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Whether you’re playing a racing game like Mario Kart, an open world sandbox like Minecraft or even any number of games from this websiteLinks to an external site., the fact of the matter is that as long as a game has even a single tangible goal within it, someone will probably try to speedrun it. Speedrunning is essentially a way of playing a game in order to complete it (or to reach a particular goal within it) in the shortest amount of time possible. People who partake in this style of gaming are known as speedrunners and will use a mixture of in depth knowledge about the game’s mechanics, luck and sometimes even bugs and glitches in the game’s code in order to bypass many of the more lengthy aspects of a game. 

The fact that the speedrunning community is growing in size is unsurprising. Much like people have always enjoyed seeing great feats of athleticism or mental acuity, speedrunning similarly attracts fans from within the gaming community who wish to see how experienced players essentially “game” the system and thus achieve the stunning feat of reaching a goal or completing a game that would normally take days within the span of a few hours (or even just a few minutes). Speedrunning streams are generally now becoming a more popular source of entertainment and there have even been conventions and competitions arranged to showcase the skills of various speedrunners. So how did this playstyle come about and how did it get so popular?

How Did It Come About?

Speedrunning has likely been around for as long as videogames have existed. After all, who hasn’t tried to beat a friend’s or family member’s time in a game for the fun of it? Much the same as trying to achieve a high score in a game with a point system, if a game had a goal (such as rescuing a character or getting to a certain checkpoint) then people have likely tried to complete it as fast as possible to earn the bragging rights and the admiration of fellow players.

However, the earliest instancesLinks to an external site. of such players actually bonding and creating a community around this style of playing was in the 1990s. Players who believed themselves to be rather skilled in computer and console games such as DOOM and QUAKE would essentially take recordings of their games and upload them onto dedicated websites and forums, after which they would explain the strategies they used to the viewers of these videos. The moment the first few videos went up, it started something of a domino effect with more and more gamers competing to see who could achieve even lower timings and thus making the playstyle get more attention. 

One of the bigger reasons that this particular style of gaming mainly started taking off in the 90s (as opposed to an earlier decade) is in large part due to technological progress which allowed for screens to be recorded and also for (short) videos to be uploaded onto websites. Furthermore, widespread internet useLinks to an external site. mainly started during the 90s and therefore made it easier to discuss and form online communities around similar interests. Communities were quickly being formed around video games of the time, so having sub-communities dedicated to playing those games competitively was arguably inevitable. 

How Did It Get So Popular?

There are several reasonsLinks to an external site. for the popularity of speedrunning. Ultimately however it comes down to the fact that time is one of the quantifiable ways to measure just how good a player is (other than high score). Speedrunners simply enjoy the thrill of performing at their best while in the company of like-minded peers and for the spectators it is a display of ingenuity and skill, similar to watching an Olympic athlete. 

Speedrunners often spend hours perfecting and honing their skills and knowledge of a game. They will experiment to find bugs or glitches to exploit and search through forums and other speedrunner’s streams in order to find something to help them shave off minutes (or even just seconds) of their current timing. Many of them also livestream the process in order for others to view and give feedback on, which helps to build up communitiesLinks to an external site. and relationships. 

The live streams also provide a personal touch to the whole experience. The viewers of the stream can view the triumphs, setbacks and painstaking process that the streamer goes through to improve their skills in real time. This creates a more direct relationship and gets people more emotionally invested in the journey of the streamer. Even if the streamer is unable to beat any world records or doesn’t get invited to conventions, they are still capable of amassing and enjoying a somewhat dedicated friend (and fan) base around this shared interest. 

Although it may seem counterintuitive to the impression that most people have of video gamers, speedrunning is actually a fairly social activity and a large aspect of it is based around having a community to cheer you on. Speedrunning is a passion for some and a source of entertainment for many others. Whether it’s discovering glitches to help your character seemingly phase through walls or putting in hours of grueling practice, one cannot help but admire the tenacity and dedication of a speedrunner.