Top Games Designed for Speedrunners

Summary

Games like Braid, A Hat in Time, and Dead Cells integrate speedrunning features and mechanics into gameplay to celebrate speedrunners.
These games offer special challenges, movement tech, and speedrun modes that encourage creativity and efficiency in completing levels quickly.
Developers actively engage with speedrun communities, implementing feedback, adding new movement tech, and providing tools to enhance the speedrunning experience.

Originally, speedrunning was akin to the lawless frontier of gaming, featuring timers stuck on CRT televisions, in-depth frame-by-frame discussions on online forums, and an atmosphere charged with a “believe me, I’m right” vibe. However, developers eventually started to comprehend this niche aspect of gaming. They transitioned from viewing speedrunners as renegades and began crafting games specifically with their needs in mind. Today, some of the most impressive titles offer built-in features that cater perfectly to those who believe saving the world can be achieved in less than 30 minutes.

These games cater not only to speedrunners but also embrace their fast-paced playstyle. From live countdown timers to internal scoreboards, skip-worthy sequences to levels intentionally designed for quick traversal, these games are more than accommodating; they actively applaud speedrunning enthusiasts.

7. Braid

The Princess Is In Another Time Loop

Braid wasn’t merely supportive of speedrunning; rather, it almost compelled it, flashing a mysterious grin and setting the timer. Launched in 2008, this seemingly tranquil puzzle-platformer is intricately designed around time manipulation, yet it conceals within its artistic veneer an unspoken challenge mode that gave it iconic status among speedrunners: a secret competitive mode with tangible consequences.

Once the game is finished for the first time, the Speed Run function becomes accessible, introducing an internal clock and urging players to conquer each world within a predetermined time limit. This isn’t a casual challenge with leeway—it’s stringent, challenging, and meticulously crafted to make players reassess their understanding of the game’s temporal dynamics.

In the game Braid, each world employs a unique approach to manipulating time. For instance, some worlds enable players to rewind their mistakes, while others advance time only when the player moves. Consequently, every level presents a challenge to solve efficiently by exploiting these distinct time mechanics. The strategies employed by speedrunners, such as stutter-stepping to maintain slow time or rewinding to position enemies optimally, demonstrate how intricate this system truly is.

6. A Hat In Time

Must Dash Quickly

Hat Kid isn’t merely charming; she exhibits some impressive dance moves, and A Hat in Time doesn’t hesitate to flaunt them. Hiding beneath its charming and vibrant facade is one of the most seamless movement systems found in any 3D platformer, a secret the developers were keenly aware of. The game invites players from the very beginning to tinker with its mechanics, enticing them to explore how far they can take the momentum.

As a speedrunner, there’s nothing more exhilarating than the freedom to innovate in this game. Dive-cancelling, swiftly switching hats mid-flight, and piling up momentum are moves the community has taken to heart, and thankfully, the developers have continued to support them. In fact, they went a step further by creating an official Speedrun Mode. This mode strips down cutscenes, keeps track of times per act, and provides a relentless timer that never resets, making every second count.

The bond between this community and the development team is exceptional, standing out among many others. Gears for Breakfast frequently observed speedrun events and incorporated ideas from these speedrunners. They not only accepted sequence breaking but embraced it wholeheartedly. In fact, certain updates introduced movement technology that was inspired by how runners were already playing the game.

5. Dead Cells

Time Waits For No Dead Cell

Dead Cells swiftly plunges players into peril without wasting a moment, and it’s equally committed to efficiency in gameplay. The rapid-fire combat and randomly generated levels, which could appear antithetical to speedrunning precision, are skillfully balanced by Motion Twin to accommodate both anarchy and control.

The game incorporates a speedrun timer within its user interface (HUD), which runs in real-time. Additionally, certain time gates in the game (time doors) prompt players to move swiftly by locking them out if they’re too slow, thereby encouraging fast-paced gameplay. Yet, this isn’t the only aspect. Those who excel at mastering the game’s movement techniques, such as precise dodges, flawless parries, mid-air jumps, and powerful slam attacks, can swiftly navigate levels in a rhythmic pattern that is more akin to dancing than combat.

Motion Twin has introduced customizable Speedrun Settings and a Personalized Mode in Dead Cells, allowing players to modify item distributions, enemy patterns, and equipment sets for targeted practice. Alongside daily challenges and leaderboard compatibility, Dead Cells doesn’t just facilitate speedruns; it assists players in mastering them through repetition.

The deciding factor is the metaprogression. This feature allows advancements to carry over from one game session to another, enabling seasoned gamers to customize their characters for optimal speed. Additionally, new mutations and items are frequently introduced in updates, causing the meta to evolve, ensuring that even long-term players remain engaged.

4. Axiom Verge

Sequence Breakers Welcome

People who spent their childhoods navigating through Metroid by wall jumping and bomb boosting found themselves in familiar territory with Axiom Verge. However, what truly distinguished it wasn’t just the sense of nostalgia—it was how it seamlessly integrated sequence breaking into its core design. In fact, the game not only acknowledges but actively encourages this non-linear exploration.

Instead of fixing exploits or restricting content based on predefined progression, developer Tom Happ embraced the disorderly aspects. Specific rooms and tools have been specifically designed to incentivize players who venture beyond boundaries or discover unconventional paths. For instance, The Address Disruptor is a tool that can manipulate the game’s environment in unique ways, transforming solid walls into passages, glitched tiles into jumping platforms, and enemies into trampolines for quick maneuvers.

There’s an exclusive ending hidden through intricate maneuvers using unusual technology – something that only dedicated speedrunners will uncover, while casual players won’t accidentally discover it. Moreover, the game offers a built-in timer for speedrunning with pause control, allowing players to master each segment without needing external tools.

3. Neon White

Heaven’s Got a Stopwatch

If and collaborated on an energy drink and fell for each other, the resulting creation might resemble the game called . This fast-paced first-person shooter, designed with speedrunning in mind, features level designs and weaponry tailored to save mere milliseconds in a flawless run.

In Neon White, each level is a nimble battlefield of demons and death cards that I navigate, not just about surviving but outdoing my speed. My weapon cards transform into movement skills – fling a shotgun to double jump, or hurl a rifle to dash through glass. The challenge lies in mastering the art of gunplay with agility, and the scoring system motivates me to revisit levels and improve my performance.

What makes it unique is its aggressive approach to turning speedrunning into a game. The levels are evaluated based on speed, and achieving a Gold or Ace rank grants access to watch a ghost replay of the developer’s top performance—a helpful resource for players to learn optimal paths. Additionally, there are secret rewards hidden in each level that can only be obtained through clever maneuvers, encouraging players to experiment and innovate between runs.

In Neon White, everything from gameplay mechanics to Machine Girl’s soundtrack caters to speed, giving each playthrough a thrilling, fast-paced vibe reminiscent of an intense early 2000s anime fantasy.

2. Spelunky

Spelunky, But Faster

In contrast to standard procedural generation, Spelunky creates intricate landscapes of calamity each time it’s launched. Yet, amidst this turmoil, there exists structure and direction. For those who strive for speedrunning records, that structured route is a valuable treasure.

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve come to realize that the most successful runs in Spelunky aren’t just a matter of luck; they’re the result of a profound grasp of the game’s mechanics and character behaviors. Over time, those who manage to stay alive begin to anticipate trap triggers, enemy patterns, and even learn to manipulate explosions, corpses, or irate shopkeepers for my advantage. It’s all about improvising on a foundation of deep understanding!

The enchantment is found in the timer and random seed system. Games like Spelunky and Spelunky 2 record actual run data in real-time, and Daily Challenges provide every player with the same map seed daily. This transformation turns the typical disorder into a fair ground for global competition where everyone starts at an equal point.

1. Celeste

Climbing Fast Feels Like Falling

Celeste is not merely a platformer; it’s a therapeutic experience disguised as a jump key. Along its poignant journey exploring themes such as grief and self-doubt, it unexpectedly became one of the most revered speedrunning games within the independent gaming community.

What sets it apart is the incredible finesse in its movements. Each leap, dash, and wall-grab functions perfectly as players anticipate, which fosters mastery. The design of the levels encourages this expertise by offering countless minor choices that culminate in more seamless and rapid ascents. For those seeking a more immersive experience, the Assist Mode and accessibility options provide an opportunity to hone specific mechanics without unnecessary difficulty.

Instead of merely welcoming speedrunners into the space, the developers meticulously prepared it for them. An in-game clock monitors time taken for each level and overall runs, while the Farewell expansion serves as a heartfelt tribute to those who felt the initial game wasn’t challenging enough. This add-on incorporated additional movement techniques, such as hyper dashes, wall bounces, and demo dashes—techniques that later became integral to speedrunning strategies.

The community seized upon that and truly ran with it, in both a figurative and literal sense. Celeste’s speedrun community is among the most dynamic globally, and their consistent participation at events such as Games Done Quick demonstrates how flawlessly synchronized every moment of it is. Witnessing a runner deftly navigate its stages with razor-sharp accuracy feels less like conquering a mountain and more like gliding across it gracefully.

2025-04-20 10:35