SpeedRunners: Complete Guide

A player's guide to the original SpeedRunners (2016) on PC: movement fundamentals, every pickup, how rounds are won, ranked and the community scene, plus what the new sequel means for SR1 players.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final SR1 build, the June 2026 community curated-map update, and the September 3, 2026 launch of SpeedRunners 2. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Heads-up: SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed launched on September 3, 2026 on Steam and consoles with crossplay (a separate game and store page). The original SpeedRunners is still on sale and still has an active community-run competitive scene (King of Speed TV), so this guide covers SR1. If you just bought SR2, most of the movement fundamentals below carry over.

Quick Start

1. The camera follows the leader. Fall far enough behind that you're pushed off-screen and you're eliminated for that round. Staying close matters more than any one item.
2. Win rounds to score points; first to the target score takes the match (the score is shown between rounds). Each round ends when only one runner remains on screen.
3. Rounds get tighter the longer they last. The view closes in late in a round, so small mistakes near the screen edge become fatal.
4. Swinging is faster than running. Use your grappling hook on grapple-able ceilings whenever you can.
5. Don't backtrack for items. Keeping pace beats almost any pickup.
6. Crates are the most important "trap" in the game. Drop them on tight paths behind you and learn to jump over the ones dropped in front of you.
7. Sliding knocks opponents down, and sliding downhill gives a big speed boost. Don't slide on flat ground unless you need to.
8. Play the tutorial and the bots. The tutorial covers everything, and bots let you learn maps before going online.
9. A controller is recommended by the developers (the store page says "controller compatible (and recommended!)").

How a Round Works

• Up to four runners race through a looping map. The map loops, so rounds continue until someone is eliminated.
• Players who fall off-screen are out for that round.
• The longer a round goes, the tighter the playable view gets, until only one runner is left.
• The last runner standing wins the round and scores a point; the first to the lobby's target score wins the match.
• The store page highlights "unique game modifiers" for custom lobbies, and you can fill empty slots with bots or mix couch players with online players.

Movement Fundamentals

Tips:

• Stay on the hook. Chain grapples together and avoid touching the ground. The King of Swing, Sultan of Swing and Ultimate Swing Lord achievements reward staying airborne for 5, 10 and 30 seconds.
• Switchback boost: an advanced airborne trick where you change direction mid-swing to pick up free acceleration. It's hard to learn but it's how top players hold speed.
• Watch the slopes. Sliding downhill is a free speed boost, especially after a fall.
• Air tackles: diving into an opponent in mid-air knocks them down (Dive, Kick achievement).

Pickups

Pickups spawn in item boxes on the track. You carry one at a time.

Item strategy:

• When leading, hold defensive items (Crates, Shockwave) and use them to stop incoming Golden Hooks and missiles.
• When trailing, use Golden Hook to swap into the lead or Missile to knock the leader down.
• Don't fire items instantly. Wait for the right moment: a narrow corridor, a jump, or right before a shrinking screen.

Maps, Workshop and Curation

• SR1 ships with a dozen official maps, a full level editor, and over 10,000 user-created levels on the Steam Workshop.
• The community-run King of Speed TV (KOSTV) keeps a curated workshop map list that is used in ranked lobbies and tournaments. The list is reviewed with community surveys roughly every six months.
• December 2025 update: Club House, Coastline, Dragon City, Granary, Surfing in the Oasis, Oasis and Void were added to the curated list; Aztec and Titan were removed; SpeedCityNights stayed.
• June 2026 update: Coastline, Club House and Surfing in the Oasis failed the survey threshold and were removed; the map-contest winner Banished Keep was added.

If you want to compete, learn the current curated maps. They're what you'll see in ranked and tournaments.

Characters and Cosmetics

• Characters are cosmetic. Everyone runs with the same moveset, so pick whoever you like.
• Earn XP by playing to unlock characters, trails and other cosmetics. The 100% achievement asks for max XP.
• You can create your own custom trail, which shows when you hit super speed.

Story Mode

• A single-player campaign split into four chapters, set in New Rush City. The achievements A Race against Time, Officer requesting Backup, The most dangerous Game and Welcome to New Rush City track your progress through them.
• It's single-player against AI, so it doubles as an extended tutorial before you go online.
• Unfair difficulty is the challenge setting; beating every chapter on Unfair unlocks The King of New Rush City.
• The campaign is a solid way to learn maps and items before playing online.

Ranked and Competitive

• Ranked unlocks through play (the Ready for Ranked achievement). Play quick matches and bots until it opens.
• Ranked has a league ladder; promoting from the entry level to the Beginner and Bronze leagues unlocks Ranking Up! and Getting Serious!.
• The competitive scene is community-run through KOSTV, which runs monthly tournaments streamed on Twitch and, since 2026, YouTube.
• King of Speed 2026 was won by Ahmad after a nine-hour tournament; the community prize pool passed $800. KOSTV announced a revamped "Season Beta" starting in July 2026.

Ranked tips:

• Learn two or three maps extremely well. Knowing grapple points and item spawns wins more than raw reflexes.
• Crate management decides games. Place crates where opponents must jump, and always watch for crates dropped ahead of you.
• Don't fight for the lead early in a round. Second place with a Golden Hook is a strong position.
• Keep your eyes on the edge of the screen. Being close to the edge means one mistake eliminates you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Running when you could be swinging. Swinging is faster.
• Sliding on flat ground. It costs speed unless you're dodging or knocking someone down.
• Backtracking for an item box. You'll fall off-screen.
• Firing items immediately. Most items are far more effective with timing.
• Ignoring crates dropped ahead. Hitting a crate stuns you.
• Playing online before learning the map. Practice with bots first.

Advanced Tips

• Dodge the Golden Hook with a well-timed movement change as it fires (Smooth Moves achievement for doing it ten times), or pop a Shockwave to destroy it.
• Block Golden Hooks and rockets with crates (Hook Block and Super Crate Blox achievements).
• Deflect fireballs with Shockwave (Deflected!).
• Chain swings without landing to reach super speed and stay there.
• Master the switchback boost for extra acceleration in the air.
• Mind the late-round squeeze. Once it's down to two runners and the view is tight, play safe and let the opponent make the mistake.
• Use bots to warm up before tournaments or ranked.

SpeedRunners vs SpeedRunners 2

What SR2 changes, per its Steam page and launch announcement:

• Elimination is a shrinking ring of fire instead of just the edge of the camera; fall behind and you burn out.
• 16 map layouts (8 maps x 2 layouts), a new story campaign, ranked play and 64-player elimination tournaments.
• Playground holds experimental game modes; costumes and profile decorations are unlocked by playing.
• Upgraded visuals and netcode, but also much higher PC requirements than SR1 (64-bit Windows 10, 16 GB RAM and a GTX 1660 Super-class GPU listed as minimum).
• Game Pass: the April 2026 release-window announcement said the console launch includes Xbox Game Pass.

As of late September 2026, SR2's Steam user reviews sat at Mixed (56% positive of about 480 reviews). SR1 remains the home of the Workshop and the established KOSTV competitive scene, and if your PC is old, SR1 is the one that will run.

FAQ

Is SpeedRunners still active in 2026? Yes. The community-run KOSTV organises monthly tournaments, curated map updates and the yearly King of Speed event.

Can I play offline? Yes. Local multiplayer and bots are supported, including mixing local and online players.

Do characters have different stats? No. Characters are a cosmetic choice; skill and map knowledge decide matches.

How do I unlock ranked? Play and earn XP; ranked unlocks as you progress.

What's the best item? Golden Hook when trailing, Crates or Shockwave when leading. Context is everything.

Should I buy SR1 or SR2? SR2 has crossplay, more players per lobby and upgraded netcode. SR1 has the Workshop and the established competitive scene, and is cheap. Steam sells them together in a bundle as well. SR1 is also the safer pick on older hardware.

Why does the Golden Hook sometimes miss? It only grabs an opponent in front of you, and it can be dodged, blocked by a crate or destroyed by a Shockwave. Fire it when the leader is committed to a jump or swing.

What are the curated maps and why do they matter? They're a KOSTV-maintained list of Workshop maps allowed in ranked lobbies and tournaments. The list is re-surveyed about every six months, so check the latest Steam announcement before practising.

Sources

• SpeedRunners on Steam
• SpeedRunners Steam news (KOSTV and SR2 announcements)
• SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed on Steam
• SpeedRunners Wiki: Pickups
• SpeedRunners Wiki: Tips
• SpeedRunners Steam achievements
• SpeedRunners on Wikipedia