Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of Speedrunning
Origins of Speedrunning
Knowledge check
Q1. What is generally considered the earliest recorded speedrun in video game history?
- A. A 1989 run of Super Mario Bros. on the NES ✓
- B. A 1978 run of Adventure on the Atari 2600
- C. A 1993 run of Doom
- D. A 1982 run of Pac-Man in an arcade
Why: Speedrunning is widely traced to the late 1980s, and early Super Mario Bros. runs in 1989 are among the earliest documented examples of players competing to finish a game as quickly as possible.
Q2. Which game is often credited with popularizing speedrunning through early online communities and file-sharing?
- A. Tetris
- B. Doom ✓
- C. Chrono Trigger
- D. Pokemon Red
Why: Doom's 1993 release, along with its moddable nature and demo files, helped spread time-attack play and gave rise to organized competition among players sharing their best times.
Q3. What term describes the practice of completing a video game as quickly as possible, often under specific rules?
- A. Modding
- B. Speedrunning ✓
- C. Glitch hunting
- D. Achievement hunting
Why: Speedrunning is the practice of completing a game as fast as possible, usually within a defined category or ruleset, and timed for comparison with other players.
Q4. What was the role of early websites and forums in the origins of speedrunning?
- A. They sold official game cartridges
- B. They hosted leaderboards and let players share times and recordings ✓
- C. They banned all competitive play
- D. They developed the first game engines
Why: Early fan sites and forums let players post their times, verify runs, and share videos, which created the community and leaderboards that drove the culture forward.
Q5. Why do speedrunners often use glitches and techniques that developers did not intend?
- A. Glitches are required by official tournament rules in all games
- B. Exploiting unintended mechanics can significantly reduce completion time ✓
- C. Developers asked players to find glitches as a bonus challenge
- D. Glitches make the game easier to record for video
Why: Many speedrun strategies exploit unintended mechanics because they can shorten run times dramatically, and speedrun categories specify whether such glitches are allowed.
Module 2
Module 2: Routing and Route Optimization
Routing and Route Optimization
Knowledge check
Q1. In speedrunning, what is a 'route' most accurately defined as?
- A. A random sequence of inputs used to finish a game quickly
- B. A planned sequence of steps, strategies, and decisions a runner follows to complete a game as fast as possible
- C. The official path developers intended players to take through a game
- D. A list of all glitches discovered in a game
Q2. What does 'route optimization' primarily aim to do?
- A. Make the game more difficult for the runner
- B. Reduce total completion time by eliminating wasted time and improving efficiency at each step
- C. Ensure the run is visually entertaining for viewers
- D. Increase the number of enemies encountered
Q3. What is a 'segment' in the context of speedrunning routes?
- A. A deleted section of the game's code
- B. A portion of a run between two defined checkpoints, often used to measure and compare progress
- C. The final boss fight of a game
- D. A type of controller input macro
Q4. Why do runners often practice individual segments separately before attempting a full run?
- A. Full runs are not allowed in official speedrun leaderboards
- B. Isolating segments allows focused improvement of specific difficult sections without the cost of replaying the whole game
- C. Segments are required to save the game's progress
- D. Developers only release segment-based challenges
Q5. What is the main purpose of a 'time save' when evaluating a routing decision?
- A. To measure how many resources a runner conserves
- B. To estimate how much faster a route becomes compared to the current approach, helping decide whether a change is worth making
- C. To record the exact frame a glitch occurs
- D. To determine the difficulty rating of a game
Module 3
Module 3: Glitches, Tool-Assisted Runs, and Rules
Glitches, Tool-Assisted Runs, and Rules
Knowledge check
Q1. In speedrunning, what is a 'glitch' generally understood to be?
- A. A hardware failure that crashes the game console
- B. An unintended behavior in a game's code that players exploit to progress faster ✓
- C. A deliberate developer-added shortcut that is officially documented
- D. A mod that changes the game's graphics settings
Why: Glitches are unintended behaviors arising from bugs in a game's code, which runners may exploit to complete a game more quickly. Official developer-added shortcuts are not glitches.
Q2. What is a Tool-Assisted Speedrun (TAS)?
- A. A run performed by a human using a custom controller
- B. A run where the runner uses a speedrunning timer tool
- C. A run created by inputting frame-by-frame controller commands into an emulator, producing a perfectly optimized playthrough ✓
- D. A live-streamed run where viewers vote on the route
Why: TAS runs are built by programming precise inputs frame by frame, usually on an emulator, so they can achieve theoretical optimal performance. They are typically kept in separate categories from human runs.
Q3. Why do many speedrun communities separate TAS runs from human runs on leaderboards?
- A. TAS runs are always slower than human runs
- B. TAS runs cannot be recorded accurately
- C. TAS runs are not performed by real players and would be impossible to match in real time, so comparing them directly would be unfair ✓
- D. Emulators are illegal to use for any gaming purpose
Why: Because TAS inputs are frame-perfect and not executable by humans in real time, communities keep them in separate categories to preserve fair competition among human runners.
Q4. What is a 'category' in speedrunning?
- A. The genre a game belongs to, such as RPG or platformer
- B. A defined set of rules and goals that a run must follow, such as 'Any%' or '100%' ✓
- C. The rating a game receives from critics
- D. The hardware platform a game was released on
Why: A category defines the rules and completion requirements for a run, such as Any% (finish the game by any means) or 100% (collect everything). Runs are only comparable within the same category.
Q5. Why do speedrun communities often maintain written rules for each game and category?
- A. To make sure every runner uses the same controller brand
- B. To ensure fair, consistent, and verifiable runs so that results can be compared and validated ✓
- C. To require runners to stream their entire lives
- D. To prevent runners from ever using glitches
Why: Written rules define what is allowed, which glitches or tools are permitted, and how runs must be verified. This consistency makes results fair and comparable across runners.
Module 4
Module 4: The Community and Its Culture
The Community and Its Culture
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the term for a speedrun that is performed live with an audience, often for charity or community events?
- A. Marathon run ✓
- B. Blind run
- C. Glitchless run
- D. Tool-assisted run
Why: A marathon run is a long-form live event, often for charity, where runners take turns playing a game or series of games for an extended period while viewers donate and watch.
Q2. Which community tradition involves runners sharing their attempts and times on a central website to verify and compare records?
- A. Leaderboard submission
- B. Speedrun.com ✓
- C. Discord moderation
- D. Patch notes
Why: Speedrun.com is the central hub where runs are submitted, verified by moderators, and ranked on leaderboards, forming the backbone of the community's record-keeping.
Q3. What does it mean when a speedrunning category is labeled 'any%'?
- A. The run must use every item in the game
- B. The run must complete the game by any means, aiming for the fastest ending regardless of optional content ✓
- C. The run must reach 100 percent completion
- D. The run must be played on every platform
Why: Any% refers to the fastest route to finishing the game, skipping optional content and allowing any method of completion, which distinguishes it from 100% categories that require full completion.
Q4. What is a 'glitchless' category in speedrunning?
- A. A category where runners are forbidden from using any software
- B. A category that prohibits exploiting unintended game bugs or glitches ✓
- C. A category played only on original hardware
- D. A category where the game is run without sound
Why: Glitchless categories forbid the use of unintended game mechanics or bugs, so runners must complete the game using only intended mechanics, making comparisons fairer among those who respect the design.
Q5. Why do speedrunning communities typically require video proof for submitted records?
- A. To give runners a reason to stream
- B. To allow moderators to verify the legitimacy of the run and prevent cheating ✓
- C. To generate advertising revenue for the website
- D. To ensure the game was purchased legally
Why: Video proof allows verifiers to check that runs were performed legitimately and within the rules, which maintains trust in the leaderboards and protects the integrity of the community's records.
Module 5
Module 5: Streaming, Content, and Audience Growth
Streaming, Content, and Audience Growth
Knowledge check
Q1. Which platform is most commonly used by speedrunners to broadcast live runs and build an audience?
- A. LinkedIn
- B. Twitch ✓
- C. Pinterest
- D. Goodreads
Why: Twitch is the dominant live-streaming platform in gaming and has a large community of speedrunners and viewers who watch runs, attempts, and marathons in real time.
Q2. What does a 'marathon' stream typically involve in speedrunning communities?
- A. Running a game for exactly one hour without breaks
- B. A long, continuous charity or community stream featuring multiple runners or games ✓
- C. Competing in a physical running race
- D. Uploading a single video that is over three hours long
Why: Marathons are extended streams, often for charity, that feature many runners or games back to back, drawing in viewers and raising funds or awareness.
Q3. Why do many speedrunners upload VODs or highlight clips to video platforms after a live run?
- A. Because live streams cannot be watched by anyone else
- B. To reach viewers who missed the live stream and to share memorable moments ✓
- C. Because platforms require a video upload for every game purchase
- D. To hide their runs from competitors
Why: VODs and highlights let people who missed the live broadcast watch later and help runners reach new audiences through shareable moments.
Q4. What is a key benefit of engaging with chat during a speedrun stream?
- A. It slows down the game so the runner can play better
- B. It builds community loyalty and encourages viewers to return ✓
- C. It automatically verifies the run's world record
- D. It removes the need for any editing afterward
Why: Interacting with chat makes viewers feel included, which fosters community loyalty and repeat viewership, key drivers of audience growth.
Q5. What does consistent streaming schedule primarily help a speedrunning channel achieve?
- A. Guaranteed sponsorship deals from day one
- B. Predictable viewer habits and easier audience retention ✓
- C. Automatic eligibility for speedrun leaderboards
- D. Elimination of technical problems during runs
Why: A regular schedule lets viewers know when to show up, helping build habits and steadily retain an audience over time.
Module 6
Module 6: Competition, Records, and Verification
Competition, Records, and Verification
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the primary purpose of a speedrun leaderboard?
- A. To showcase players' artistic game designs
- B. To rank verified completion times for a specific game category ✓
- C. To track how many hours each player has spent in a game
- D. To award prizes to the most popular streamers
Why: Speedrun leaderboards rank verified run times for a defined category, such as Any% or 100%, so runners can compare performance fairly.
Q2. What does 'verification' mean in speedrunning?
- A. Confirming that a runner's personal computer meets the game's minimum requirements
- B. Having a moderator or third party review a run's video and confirm it followed the category rules ✓
- C. Checking that the runner has purchased an official copy of the game
- D. Ensuring the runner's stream has enough viewers to be considered legitimate
Why: Verification involves reviewing a submitted run, typically through video, to confirm that it is genuine and follows the category rules before it appears on a leaderboard.
Q3. Which of the following is a common reason a speedrun submission might be rejected?
- A. The run was recorded in a high resolution
- B. The run used glitches that are banned under the category's ruleset ✓
- C. The runner completed the game in fewer than ten minutes
- D. The runner used a controller instead of a keyboard
Why: Each category defines which glitches and strategies are allowed. Runs using banned techniques are rejected because they violate the ruleset.
Q4. What is a 'category' in speedrunning?
- A. A genre label used to group games on a website
- B. A specific set of rules defining what a run must accomplish, such as Any% or 100% ✓
- C. A ranking tier based on a runner's total number of submitted runs
- D. The type of hardware used to play the game
Why: A category defines the goal and rules of a run, such as Any% (finish the game by any means) or 100% (collect everything), and runs are compared only within the same category.
Q5. Why do speedrun communities often require video proof for submitted records?
- A. To make the leaderboard look more visually appealing
- B. To allow moderators to verify the run's legitimacy and detect cheating ✓
- C. To collect advertising revenue from video views
- D. To ensure runners are old enough to compete
Why: Video proof lets moderators check every step of the run, which helps confirm legitimacy and detect cheating such as modified game files or tool-assisted inputs that break the rules.
Module 7
Module 7: The Future of Speedrunning
The Future of Speedrunning
Knowledge check
Q1. Which tool has become essential for verifying speedrun times and detecting manipulated runs in recent years?
- A. Frame-accurate video review and timing software ✓
- B. Handheld stopwatches kept by judges
- C. Player self-reported completion logs
- D. Social media popularity metrics
Why: Frame-accurate video review and timing software lets verifiers check runs precisely, which has become essential as the community grows and the stakes for record claims increase.
Q2. What does the term 'glitchless' most commonly refer to in speedrunning categories?
- A. Runs that use no emulators at all
- B. Runs that avoid exploiting unintended game mechanics ✓
- C. Runs completed without any deaths
- D. Runs performed on original hardware only
Why: Glitchless categories prohibit the use of unintended mechanics such as wrong warps or out-of-bounds movement, focusing instead on intended gameplay skill.
Q3. Why are many speedrunning communities expanding into live-streamed events and charity marathons?
- A. To eliminate the need for verification
- B. To attract new viewers and raise money for causes ✓
- C. Because official publishers require it
- D. To replace competitive leaderboards entirely
Why: Events like Games Done Quick combine entertainment with fundraising, drawing new audiences and supporting charities while sustaining the community.
Q4. What is a major challenge speedrunning communities face as games receive updates or patches?
- A. Patches always make games unplayable
- B. Route changes and rule adjustments may invalidate existing records ✓
- C. Patches permanently ban all speedrunners
- D. Updated games cannot be timed at all
Why: Patches can change game mechanics, so communities must decide whether to update routes, reset records, or maintain separate categories for different versions.
Q5. Which trend suggests speedrunning may continue growing in the future?
- A. Decreasing access to streaming platforms
- B. Growing accessibility of recording and streaming tools for players worldwide ✓
- C. Publishers banning all fan-made content
- D. Shorter game lengths making runs impossible
Why: Affordable recording hardware, free streaming platforms, and online communities make it easier for players worldwide to participate, record, and share runs.