Speedruns

The goal of completing a game or a part of a game where time is the most essential measure of success.

Many games, e.g. racing games, depend on completing some activity as quickly as possible. Even so, after one has manage to be the quickest one can try to be better than one was previously or quicker than others have been in other game or play sessions. Similarly, if one has managed to complete a game or a section of a game that didn't depend on time one can have a new challenge in trying to solve the same part quicker. Such attempts are called Speed Runs.

Examples

Skilled players of the arcade version of Pac-Man managed to reach what has turned out to be the maximum score due to a software bug. The first such perfect score took about 6 hours, but players have found challenges in trying to do this quicker and in 2010 the time has been shaved to less than 4 hours.

Racing games such as the Need for Speed series and the Mario Kart series let players try to beat previously time lap records. For the Mario Kart series, players can in the Time Trial mode compete against the ghosts of others players' (and the developers') performances and for internet connected versions even download performances to compete against.

The number of stars collected for completing a puzzle in Cogs depend on number of moves and time. Since the unlocking of new levels only depend on total number of stars, players can proceed to complete all levels and later return to fully complete specific levels as a form of Speed Run.

Using the pattern

Speed Runs requires the setting of Time Limits for some other goal. These can be explicit set by designers which works well with making them parts of Goal Hierarchies (as in Cogs) or Handicap Achievements (as for the Bridge over Trebled Slaughter Achievement in Left 4 Dead 2). Another solution is to make them depend on the players own previous performances, which can provide a form of Smooth Learning Curves since inexperienced players only need to beat the performances of inexperienced players and let them gradually develop Game Mastery.

Real-Time Games are a prerequisite for Speed Runs. This since minimizing time consumption in games that have other ways of measuring times, e.g. by counting turns use in a Turn-Based Games, is more accurately described as a Puzzle Solving activity. Portal is an interesting case for this since it can be seen as an example of both these cases - players can try to solve Levels as quickly as possible in Speed Runs but also try to solve Levels in as few steps or portal uses.

Like other cases where players performances are used to create Gameplay Statistics, the pattern require Dedicated Game Facilitators to ensure that completed Speed Runs are trustworthy for people not present when the Speed Runs occurred.

Diegetic Aspects

Replays in the form of Ghosts are a way of making the challenge of Speed Runs have presence in Game Worlds as Geospatial Game Widgets.

Narrative Aspects

Speed Runs are at conflict with Narration Structures for the simple reason that they are used to motivate players to replay parts of games several times, something which typically is difficult to combine with a sensible unfolding of a narrative.

Consequences

Being a pattern dealing with trying to meet Time Limits, Speed Runs also cause Time Pressure and very likely Tension as well. Given that Speed Runs are built upon completing a goal better than before, they pose Optional Goals to players. Further, since Speed Runs motivate players to try to replay games improve their own performances, the use of this pattern also promotes Replayability and development of Game Mastery.

When Speed Runs as instantiated by using previous player performance, these earlier performances are examples of Trans-Game Information used as Gameplay Statistics.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Game Mastery, Gameplay Statistics, Goal Hierarchies, Handicap Achievements, Optional Goals, Replayability, Smooth Learning Curves, Tension, Time Limits, Time Pressure, Trans-Game Information

Can Modulate

Real-Time Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Ghosts, Replays

Can Be Modulated By

Dedicated Game Facilitators

Potentially Conflicting With

Narration Structures

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

Acknowledgments

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