So, you also want to join the speedrunning community? This community is growing bigger every year, with more people drawn to the thrill it provides as they try to complete games as fast as possible.
As much as you need games to practice speedrunning, it is good to familiarize yourself with Speedrun.com, a worldwide hub for speedrunners. This hub provides leaderboards, community resources and rules for most games.
We’ve selected seven games to start you off, and we recommend them based on:
- Size of community – Large communities have plenty of written and video resources.
- Accessibility – Some games like Super Mario 64 can only run on older unavailable consoles.
- Difficulty level – Games that do not have too many hurdles.
Above else, make sure that you choose a game that you enjoy. Speedrunning requires you to spend a lot of time practicing, and if you don’t enjoy the game you will feel no sense of accomplishment.
The examples we have selected for you are simple, easy to access and popular. Some even come with any% speedrun!
Excited? Let’s dive right in!
The King’s Bird
Platform: PS4, MS Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The King’s Bird is an excellent pick for speedrunning, even though it remains underrated. This game has a fluid movement and accessible controls which make it feel like a simpler version of Sonic.
Players have the option of running, flying, and gliding, with their main weapon being a dash. The King’s Bird has minimum hazards and emphasizes speed, momentum, and precision to succeed in each area. This makes it a good choice for beginners.
Undertale
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox One, Linux,
Undertale is a deep game but the role–play is minimal and easy in terms of artistic style and gameplay, with fighting that resembles that of earthbound and Dragonquest.
Toby Fox, the developer of this game, introduces novel concepts to the game which include unconventional mechanics and centric combat. The game runs for seven hours but with practice, some speedrunners have made it through in an hour.
Super Mario Odyssey
Platform: Nintendo Switch
This epic adventure is packed with places to explore and Power Moons to collect, just like the 3D Mario games that came before it. It is easy and fast to play. Players can sail through the game in a few hours or less.
This is made possible by the potent powerups, shortcuts, and the ability to buy several Power Moons. The game has seamless open-worlds which allow players to collect several Moons at once. Once you know where the collectibles are, you will burn through the game quickly.
Limbo
Platform: Android, PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, MS Windows
Limbo is an indie-platform game that tests the player’s problem-solving skills and their platforming prowess. It is available on Steam for a few dollars and can run on even the least powerful PC.
It takes two to three hours to complete it and most amateur speedrunners can tackle it in less than an hour with a little practice. For those looking to optimize their runs, Limbo is a straightforward game. It won’t take you long to get the hang of it.
Cookie Clicker
Platform: Android
Cookie Clicker was the second most-searched game in 2013, which made it rise above many Triple-A titles. It is one of the most influential games of all time with an average of 250,000 users per day.
How long will it take you to collect 100,000 cookies in the game? A few hours for beginners and under seven minutes for pro speedrunners.
Cookie Clicker has an active community that runs the game and provides a calculator that designs routes to find ways of cutting down on time.
Super Mario Maker 2
Platform: Nintendo
At first glance, one might think that this platform is for kids but the game has the same level of hardness as any other Mario platformer. You only need to learn the basics of each game instead of the complex glitches.
The game incorporates gameplay aspects from the 3D platformer, including the Super Bell powerup with new themes such as forest, sky, snow, desert, and a nighttime feature which alters many course elements.
Nova The Squirrel
Platform: Nintendo
Nova is an indie-platformer game that is designed for the NES and can be played through the emulator. It has 33 levels and is similar to Kirby where players can copy abilities.
In this game, you are to fight seven bosses in over five worlds as you attempt to save the world of Latte from the evil Scheme Team. There are over 35 types of enemies and variants plus interesting puzzle mechanics. Users will find Nova to be a beginner-friendly speed-running game.
Have any other games in mind for beginners looking to get into speedrunning? Let us know in the comments below.
