Speedrun Route Planning

A DERELIKT speedrun is less about twitchy movement and more about controlling conversation time, elevator gates, and the slow dread of a short narrative FPS. That matters because the game’s pacing is built around atmosphere, and every dialogue branch you trigger can cost seconds before the action even starts. If you want a repeatable DERELIKT speedrun before launch, treat the demo as a route lab: map choices, split scenes, and record every attempt the same way.

The game is single-player only, with branching dialogue trees and a PS1-style horror presentation. No in-game timer or official leaderboard is documented, so your proof has to come from an external timer and recorded video. That setup sounds simple, but it changes how you practice. You are not chasing a built-in medal; you are building a route that another runner can compare, category by category.

Plan Around the Demo Before Launch

The free demo released on October 8, 2026 as a standalone Steam app. The full game arrives on November 13, 2026 on Steam, GOG, and Epic. Those are different products, so do not treat demo times as launch records. Use the demo to learn dialogue costs and checkpoint discipline; rebuild from scratch when the full story arrives.

A DERELIKT speedrun route built in the demo should be labeled as a demo route from the first practice session. Write the date, build, storefront, input method, and language in every note. That sounds like paperwork, but it prevents a messy comparison later. When the full game lands, you will already know which times came from the free demo and which came from the retail release.

Every DERELIKT speedrun route also needs a category label before you optimize anything. “Demo, keyboard, English, Steam” is a useful category. “Fast run” is not. The narrower label keeps your practice focused and makes your notes useful to anyone who wants to repeat the attempt.

Treat Dialogue Trees as Timed Obstacles

Branching dialogue trees are a real time cost, not background flavor. Use the branching dialogue trees as a route problem: find the reply that moves each scene forward, then write down the order that gets you back to gameplay fastest. Do not memorize the whole script. Memorize the decision points.

• Find the reply that advances each scene.
• Mark branches that only add lines.
• Time from the first prompt to the moment you can act again.
• Repeat the same exchange until the time is stable.
• Note any branch that changes the next room state.

Do not spend early practice hunting for dialogue skips that may not exist. Build a clean, repeatable conversation path first. Once dialogue time is a known number, the rest of the run becomes comparable between attempts. That is the real start of a DERELIKT speedrun practice loop.

Split the Run by Beats, Not by End Time

A single end-of-run number hides too much in a short narrative FPS. Build splits around the game’s natural beats: the descent, the security weapon handoff, and door or elevator gates. These checkpoints are stable enough to measure, and they show where you actually lose seconds. A DERELIKT speedrun that uses one end timer will tell you a run was slow; a segmented run tells you why.

• Use the same split names every session.
• Start and stop on visible scene transitions.
• Write failed attempts into the same sheet.
• Compare only runs from the same build.

A DERELIKT speedrun that uses consistent split names is easier to improve because you can compare like with like. If one attempt loses five seconds at the weapon handoff, that is a concrete problem. If the whole run is twenty seconds slower, you have to guess. Segment times remove the guesswork.

Lock the Build and Separate Input Categories

Lock your build and write it down. Controller and keyboard runs should stay separate, because input method changes movement and menu speed. The demo lists English as its only interface, audio, and subtitle language, so cross-language timing is not meaningful yet. A DERELIKT speedrun result without build notes is a story, not a comparable time.

Keep controller and keyboard attempts in separate sheets even if you play both. Mixing them creates false progress. You might think a route improved when the real change was your input method. Separate categories keep the signal clean.

Set Up External Timing and Proof

Because no official timing tool is documented, external timing is the practical standard. Use a split timer and record video that shows both gameplay and the timer in the same frame. A live overlay captured during the run is stronger than a stopwatch added during editing.

• Capture the timer in the same frame as gameplay.
• Start recording before the first dialogue prompt.
• Keep raw footage, not only edited clips.
• Record build, date, platform, storefront, input, and language.
• Ignore joke system requirements when choosing practice hardware.

The store listings show joke system requirements, so do not use them as real hardware guidance. The standard is not perfection; it is repeatability. If another runner can see your timer, build, and route choices, they can attempt the same category. That is enough to start a useful scene.

Prepare for the November 13 Route Reset

When the full game launches, story content beyond the demo creates new splits. Demo runs and full-game runs should never share a board. Rebuild after launch, then keep demo categories clearly labeled if you still practice them. A DERELIKT speedrun scene needs clean categories more than it needs a crowded leaderboard.

Until then, no verified DERELIKT speedrun record is publicly documented as of November 10, 2026. Publish splits with dates and build notes; that is the baseline a scene can compare. Do not wait for an official board to begin practicing. The demo is available now, and the habits you build will carry into launch week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a verified DERELIKT speedrun record yet?
No verified record is publicly documented as of November 10, 2026. With no official leaderboard or in-game timer documented, treat any time as a personal claim until it includes video proof, build details, and a date.

Can you practice a DERELIKT speedrun in the demo?
Yes. The demo is a free standalone Steam app released on October 8, 2026, and it is short enough for repeat attempts. Time it externally and keep demo results separate from launch-version runs.

Does DERELIKT have a dash mechanic for faster movement?
No dash mechanic is documented. Plan around dialogue and route knowledge instead of assuming a movement burst exists.

When should you rebuild a DERELIKT speedrun route?
After November 13, 2026, when the full game launches on Steam, GOG, and Epic. New story content means new splits, and demo routes should be retired or moved to a clearly separate demo category.