Only Up Speed Run Strategies and World Record, Explained

Even with incredibly hard games, some players will always challenge themselves even more. This is the case for Only Up! and its mind-bending platforming, with plenty of players turning an hour-long journey into minutes of gameplay. Learning all the tricks used by speedrunners is vital to completing the game in record time, but many normal players can use them as well for an easier time overall. That’s why everyone should learn about the strategies and techniques used to speed through Only Up!

Strategies and Tricks Used to Speed Run Only Up!

Only Up! is a physics-based game, and many players use those physics to their advantage. The website speedrun.com details a few glitches in the game’s engine that players can use to boost themselves up. This includes a “roll” glitch where you roll off of an elevated platform and rapidly press the jump button to shoot yourself into the sky. The roll glitch is the fastest and easiest way to beat the game, allowing you to get to the end in under two minutes if performed correctly.

If you prefer a more legitimate run, the main methods used by runners involve launching yourself up using moving objects. This includes a launch using an early windmill and a launch near the end using the wings of a flying drake. The drake launch is currently being questioned by speedrun.com, so be aware of that if you decide to use that trick on glitchless runs.

Related: Is Only Up Coming to Consoles? PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Switch Release Dates Explained

Current World Record Times for Only Up!

Even now, Only Up! is constantly receiving updated world record times from speedrunners. As of June 26, 2023, the record for a glitchless run is just over 20 minutes and 30 seconds while an unrestricted run is just over a minute and a half. There are also “bedless” runs where players go through Only Up! without use of a bed to spring up from. The records on these are just under 44 minutes for an unrestricted run and just under 52 minutes for a run without any major skips.

As the game has only just released, time will likely change these records and categories before long. The game has already received updates for the sake of balance, and new runs are being submitted for Only Up! on a daily basis. New techniques might be discovered while well-known tricks become obsolete, so keep a close eye on this title’s speedrunning community!