Speedrun categories explained: any%, 100%, glitchless and TAS vs RTA

Goal first, ruleset second: how categories are built

Speedrun.com's beginner guide splits every run into two parts. The goal is what you are trying to accomplish, such as finishing the game or defeating every boss. The ruleset is how you are allowed to do it, such as on hard mode or without glitches.

On the site, goals usually appear as categories and rulesets as sub-categories. Speedrun.com's moderation rules add a further layer: variables, which are meant for runs that are mostly comparable but that players may still want to sort, such as console version or language.

The guide's advice to newcomers is to choose the goal first and then the ruleset. For first runs, it suggests any% or glitchless as starting points, because both let you focus on finishing the game without extra complexity.

Speedrun.com's moderation rules ask that category names describe the category clearly enough that someone who has played the game, and understands speedrunning basics, can tell what it means at first glance.

Any%: the fastest way to the credits

Any% means getting to the end of the game as fast as possible. The percentage refers to completion: any amount counts, so you can skip everything optional. In games with powerful glitches, any% runs can look nothing like normal play, with whole worlds skipped.

Because any% usually allows glitches, it is often the most technical category. Many communities therefore add an any% glitchless or any% no major glitches option for people who want to run the intended route quickly.

A related label is low%, where the aim is to finish while collecting as little as possible. Speedrun.com's moderation rules list any%, low% and 100% as common, acceptable uses of the percentage sign, while discouraging invented names such as "Tutorial%".

Runners often combine labels in conversation, such as "any% no wrong warp". On the board, that is simply any% with a "No [X]" ruleset attached, which the next section explains.

100% and All [X]: completing everything, or everything of one type

100% means completing everything the game offers. Speedrun.com notes that this may include collecting all items, finishing every quest or reaching an in-game completion percentage, and that its definition can vary from game to game, especially when the game does not track completion itself. That is why every 100% category has written rules listing exactly what must be done.

Between any% and 100% sit the All [X] categories, such as All Bosses, All Dungeons or All Collectibles. These focus on one part of the game. The Speedrun.com About page uses a Super Mario 64 run collecting all 120 stars as its example of a speedrun, which is the game's full-completion category.

Glitchless and "No [X]": rulesets that remove tricks

A glitchless ruleset bans the use of glitches while completing the category's goal. Speedrun.com's guide points out that glitchless runs can still involve advanced strategies; you just will not need anything the community classes as a glitch.

Where exactly the line falls is a community decision. One game might treat a clever movement technique as an intended mechanic, while another treats a similar trick as a glitch. If you are unsure, the rules tab or the game's forum is the place to ask.

"No [X]" rulesets are narrower. They come in two kinds, according to the same guide:

• No [glitch or strategy] bans one trick seen as too powerful or unfun, for example "No Wrong Warp".
• No [game mechanic] removes something like upgrades, which changes the route or makes the run harder.

Difficulty settings work in the same way: many boards separate easy, normal and hard modes, or permadeath modes, so runs are compared fairly.

RTA vs TAS: human runs and tool-assisted runs

RTA stands for Real Time Attack. TASVideos, the main community for tool-assisted runs, describes runs performed by humans as RTA runs, reflecting that they are played in real time with live controller inputs. Almost every leaderboard on Speedrun.com is an RTA board.

TAS stands for tool-assisted speedrun (or superplay). TASVideos explains that a TAS is a pre-programmed series of inputs, usually built in an emulator using tools such as save states (jumping back to any moment) and frame advance (moving one frame at a time). The result plays back identically every time.

TASes are not cheating, provided they are presented honestly as tool-assisted. TASVideos itself says a TAS would only become cheating if it was passed off as an unassisted run. Speedrun.com's site rules ban save states, re-recording and frame advance in normal runs, so the two worlds stay separate.

Timing methods: real time, in-game time and load removal

Even within RTA, boards differ in how they measure time. Speedrun.com's submission guide lists several timing methods you may see:

• RTA - the run is done in one sitting and timed like a stopwatch, from start condition to end condition.
• IGT (in-game time) - the game's own timer is used, which usually does not include loading.
• LRT (load-removed time) - similar to IGT, but an outside program removes loading screens rather than the game.
• TA (time attack) - on some boards, a mode where breaks or separate sections are allowed.

Load removal exists because the same game can load at different speeds on different hardware. Removing loads keeps the comparison about play rather than equipment. The guide notes that RTA is the most common method.

Whatever the method, Speedrun.com's rules say the official time is the time in the video from the starting condition to the ending condition, not the number shown on a runner's timer, which is started and stopped by hand.

Full-game runs, individual levels and other formats

Besides categories, boards often split by scope:

• Full-game runs go from the start condition to the end of the category.
• Individual levels (ILs) time a single level or stage. They are a popular way to practise and to compete on a smaller scale.
• Co-op categories involve two or more players; the submission form lets you add the other runners.
• Segmented runs are made in several sittings. Speedrun.com's site rules say these are most often disallowed, though a community may track them separately.

For definitions of these and other words, see our speedrunning and esports glossary, and for how a submitted run is checked, read how timing and verification work.