But what is a Speedrun?

A "Speedrun" is a way of playing video-games that involves completing the game as quickly as possibly, usually timing the completion time in the process. This can also be referred to as an "RTA", which stands of Real-Time Attack.

What actually is an RPG?

As many know, RPG stands for Role-Playing Game, a genre whose name has, since its origin, competed feverously for the title of most ambiguous designation ever. Commonly, an RPG is one that is associated with the mechanics of the famous tabletop-game Dungeons and Dragons - the player takes control of a character in a fictional setting, usually in a fantastical world, and makes choices that influence the story and their character's progession. Core elements often include character development (like classes and leveling up), managing equipment and skills, and a defined game world with a strong emphasis on the underlying narrative.

As years have passed and more games have been labelled as RPGs, the range of games has expanded uncontrollably, creating many sub-genres such as Action RPGs, Tactical RPGs and Turn-based RPGs. The latter is the genre that is usually thought of when RPGs are mentioned, but the true definition of an RPG is still a point of contention to this day.

How do I know if my game is an RPG?

If you intend to submit one of your speedruns, but your game is not unanimously thought of as an RPG, how do you know if you can submit your game to this RPG speedrun marathon? The RPGSU team has drafted a document to help answer this question. While our definition of RPG is not at all definitive, this document will reflect the way we will evaluate game submissions and make our picks. Should be noted that our accepted and rejected games might change across events.