The second Sackboy Knit-Speedrun Challenge is a wrap. Glitchy, Clutz405, and Kzngist came out on top as the best Swing Theory grapplers in the game. July pushed the community to improve their fastest routes run after run. In an effort to extend this learning to the Competition Center, we picked the brains of notable leaderboard players Clutz405, Mike Da Ike, palma3D and dark_horizon706 for tips on how to maximize your own experience before the third Knit-Speedrun Challenge begins in September.
Watch others play
The first lesson of how to become a good speedrunner – watch the best speedrunners play. In our interviews with CookiestMonster and Glitchy, the May challenge winners both stressed the importance of studying successful runs to trim seconds off their trials. Clutz405, one of July's top players, learned this advice after struggling to improve in last month’s challenge:
“I did a few runs of (Square-Route) on my own, got above the 50% mark on the leaderboard, and can remember thinking, "how the heck is everyone else getting those better times." It just didn't seem possible. So that's when I started searching YouTube for people who had uploaded videos of their runs so I can see how they did it.”
Network with the community
Join the community on platforms like Discord. Many of the Competition Center players cited CookiestMonster’s server as one of the top resources for Little Big Planet and Sackboy: A Big Adventure speedrunners.
“With everyone's help [on Cookiest’s server], I was able to get into the Top 5% in about a week and a half,” Clutz405 said. “Normally I would have just stopped there. But this time I was a part of a community. I enjoyed chatting with them and coming up with different ideas and theories on how to improve the time.”
Mike Da Ike added that website-based communities also provide compelling resources such as videos and leaderboards to help players get better. “Speedrun.com is a great site for making your runs public. You can even find people to learn from,” he said.
Get good at rolls and timing
Every game features unique mechanics that set apart casual runners from record breakers. In Sackboy, the basics involve rolls.
“Mastering a way to move fast and evade enemies [by] rolling is the clear best start for SABA speedrunning,” Dark_horizon706 said. “Spinning in mid-air and rolling at the same jump to the goal can save a bit of time.”
That execution requires concentration.
“Sometimes a level gets more optimized, which [uncovers] new ways to save time, meaning you have to practice that thing,” said palma3D.
These things range from simple tactics like when to go for clocks or tricky maneuvers such as perfectly timed jumps.
Rinse, wash, and repeat your moves
This is the core of all speedrunning. Repeat your runs until you can perform every jump, roll, and dive without hesitation. In other words, muscle memory. The real achievements happen after you learn how to speedrun with as little strain as possible.
Apps like Livepslit take the effort out of recording your times, so you can focus on where or how to improve. Livesplit conveniently breaks down times by level. Look for a list of numbers on speedrunners’ streams. White numbers show their current time, while green numbers indicate new personal bests for specific areas. The streamer might restart if you see a few red numbers. Red times mean the player is behind their best pace.
Create a routine
Next, you should focus on how to play more efficiently. Creating a solid routine is a part of any skill-based hobby. Too much downtime will weaken your muscle memory. Schedule practice time around everything else you need to do in life first. Palma3D and Dark_horizon706 gave a rough estimate of about “4-8 hours a week.”
Lean into happy accidents (aka glitches)
Like a Bob Ross special, the art of speedrunning can be in the “happy accidents.” Glitches come through exploration and pushing the edges of the game itself. Clutz450 said finding something you didn’t think was possible can be the best part of your run:
"I kept grinding and getting better and during a few of my runs I noticed a weird glitch where I would get shot up really high in the air. I had no idea how I did it and neither did anyone else. But somehow, I was able to do that glitch accidentally more often than anyone else. So [at that point] I had a new mission, which was to understand how this glitch happens and how to use it effectively to save time.”
Think outside the box
If you’re not finding any happy accidents, think outside of the box. Test different routes and wacky options like Clutz450. Your discovery might become the optimal option.
“When you first look at the course, you can see the normal way the creators intended you to complete it,” said Clutz450. “But after a while you can start seeing sections that can possibly be skipped...Trying to be creative with shaving off some time in a particular section is how I accidentally stumbled onto that ‘super fling’ glitch.”
Take a break
Take care of your mental health. High pressure skill-building can lead to stress and burnout, then negatively affect your daily life. If you’re repeating levels without progress, it’s okay to step away from Sackboy to reset your brain. Balance is the key to success.
“It’s important to remember to make sure you don’t stress yourself out too much over speedrunning,” said Mike Da Ike. “Try to take breaks when you’re annoyed, but come back after a while [so you] don’t lose touch and fall out of shape.”
Acknowledge the difficult parts
Speedrunning isn’t easy. Breaks can help you get into a better mindset, but the game’s difficulty remains consistent. Dark_horizon706 said the pressure from “hitting a roadblock and trying to find a way out fast” is hard for speedrunners who want to be the quickest in the game.
Palma3D said the result is worth the struggle: “I sometimes get nervous at the last second and then die because of it, but I think to myself that if I overcome it, I can get a world record!”
Just take the leap
Sackboy is recommended for first time speedrunners because of accessible controls, level design, and mechanics. Most of the top July players were actually beginners.
“Sackboy: A Big Adventure is pretty much the game I started speedrunning,” said palma3D. “I especially got into speedrunning this game because of the brand new [Competition Center] tournament.”
TLDR; Just take the leap and see how far your rolls and spins take you!
Make sure to follow our leaderboard players Clutz450, Mike Da Ike, Palma3D and dark_horizon706 to see how they tackle the hard stuff before you jump into the third Sackboy Knit-Run challenge in September.