Speedrunning Rabbit Holes for every media enjoyer
You know that moment when you watch a game-breaking glitch or a mind-bending world record and suddenly feel like you’ve unlocked a secret world? Welcome to speedrunning, where gamers don’t just play the game, they demolish it, sometimes backwards, blindfolded, and with the most skill and dedication you’ve ever seen.
Now, not all of us are built for this life (myself included). If you’re more partial to just watching the Queen's Gambit rather than learning chess itself, you might want to get on the thriving web of speedrunning-focused videos out there. And the best thing is, there's something for everyone! Pick the vibe that fits you best, grab your favourite snack, and let's find your perfect YouTube rabbit hole.
World Record Chronicles: The Epic Sagas
For lore lovers, sports documentary junkies, and anyone who cried at the ending of Haikyuu!!.
You're the friend who falls down Wikipedia rabbit holes and watches "The Entire History of the Roman Empire" at 2 AM for fun. If you love epic stories about perseverance, heartbreak, and saving literal milliseconds, this is your home base. If this sounds like you, you’re gonna love the deep dives from creators like Summoning Salt and Karl Jobst. These aren't just gaming videos, they're full-blown Shonen anime arcs, but where the final boss is the 0.01 seconds before breaking a minute barrier instead of ninjas.
You'll follow players spending literal years shaving off fractions of seconds, rivalries that feel straight out of My Hero Academia, and comeback stories so intense you'd think they were scripted (they’re not). Every small triumph feels like a final boss battle, and every new record broken feels like watching Deku finally land One For All at 100%.
Perfect if you want to binge playlists and suddenly know more about the history of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! than you do about your own high school years.
Speedrunning Drama and Cheating Exposés: The Spicy Side of Gaming
(Example Creators: Karl Jobst, Apollo Legend archives)
Look, we all love a little bit of mess sometimes. If you are the friend who immediately joins the group chat when the words "drama" or "exposé" are mentioned, welcome to your favourite part of speedrunning.
Behind the frame-perfect jumps and wholesome marathons, the speedrunning community also has its share of scandals. Cheating allegations, leaderboard controversies, fake emulator runs, full YouTube documentaries breaking it all down — and yes, the drama is delicious. Channels like Karl Jobst serve piping hot tea with a side of forensic video analysis, breaking down who cheated, how they got caught, and the impact it had.
It is basically Gossip Girl, but instead of designer headbands, people are manipulating Mario's velocity vectors. You will gasp. You will pick sides. You will absolutely binge three exposés in a row without meaning to. Speedrunning is way more than just going fast. It is creative, chaotic, emotional, and yes, sometimes ridiculously petty.
Glitch Hunters and Game Scientists: The Wizards Behind the Curtain
For tech geeks, curious minds, and those who love figuring out how things break and why.
(Example Creators: EZScape, Boundary Break)
Were you that kid who pushed every button on the school elevator just to see what would happen? Glitch hunters have this same energy.
Glitch hunters are like chaotic engineers, ripping apart games and discovering ways to warp across maps, duplicate items, or crash the final boss just by looking at him funny. Channels like EZScape and Looygi Bros break down exactly how players find these glitches, using a mix of code analysis, hardware tricks, and sheer stubbornness. Other series like Boundary Break or Tetrabit’s Unused Content deep dives have you madly interested in that one random texture hiding out in the game code. If you love breaking things down to their core, with a dash of interest in programming, computers, or just weird shit that happens when you mess with games, this is your rabbit hole to travel down. Expect lots of explanations about memory values, inputs per frame, and why sometimes walking into a wall for three minutes straight is actually a genius move.
Meme Runs and Challenge Modes: Embrace the Chaos
For fans of absurd challenges, chaos, and watching someone beat a game with ridiculous limitations just for the fun of it.
(Example Creators: PointCrow, SmallAnt)
Sometimes you do not want to watch someone beat a game the fastest way possible. Sometimes you want to see someone beat Breath of the Wild using only a ladle. Or finish Skyrim by running backwards the entire time. If that sounds like your brand of nonsense, welcome to the meme runs.
Creators like PointCrow and SmallAnt specialise in challenge content that takes the structure of speedrunning and flips it upside down, sideways, and sometimes inside out. It is gaming, but with the chaotic spirit of a Mario Party minigame where everything has gone horribly wrong.
Think of it as the Spy x Family of speedrunning content. Wholesome, ridiculous, clever, and filled with "there's no way he pulls this off" energy. Ideal for anyone who loves a good laugh and wants to watch talented players suffer for our entertainment.
Live Events and Marathons: The Infectious Energy of a Crowd
For those who thrive on live energy, community vibes, and watching epic stunts unfold for a good cause.
(Example Creators: GDQ, ESA)
Speedrunning is amazing alone, but when you put it on a stage with a live audience, it hits completely differently. Events like Games Done Quick (GDQ) and ESA are like the Dreamhack of speedrunning, but instead of finals for your favourite PVP games, you get world record attempts, team relays, and couch commentators hyping up every near-impossible trick. You feel the real highs and lows of live speedrunning, the stakes are high, and missing a trick doesn’t just mean you reset and move on. It's also great for beginners to each game to watch- the commentary helps explain what all the tricks are and why the whole crowd is cheering so hard.
Even better, these marathons raise millions of dollars for charity, so every time you get emotional watching someone nail a pixel-perfect skip, you are also helping a good cause. It is like crying during a Kingdom Hearts cutscene, but your tears are saving lives.
Perfect if you love seeing communities come together, cheering wildly for frame saves, and hearing wholesome stories about the first games people ever fell in love with.
Tutorials and Starter Packs: Your First Steps
For those who love step-by-step guides, mastering the basics, and feeling the sweet satisfaction of leveling up their skills.
(Example Creators: 360Chrism, Shift)
If you are the friend who reads every tutorial before even opening a game, you are going to thrive here. Tutorial channels are perfect for players who want to move from "watching speedruns" to "accidentally becoming a speedrunner."
Creators like 360Chrism and Shift are masters at breaking down games into manageable chunks, teaching you how to learn tricks, memorise routes, and start setting your own personal best times. They are the Professor Oaks of speedrunning, handing you your first Pokédex and sending you out into the wild. Even if you start small, like learning a "beginner any% route" in a game you already love, it is wildly satisfying. Trust me, there is no feeling quite like hitting your first sub-hour time in a game you used to think was impossible.
Speedrunning is way more than just going fast. It is creative, chaotic, emotional, and yes, sometimes ridiculously petty. Whatever you are into: lore dives, meme chaos, glitch science, or gossip so intense it deserves its own anime filler arc, there is a place for you here.
Pick your vibe. Hit play. Welcome to the best hobby you never saw coming.
Written by Madi Laffan
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