Thanks for the raw video. I checked it out and got the same results as before. Starts with the transition for 2 frames on the recording (frames 0 and 1) and then the level starts on the third frame (frame 2). Player overlaps ending 15 seconds and 38 frames into the video (frame 938). Total time is (938 - 2) / 60 = 15.6s

I think what's happened here to get 937 frames total is the 60FPS causing some confusion. Recording the game at 60FPS will capture every game frame twice. You've marked the end as the frame right before the end transition appears (frame 939), whereas I've used the frame the player first overlapped the finish (frame 938). These are the same frame in the game, but have been recorded twice due to 60FPS.

When the player first spawns (the frame you first see the level) is when the time starts. This is considered frame 0. This is how the Speedrun in-game timer works too and how the ILs have been timed. The frame before the level transitions (the last frame you see the level) is when the timer ends.

Your video starts on the pre-level message screen and it's there for only a frame (or maybe 2 if you're watching in 60FPS, I was only able to download the 30FPS version). The frame after that, frame 1, is when the timer begins. You then complete the level by overlapping the end green area 15 seconds and 19 frames into the video, the final frame of the video. This means the time for the run is 15s 19frames (end time) - 1frame (start time) giving us 15 seconds and 18 frames. We convert frames into milliseconds and we've got the 15.6s you see on the leaderboards.

Recordings above 30FPS are not factored into the timing and only help ensure no frames are missed by recording at a higher framerate than what the game runs.

You also had some concerns about hsblue's level 11 run. This one is a bit tricky. The video starts a frame late, which can be seen by the position of the player on the first frame in the video. This is why your timing found the run to be 1 frame faster than what it actually is.

There's also another issue with the video: the last frame of the level is missed. You can see the frame right before he touches the end goal, but not the frame where he is overlapping. I believe this is due to a desync between the recording and the game, as my copy of the video appears to be 29.97 FPS (although YouTube tells me it's running at 30). You can also see two blue dots on-top of the 'U' in 'HURRY' as evidence of recording artifacts. There's also a lot of duplicated frames and frame jumps in the run. You can see when it's 11.24 on the in-game timer it's there for 2 frames before going to 11.25. Might have made the run a frame slower on recording. Also goes from 11.00 on one frame to 11.02 on the next and 11.03 the one after, potentially 'catching up' to the game it's recording. Not sure about this one, just went off the in-game timer.

Yes what you see on the timer is frames and not milliseconds. I've added this explanation to the rules so hopefully more people see it

Had runs been submitted in the past that made use of the level select, they would not have been accepted. I've now put it in the rules that level select is not permitted. This makes the difference between versions minimal, and bans a major feature that never existed in the original game. If folks wish to do All Level runs that use the level select to save time on level transitions, then I wouldn't have a problem creating some sort of niche category to accommodate this.

Also, congratulations on your recent run! That was some very impressive movement, frighteningly good actually. Looks like big things are ahead if you keep up that level of play ?

Yes I do agree that the use of emulator settings or external software to influence the game's normal running state would clearly be deemed illegitimate, but where is this written rule? It comes down to a judgement call, much like how the use of the level select would also be judged and deemed illegitimate. Now, sure, there is a difference between these two examples: one modifies the conditions in which the game runs, and the other utilizes features in the game. The point I'm trying to make here is that neither scenario is covered under the current rules, so if you wanted to put these cases strictly against the written rules then I don't see why either of them should not be allowed. The use of macros/changing the default control scheme, something you feel should be banned, would also be permitted unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Is there anything wrong with simply banning the use of the level select? This would clearly eliminate all possible use of the level select and put Coolmathsgames on par with Snubbyland. I'm not sure if there's a governing body for speedrunning with a set of standardized categories and rules, but every game has their own variation and restrictions within categories. I don't see the harm in having a rule which is applicable to some versions of the game, and irrelevant to others.

Banning the level select leaves the only version difference being the tip screen. We're up against a spacebar press vs. a mouse click (or tab/space), and I don't think it's justified that such a minor difference would warrant the need to specify on which version the run was performed.

Using Flash settings / tampering with the external software that the game runs on is not prohibited if you go strictly by the rules of the category, or is this simply an unwritten rule for all speedruns / a global speedrun.com rule?

I don't believe we need to rename the category. The rules already do say that the time starts when you press 'Play Game'. It could be added to the rules that returning to the main menu will terminate the run, or just use of the level select is banned. I understand that an Any% category should just be get to the end of the game as fast as possible by whatever means necessary, but restrictions can be enforced similar to the Super Meat Boy Any%.

Here's a thought for the Snubbyland version. Would you consider it legal if I were to bind my spacebar to left click (or use the Windows mousekeys) and leave the cursor on the bottom half of the game screen, effectively allowing me to pass through the tip screens with a single keyboard press?

Oh lmao my bad. Yeah these deaths can be brutal, and they always seem to sneak up out of nowhere

Hey Hachimen,

Is this about the Speedrun version? We've had a little discussion on this in the past but I'd just like to expand on some things:

A concern of yours was the removal of the background music. I do not believe that removing the background music plays any role in giving the player an advantage. There are no audio cues in this game that would be hindered by having background music. The music may frustrate a player, but they can always mute their game.

You noted that lack of WASD controls. These have now been added.

Another point was the lack of nostalgia for Coolmaths version. The differences we have between Coolmaths and Snubby are: No ArmourGames intro, text on bottom of screen changed/removed, main menu buttons changed/removed, level select, can use spacebar to proceed through tip screens, final win screen altered, and pre-level screen text has been changed (believe level 5 is the only one. "This one is easier than your mother" changed to "mwhahaha" most likely to make it more appropriate for a website that brands itself as a "brain-training site, for everyone, where logic & thinking & math meets fun & games"). Small changes but I can see the impact it has on nostalgia. If you were shown cropped footage of Coolmaths gameplay (no top and bottom black bars), I think the nostalgia level would be on a similar level, if not indistinguishable, to Snubbyland.

The Speedrun version was built off of Coolmaths and added a timer and practice hotkeys. I am happy to document the full process of taking the Snubbyland / Coolmaths game and modifying it to the Speedrun version. No discrepancies have been found between versions and I have been able to perform the same strats on Speedrun and Snubbyland with consistent results.

I can understand how you might feel uneasy and have concerns about runs being done on a modified version of the game, and how it may diminish the achievement of a run as it was not done on the true original release. The original is the original, and when you alter that you've got something different. The differences we've seen so far are just minor graphical (text changed, menu buttons) and functionality changes (spacebar through tip screen), however the core gameplay is consistent across all versions and I would be very surprised if there are any differences.

Welcome Hachimen! Great to see you here.

The rules do state that the run begins when the 'Play Game' button is pressed, although you could argue that one could return to the menu and use the level selector. It's also possible to beat Snubbyland version in just a few seconds as demonstrated by this gentleman:

I hope it is quite intuitive to folks that doing these things is not allowed for a valid run. Perhaps the rules need to be expanded to cover all these technicalities, or someone with greater knowledge on speedrun categories than myself can suggest a more appropriate category.

Also folks, I wouldn't recommend restarting your game entirely and having to endure a long intro every run. If that's your type of thing then maybe give something like Mario 64 a shot.

Hi folks,

I have made some changes to the Trainer version of the game. These changes removed the ability to noclip through enemies/walls, and also fixed up a few bugs. This version has been rebranded as the 'Speedrun' version and you can find a download to it in the Resources section. The Trainer version will still exist in the Resources should you wish to play it.

We also have the much requested Level Leaderboard. Here you can find and compete in runs for just a single level. For best results, please use the Speedrun version which includes an in-game timer.

The Speedrun version will also be acceptable for not only individual level submissions, but also the full game. You may find this a good alternative to the original game as the background music has been removed. If you do choose to use the Speedrun version for official submissions (which I would encourage due to the in-game timer), please refrain from using the level hotkeys as this will invalidate the run.

Oh, and we also have a new theme, hope you like it!

~Pzula

Hey @Jumpyluff , have you followed the instructions in the thread found here? https://www.speedrun.com/whg1/thread/vpz17 That should be all you need to run .swf files locally. Let me know if you have any issues with that method and what errors appear if any. Cheers

Hi folks,

There is a new misc category 'No Coin' found on the leaderboards. In this category, runners complete the entire game without collecting any coins. I have created a modified version of the game which removes all coins from the game. You can find this version in the Resources section in the sidebar. Please use this version to compete in the No Coin category. There are some levels (like 3, 26, and 30) where the start area is also the end. On these levels you will just complete the level instantly.

Thanks!

Hi folks,

In the Resources section, you will find some .swf files. The best way to open these files is to use the Adobe Flash Player Projector.

To obtain the Flash Player Projector, you can navigate to the Adobe link here https://web.archive.org/web/20190718193324/https://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/debug_downloads.html find your platform (Windows / Mac / Linux) and click Download the Flash Player projector

Once you have downloaded and opened this file, you will be able to go to File -> Open, and then navigate to the .swf file you wish to open.

I've also added the Windows version of the projector to the Resources section in case the Adobe site no longer works: https://www.speedrun.com/resourceasset/4kbj4

I'm not too familiar with ILs (Individual Levels, no?). There are a few levels in this game where you can only go so fast (like levels 1, 13, 19). I think it would be good to see, especially with the ease of the in game timer built into the trainer version, and would allow us to really see the upper limits of the game.

Run has been rejected. This is now a dispute thread for the 5:33 run in question

Hi folks,

After some further analysis, I had decided that the 5:33 run is too suspicious and cannot be accepted on the leaderboards. Please see my reasoning below.

MegaBenefactor257 is the user who recorded the 5:33 run. His YouTube channel name is MegaBenefactor257 and can be found here https://www.youtube.com/user/Gennady25n73/videos . He has 3 uploaded runs for The World's Hardest Game:

All recorded runs Run 1 February 27th, 2016 9:40 (13 deaths)

Run 2 February 27th, 2016 7:33 (4 deaths)

Run 3 March 24th, 2016 5:33 (0 deaths)

9:40 and 7:33 Runs Now as to why two runs were uploaded on the same day I do not know. His previous upload before those two runs happened almost two years ago when he uploaded some world's hardest game level editor in August of 2014. It is most likely that these runs were recorded on different days. The 9:40 run is also labelled as a walkthrough, whereas the 7:33 is labelled as a walkthrough / speedrun. Perhaps the 9:40 run was intended to show safer strategies which would allow new players to duplicate so they themselves can complete the game, but it does not explain the rookie deaths seen throughout the video.

7:33 to 5:33 in 1 Month To then go from a time of 7:33 to 5:33 in just under a month is an almost unimaginable feat. The contrast in play styles and strategy is just too great, most notably on levels 10, 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28. The routes used in those levels are tremendously difficult to execute and hard to believe that a person could learn and perform these in the one run in just under a month.

Erratic Mouse Movements Before beginning levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30, you are shown a 'tip' screen and required to press the 'GO' button to proceed. On the Coolmath version of the game you can simply press space to proceed, but MegaBenefactor257 appears to play the version hosted on snubbyland. In this version, you are required to click the 'GO' button with the mouse.

In the 5:33 run, the speed at which the mouse moves into frame, clicks the button, and then exits the frame is incredibly fast and suspicious. If you watch screens 5, 10, and 15, this entire sequence happens under the span of just 10 frames with inhuman movement. On levels 20, 25, and 30, the mouse appears much more human-like and does not resemble the extremely quick movements we have previously witnessed. After trying this myself it is possible to simulate the fast mouse movements as clicking anywhere in the bottom half of the screen will advance past the 'tip' screen, but it seems odd the player would go from these fast movements to then a much slower style.

Pre-game The 5:33 footage starts at the 'BEGIN' button screen which is only shown when you first load the game. This is just a small thing, but it is hard to believe that a player who is attempting such a challenging run with a high chance of needing to restart would load the entire game again only to watch an optional 15 second intro cutscreen. The player then hovers over each button on the main menu which is odd and is perhaps trying to give the impression that the run is legitimate.

No In-game Music The original audio of the gameplay has been replaced by a soundtrack. As a result, we cannot hear the game music or any effect sounds such as picking up a coin or completing a level. It is a shame as original audio would help in verifying the run.

The World's Hardest Game 2 Speedrun I'd also like to bring up the fact that MegaBenefactor257 had uploaded a 13:10 speedrun for The World's Hardest Game 2 on March 3rd, 2016. This occured inbetween his 7:33 and 5:33 WHG runs and only a few days after the 7:33 run. WHG2 has double the amount of levels as the original (60 levels), many of which are far more challenging than the original game. Not only does MegaBenefactor257 manage to complete all these levels, but he does it at incredible speed and precision and without a single death. The level of a control from his 7:33 run, and then to this WHG2 run just a few days later is surely impossible. There are also some very odd mouse movements in this run which suggest TAS / segmented footage. Just take a look at the mouse at 5:42 in the run here and watch levels like level 54 (11:55)

MegaBenefactor Speedruncom Account I also do not believe that the 5:33 run was submitted by MegaBenefactor257. This run was submitted by @MegaBenefactor. This account is just 6 days old. The location for this account is Wisconsin, USA. The linked YouTube account (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDxS4RkIp42QRGJKfNFNWsw) goes by the name of JG ULTIME, has videos uploaded in Spanish, and has the channel location as Spain. The MegaBenefactor257 YouTube channel has Russian titles. The JG ULTIME YouTube account was created on May 29th, 2016. The most recent upload to MegaBenefactor257 was on June 16th, 2016.

Verdict As it stands, I cannot accept the run as legitimate due to the issues presented. I must admit my initial approval of the run was a bit rushed and premature. You can see my original response and reasons for the approval below. This run will remain as suspicious and believed to be a TAS / segmented run. I will leave this thread open as a means of discussion on the run and for any players to dispute my decision. Again this is not an attempt to hold on to any records or exercise mod corruption; I am just trying to maintain the integrity of the leaderboards. If MegaBenefactor257 wishes to create an account and provides evidence of his ability to perform these maneuvers he is more than welcome to do so.

Thanks and have a great day,

~Pzula

Hi folks,

I've just uploaded a .zip file titled "World's Hardest Game Trainer" in the Resources section. This file contains an About.txt (a copy of which has been pasted below) and a modified version of the original flash game (.swf file).

This trainer is a modified version of the game which adds hotkeys to easily restart the current level, move back and forwards between levels, and displays an in-game timer to measure runs down to the frame. You can also hold the shift key to become invincible and clip through walls, so I wouldn't recommend using this version of the game for official runs, it is purely just a tool to make practice easier.

Initially I had bigger plans which I shared on these forums. These ideas included having shareable replays, inbuilt splits and onscreen keys, etc. I ran into some issues trying to get the necessary libraries to work, especially since this game was created using the now outdated ActionScript 2 language. I managed to modify the game by using a flash decompiler tool and writing my own code in there. It was a bit of a hack and I don't wish to develop this further as the whole process was quite limited and a bit dodgy, but we got some pretty good results.

That'll be all for now, cheers!

~Pzula

Copy of About.txt found in the .zip file:

**World's Hardest Game Trainer**
*by Pzula*

About: This is a tool designed to assist players in practicing The World's Hardest Game. It has a few features that allow you to practice as efficiently as possible and contains an inbuilt timer to measure gameplay down to the frame.

**Features:**
	Inbuilt game timer
	Replay level hotkey
	Go to next level hotkey
	Previous level hotkey
	Noclip hotkey

**Inbuilt Game Timer:**
	There are two timers displayed at the top left of the screen. The 'Total' timer displays the total time elapsed since the 'Play Game' button was pressed on the main menu. The 'Level' timer displays the total time elapsed for the current level (excludes the screens with text right before a level e.g. "You don't know what you're getting into" before level 1). These timers are in the format "MINUTES:SECONDS.FRAMES". The game runs at 30 frames per second, so the frames portion of the timer counts from 0 up to 29. Your total time and time for each level will be displayed after you defeat level 30. Known issue: These times will persist if you return to the main menu, but they will disappear if you press the 'Play Game' button.

**Replay Level Hotkey:**
	Pressing 'R' will immediately restart the current level. Pressing this hotkey will also revert your total time to the time when you first entered the level. This allows you to repeatedly restart levels without wasting any time; a great way to practice levels and record only your best attempts, therefore creating a very accurate sum of best run.

**Go to Next Level Hotkey:**
	Pressing 'F' will move you forward to the next level. Please note that the total timer may become inaccurate if you use this feature.

**Previous Level Hotkey:**
	Pressing 'D' will move you to the previous level. Please note that the total timer may become inaccurate if you use this feature.

**Noclip Hotkey:**
	Hold 'Shift' to active noclip. When the 'Shift' key is held, the player will can move beyond the bounds of the walls and pass through enemies without dying.

Changes from Original Game: Background music has been removed Level complete sound has been removed as it was buggy and very loud on later stages Main menu subheader text changed Inbuilt game timer added Player colour changed from red to yellow

Uploaded to resources just now

Hi folks,

I've just visited Coolmath Games and saw that they've completely replaced the game with this new HTML5 version.

Fortunately a few weeks ago I downloaded a copy of the .swf file. I've uploaded the file here where you can play it right in the browser (Not sure if it's a good website to host, it's just the first one I found). You can also download the .swf from the Resources section.

This is the same as the original game, but I've made one modification and it does not affect gameplay at all. The original game checked if the file was hosted on Coolmath Games, and if it wasn't it would display a screen prompting you to visit their website and you would be unable to play. This check and prompting screen have been removed, allowing us to play wherever the file is hosted. Besides from that it is the same as the original.

I originally downloaded the .swf to decompile it to take a look at the inner workings of the game. This has allowed me to understand how movement and collision works in great detail (although level 7 collisions are still a mystery, tests show collisions get weird when dots are moving quickly). Maybe we need a wiki to share this information along with strats etc.

I've been working on a modified version of the game created for practicing. It includes an inbuilt timer which measures the total run and individual levels down to the frame. It also has hotkeys for instantly restarting a level and going to the next/previous level (and I removed the background music). A neat feature is when you restart a level, your time is also rolled back to when you started that level. This allows you to get a very accurate "best possible run" using the strategies you know. I've been able to find some faster routes which I should record and share. I'll hopefully find some time to polish this and share it with you guys soon. Here's a screenshot

Have a great day and take care!

Pzula