As the biggest hobby ever to evolve from a niche activity, speedrunning means completing a video game in the shortest time possible. Communities, competitions, and streaming sites have embraced the practice, where more players are getting into the thrilling gaming challenge. However, it takes more than just speedy reflexes to speedrun successfully. Here's what the experienced speedrunners have to say, to help you get started and improve your times.

1. Choose the Right Game

The first step in speedrunning is selecting a game that excites you. Popular choices often include classics like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, or modern titles like Celeste. Consider the following:

Categories: Games often have various speedrun categories, such as “Any%” (completing the game by any means) or “100%” (completing all objectives). Choose one that fits your playstyle.
Community Support: Games with a thriving speedrunning community can assist in listing available resources, strategies, and forums to seek advice.
Replayability: Select a game that you like to play over and over since speedrunning requires many repetitions.

2. Know the Game Inside-Out

Excellent speedrunning bases off of knowing game mechanics, the layout of the map, and enemy behavior.
Play it Casual First: Have a regular playthrough to get to know how everything works at least once.
Study Other Speedruns: Watch video submissions by the best to learn their routes, tricks and skips. Use sites like Speedrun.com, which is invaluable for finding guides and the leaderboards.
Experiment: Try your hand at all sorts of strategies to get ones that suit your own style of gameplay best.

3. Master the Techniques

Speedrunning often involves using advanced techniques and glitches to save time.

Glitches and Exploits: Most speedruns depend on finding and perfecting glitches that let players skip parts of the game or move faster. Practice these until you can do them flawlessly.
Movement Optimization: Learn to move efficiently by mastering mechanics like bunny hopping, corner-cutting, or perfect timing on jumps and attacks.
Quick Resets: Things go wrong, and it's okay to restart and try again. Most speedrunners use split software to measure their improvement and look for weak spots in their runs.

4. Practice and Persevere

Speedrunning is half persistence, half skill.
Break it Down: Master one piece or level before trying a full run.
Set Realistic Goals: Begin with beating your personal best and gradually work towards competitive times.
It may take time, but when learning complex techniques, persistence will pay off.

5. Interact with the Community

The speedrunning community is one of the most welcoming and helpful in gaming.
Join Forums and Discords: Chat with other runners about insights and strategies.
Stream Your Runs: Share your runs and enjoy live commentary through Twitch.
Join Events: Events like Games Done Quick have some of the world's best showing off their speedrunning abilities and an opportunity to learn for the sake of a good cause.
Speedrunning is a highly rewarding challenge because it combines your skills, strategy, and dedication. You can turn a hobby that is so casual into an exciting journey by choosing the right game, mastering techniques, and getting involved with the community. From world records to personal achievements, speedrunning offers numerous opportunities for growth and fun. Happy running!