Top 7 Games for Speedrunning Enthusiasts

Speedrunning is a thrilling way to experience video games, pushing players to complete them as fast as possible while mastering every trick and shortcut. It’s a test of skill, precision, and dedication, transforming familiar titles into intense challenges that keep you hooked.

Whether you’re a seasoned speedrunner or just curious about diving into this exciting community, some games stand out for their mechanics, glitches, or replayability. Here are seven titles that shine for speedrunners, each offering unique challenges and rewards.

Super Mario 64 (1996)

This classic Nintendo 64 game is a speedrunning legend, loved for its open-ended levels and fluid movement. Super Mario 64 lets players tackle objectives in creative ways, making it a playground for shaving seconds off your time.

Speedrunners exploit tricks like the Backward Long Jump to skip entire sections, while the game’s precise controls demand mastery. Its active community, still breaking records decades later, makes it a must-try for anyone chasing personal bests.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ is a masterpiece with a massive speedrunning following, thanks to its exploitable glitches and replayable structure. Players can warp across the game world or skip dungeons entirely, creating wildly fast runs.

Techniques like the Wrong Warp glitch let runners jump to the credits in minutes, while glitchless runs test combat and navigation skills. Its depth and variety keep speedrunners coming back to Hyrule.

Super Metroid (1994)

This SNES gem defined the Metroidvania genre and remains a speedrunning favorite for its open world and advanced techniques. Super Metroid rewards clever routing and mastery of moves like shinesparking and wall-jumping.

Speedrunners can tackle bosses out of order or skip major upgrades, making every run a puzzle. The game’s tight design and hidden paths ensure it’s as challenging as it is satisfying to speed through.

Portal (2007)

‘Portal’ is a puzzle game that speedrunners turn into a chaotic sprint, using the portal gun to break the game’s rules. Its compact levels and physics-based mechanics make it perfect for quick, precise runs.

Techniques like clipping out of bounds or shooting portals through portals let runners skip entire test chambers. Portal is accessible for beginners but deep enough to keep veterans hooked on perfecting their times.

Celeste (2018)

‘Celeste’ is a modern indie platformer built with speedrunning in mind, featuring tight controls and levels designed for rapid retries. Its challenging platforming demands pixel-perfect precision, perfect for speedrunners.

The game’s assist mode lets newcomers practice, while pros chase records in its punishing stages. Celestebalances accessibility with depth, making it a great entry point for aspiring speedrunners.

Neon White (2022)

This fast-paced indie gem blends shooting and platforming, with levels designed to be replayed for faster times. Neon White uses cards as weapons and movement tools, turning each stage into a high-speed puzzle.

Its leaderboards and slick mechanics make it ideal for speedrunners who love optimizing routes. The dopamine hit of beating your best time keeps you coming back for more.

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy (2017)

‘Getting Over It’ is a brutal test of patience and precision, where you climb a mountain using only a hammer. Speedrunners make its unforgiving physics look effortless, scaling obstacles in seconds.

The game’s minimalist controls force you to master every swing, with no shortcuts or glitches to rely on. Getting Over It is a unique challenge that’s as rewarding to speedrun as it is frustrating.

Which game is your go-to for speedrunning, or is there a hidden gem I missed? Drop your thoughts in the comments!