Best explanation perhaps is that I just played the hell out of this game and now my mind is one with the map generation logic.” But I’ve noticed that I can probably tell where exit is about 60% of the time and home in on it very quickly. It’s not always accurate, and sometimes it doesn’t work. “For reasons I am not sure how best to explain really, I can predict the location of castle exit with alarming accuracy now. Speaking after breaking a record in 2018, previous Dead Cells record holder Henpaku explains how consistent practice allowed him to break down the game’s rogue-lite design, cutting through one of Dead Cells’ unique selling points: Dead Cells, for example, with its rogue-lite design and brutal difficulty appeared to be impossible to speedrun on the surface, yet the current world record sits at 6 minutes and 58 seconds. TGH’s self-analysis is indicative of how speedrunners view these games as something to be solved which, in Celeste’s case, leads to design that feels distinctly puzzle-like.Ĭeleste is not original in this sense, and even when games appear to have mechanics or genres that scupper the potential of speedrunning, people always find a way to rush through it at a pace. Being the best in the world at something is usually accompanied by an appreciation of hard work and achievement, but for speedrunners, their interaction with the game isn’t necessarily defined by what others are doing, but simply to master every facet of it for themselves. However, current record holder TGH reacted in a way that was unexpected when he broke the record this August, simply stating “that should have been a 27:20. With level design so meticulous, speedrunning a game like Celeste can bring a heady release of emotions when done right.
Make sure the game goes well.’ I wanted to see everything happen for the first time for the GDQ run.” Please, don’t have any crazy things happen. Speaking to Polygon in 2016, developer Kyle Pulver describes witnessing his game, Snapshot, speedrun on Games Done Quick as “both terrifying and exciting at the same time.” He goes on to explain how “one of the things I joke about with other game developers is whenever I see our games on Twitch, it’s really cool, but at the same time we’re all thinking, ‘Oh god. Indie developers themselves are often an important part of the speedrunning scene as they are interwoven into its success – without their support or interest, the community would perhaps not be as vibrant, welcoming and unflinching as it is.
So, not only has speedrunning changed the way that we interact with indie single-player games and what they mean to us, but the hobby-turned-profession is now impacting the way games are designed.ĭevelopers love to see their precious pieces of work torn apart, too. The game’s flow is built entirely with a sense of pace in mind. Celeste’s precise dash mechanic, the minute detail given to its obstacles, even its breezy aesthetics and music all make players naturally want to go fast. At first, most players will constantly fail to beat certain stages, but upon repetition the speedrunning building blocks make themselves evident. When playing Celeste, you can see this process unfold in front of you. Regamey describes how speedrunning was always a core design pillar for their game, reflecting that “I like to think that’s why we’re so highly rated with, like up with Mario 64 and the greats” with USG. In fact, sound designer for the game, Kevin Regamey, along with Matt Makes Games, “broke the game in half over and over leading up to the release”. While Celeste rightly received plaudits for its tightly-wound gameplay and superb aesthetics, examining the game further reveals a design whose foundations were created with speedrunning in mind. Two recent games that exemplify the positive consequences of speedrunning on the health of single-player games are Celeste and Dead Cells, titles which demand precision, lightning reactions and back-of-the-hand knowledge.Ĭeleste has enamoured the speedrunning scene in particular, being beaten in unfathomable times by both human and robot. Multiplayer games appear to have a bigger presence in the industry for that reason, but speedrunning has imbued indie gaming with an essential component: competition. Previously, single-player games, and by extension most indie efforts, have had their longevity curtailed by a lack of tangible player progress.
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