps you manage recordings without interrupting your gameplay flow.

Learning and Practice

Learning a speedrun route involves multiple approaches. Start by watching tutorials and reading route documents on resources like speedrun.com or game-specific wikis. Study world record runs to see optimal strategies in action, but don't feel pressured to execute everything perfectly immediately.

Practice is divided into segments. Rather than attempting full runs constantly, many speedrunners practice difficult sections individually until they can execute them consistently. This targeted practice is more efficient than grinding full attempts where you might only reach a difficult section once every few hours.

Most speedrunners join Discord servers or forums dedicated to their chosen game. These communities are invaluable for learning strategies, getting feedback on your runs, asking questions about specific tricks, and staying motivated. Don't hesitate to ask for help – the speedrunning community is known for its welcoming attitude toward newcomers.

The Speedrun Community

Online Platforms and Streaming

The speedrunning community is one of the most welcoming and supportive in gaming. Despite the competitive nature of chasing records, runners consistently help each other improve, share strategies openly, and celebrate others' successes. This collaborative spirit is a defining characteristic of speedrunning culture.

Platforms like Twitch have become the primary home for speedrunners to stream their attempts live. Viewers can watch runners grind for personal bests or world records in real-time, experiencing the tension, frustration, and euphoria alongside them. Many successful speedrunners have built full-time careers through streaming, combining entertainment with high-level gameplay.

Speedrun.com serves as the central hub for leaderboards and resources across thousands of games. The site allows runners to submit their times with video proof, compare themselves to others worldwide, and access game-specific guides and forums. Leaderboard moderators verify submissions to ensure legitimacy and maintain the integrity of records.

The French Speedrunning Scene

In France, the speedrunning scene has flourished thanks to content creators like Mister MV, who has introduced thousands of viewers to the world of speedrunning through entertaining commentary, educational content, and impressive runs. His influence extends beyond just playing games quickly he's created accessible content that explains the appeal and mechanics of speedrunning to audiences unfamiliar with the hobby.

Mister MV's approach combines humor, pedagogy, and genuine passion for speedrunning. He covers a wide variety of games and categories, showcasing both his own runs and highlighting achievements from other members of the community. His work has been instrumental in establishing a vibrant French-speaking speedrun community that rivals the English-speaking scene in enthusiasm and skill.

Community Spaces and Events

Discord servers organize runners by game, providing spaces for route discussion, technical support, trick tutorials, and community events. These servers often have dedicated channels for beginners, route planning, world record alerts, and casual conversation. The real-time nature of Discord makes it ideal for getting quick answers to questions or coordinating practice sessions.

Reddit communities like r/speedrun serve as broader gathering places for discussing speedrunning news, sharing achievements, and debating interesting developments across multiple games. These forums complement game-specific communities by providing a birds-eye view of the entire speedrunning landscape.

Beyond digital spaces, local speedrunning communities often organize meetups and viewing parties for major marathons. These in-person gatherings strengthen bonds formed online and create lasting friendships. Many runners cite the social aspect as one of the primary reasons they continue speedrunning even after achieving their goals.

Speedrun Marathons

Games Done Quick

Speedrun marathons are multi-day events where runners showcase their skills while raising money for charity. These events have become pillars of the speedrunning community, combining competitive gaming with philanthropy and entertainment. They provide exposure for lesser-known games, celebrate community achievements, and introduce speedrunning to wider audiences.

Games Done Quick (GDQ) hosts two major marathons annually: Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) in winter and Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) in summer. These week-long events feature non-stop speedruns from morning to night, with runners traveling from around the world to participate. The events are professionally produced with multiple camera angles, live commentary, and engaging presentation.

Since its inception in 2010, GDQ has raised over $50 million for various charities. AGDQ typically raises money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, while SGDQ supports Doctors Without Borders. The donation incentives system allows viewers to influence the event by funding specific challenges, choosing game names or character names, or selecting between different run categories.

The atmosphere at GDQ events is unique. Runners perform on a couch surrounded by friends and fellow community members who provide commentary, explaining strategies and tricks to viewers unfamiliar with speedrunning. This setup creates an engaging viewing experience that's educational, entertaining, and often hilarious as runners react to unexpected moments during their runs.

Marathon runs differ from solo grinding sessions. Runners typically prepare safer strategies that prioritize consistency over maximum speed, as the pressure of performing live for thousands of viewers makes risky strategies less appealing. However, this doesn't diminish the quality marathon runs often showcase impressive skill and serve as excellent introductions to games for potential new speedrunners.

Speedons: The French Marathon

In France, Speedons has emerged as the premier French speedrunning marathon. Created by and for the francophone speedrunning community, Speedons celebrates French runners while maintaining the charitable spirit of larger marathons. The event has grown significantly since its inception, attracting runners from across France, Belgium, Switzerland, and other French-speaking regions.

Speedons captures the essence of what makes speedrunning special: skilled gameplay, community camaraderie, and accessibility. The event features both veteran runners who hold world records and newcomers making their marathon debut. This inclusive approach encourages participation and helps grow the French speedrunning scene.

The marathon format follows GDQ's successful model but with a distinctly French flavor. Commentary is entirely in French, making speedrunning more accessible to francophone audiences who might be intimidated by English-dominated spaces. The event also highlights games popular in French gaming culture and showcases the unique talent within the French community.

Both GDQ and Speedons demonstrate speedrunning's potential to unite people around shared passions while making meaningful positive impacts through charitable giving. These marathons have inspired similar events worldwide, creating a global network of speedrunning celebrations that bring communities together both online and in person.

The Psychology of Speedrunning

Mental Resilience and Perseverance

Speedrunning demands exceptional mental fortitude. Runners often attempt the same game hundreds or thousands of times, facing repeated failures before achieving their goals. A single mistake can invalidate hours of near-perfect gameplay, requiring runners to immediately reset and start over. This cycle of failure and perseverance requires a unique psychological resilience that speedrunners develop over time.

The pursuit of optimization drives speedrunners to analyze every frame of gameplay. They scrutinize recordings frame-by-frame, calculating exact timings for inputs, studying enemy behavior patterns, and discovering microscopic improvements. Even saving a single second requires understanding where that second can be found across potentially dozens of game segments.

This obsessive attention to detail creates a feedback loop of continuous improvement. Small improvements of seconds or milliseconds provide tremendous satisfaction, validating the hours spent practicing. The feeling of executing a difficult trick perfectly or achieving a new personal best releases dopamine in ways that keep runners engaged despite the repetitive nature of the hobby.

Flow State and Performance

Many runners describe entering a "flow state" during successful attempts, where muscle memory and deep game knowledge combine seamlessly. In this state, conscious thought fades as the runner's hands execute complex inputs automatically. Time seems to compress, and the runner becomes completely absorbed in the gameplay. This experience is deeply satisfying and one of the most rewarding aspects of speedrunning.

However, the pressure of achieving a personal best or world record can also create significant stress. During long runs where a single mistake can end an attempt, runners must maintain focus and composure for extended periods. The mental strain of clutching a run maintaining perfect play when ahead of your best pace is immense. Some runners report physical symptoms like elevated heart rate, sweating, and shaking hands during crucial moments.

Dealing with RNG and Setbacks

Managing RNG (Random Number Generation) presents another psychological challenge. Many games include random elements that can make or break a speedrun regardless of skill. Runners must accept that sometimes bad luck will ruin otherwise perfect attempts, maintaining motivation despite factors outside their control. Developing patience with RNG is essential for long-term speedrunning success.

The speedrunning mindset parallels that of athletes pursuing personal bests. Both require dedication, discipline, and the ability to learn from failures. Like athletes, speedrunners must balance intensive practice with rest to avoid burnout. They analyze performance data, identify weaknesses, and systematically work to improve them.

Community Support and Growth

Community support plays a crucial role in maintaining mental health. When frustration mounts after countless failed attempts, having friends who understand the struggle provides invaluable support. Many runners stream their attempts partially for this reason the chat becomes a source of encouragement and motivation during difficult grinds.

Celebrating small improvements helps maintain long-term motivation. Rather than fixating solely on the ultimate goal of a world record, successful speedrunners learn to appreciate incremental progress. Each new personal best, each newly mastered trick, and each consistent execution of a difficult segment represents growth worth celebrating.

The psychology of speedrunning ultimately teaches valuable life lessons: the importance of perseverance, the value of deliberate practice, the necessity of learning from failure, and the power of community. These skills extend far beyond gaming, making speedrunning a transformative hobby for many participants.

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