Voidling Bound Speedrun Guide: Fastest Routes & Tips

Getting Started with Voidling Bound Speedrunning

Speedrunning Voidling Bound requires a deep understanding of its core mechanics and efficient routing. The game’s blend of third-person shooting and creature evolution offers unique opportunities for time saves. Before attempting any runs, ensure you have completed the main story at least once to unlock all areas and creature types.

Your primary goal is to minimize downtime. This means avoiding unnecessary battles, optimizing creature evolution paths, and mastering movement techniques. The standard Any% category focuses on reaching the final boss as quickly as possible, while 100% runs require collecting all creatures and upgrades.

Optimal Route and Pathing

The most efficient route for Any% speedruns follows a linear path through the first three biomes, with strategic detours for key upgrades. Start by heading directly to the Cryo Caverns to obtain the Frostling creature early. This creature’s freezing ability is essential for skipping several enemy encounters.

From the Cryo Caverns, proceed to the Magma Core. Here, you can evolve your Frostling into Glacialis, which provides a movement speed boost. Avoid the side tunnels unless you are collecting a mandatory key item. The Bioluminescent Depths is the final mandatory area before the boss rush. Use the environment to your advantage—dash through narrow corridors to avoid enemy detection.

1. Step 1: Acquire Frostling

   Head directly to Cryo Caverns. Ignore all optional creatures. This takes approximately 2 minutes with optimal movement.

2. Step 2: Evolve to Glacialis

   Collect the evolution shard from the Magma Core. This boosts your speed by 15%.

3. Step 3: Navigate Bioluminescent Depths

   Use Glacialis’s freeze to stun enemies in the narrow passages. Do not stop to fight.

4. Step 4: Boss Rush Sequence

   Execute the skip for the first two bosses (see Boss Strategies section).

Creature Evolution for Speed

Choosing the right creature evolution path is critical for saving time. While many creatures are viable, the Glacialis line is the most recommended for speedruns due to its passive movement buff and crowd control. Avoid investing in creatures that require long animation sequences, such as the Pyroclast.

A secondary creature, Void Hound, is useful for its dash attack that can break certain barriers. However, its evolution takes longer than Glacialis. Only invest in Void Hound if you are attempting a 100% run. For Any%, stick with a single creature and upgrade its speed-related abilities first.

Boss Strategies and Skips

Boss encounters are the biggest time sinks in Voidling Bound. Learning how to skip phases or outright skip bosses is essential. The first boss, The Warden, can be skipped entirely by using a precise wall jump to reach the exit platform before the fight triggers. This saves approximately 45 seconds.

The second boss, The Collector, has a phase skip. If you deal enough damage within the first 10 seconds, it will skip its summoning phase. Use your fully charged Glacialis freeze right as the fight begins. The final boss has no known skip, but you can optimize damage by using the environment’s explosive barrels.

Question: How do I skip The Warden? To skip The Warden, approach the arena from the left side. Jump onto the small pillar, then perform a wall jump to the right. You must land on the upper ledge before the boss’s health bar appears. Practice this in a separate save file.

Advanced Techniques and Tricks

Experienced speedrunners use several advanced techniques to shave off seconds. Dodge canceling allows you to interrupt the end lag of your dodge roll with a jump, maintaining momentum. Creature swapping can be done mid-air to extend your jump distance.

Another important trick is glide boosting. When using Glacialis’s glide ability, tap the sprint button repeatedly to gain a small speed increase each time. This is most effective on long straight sections. Finally, learn the exact locations of all mandatory key items. Memorizing these spawn points prevents wasted backtracking.