99% and 100% Guide by CptPorky, Aurorious and CovertMuffin

Original notes for 99% and route were developed by CptPorky; various optimizations and updates by him as well as Aurorious and myself. Aurorius updated the 99% notes and I wrote an abridged version of 100% notes for myself while learning the category. Links here:

99% Notes by CptPorky and updated by Aurorious:
https://pastebin.com/QPJqM2x6

100% Abridged Notes by CovertMuffin:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJhbKq0izoeINlZQ4lpXlgH9sxOT0QqT0_nE4FUKs9s/edit?usp=sharing

HLD Discord:
https://discord.gg/qWeRqFZ

All Modules Route

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YV0W4fJ-kEvNENk_bQ5la7QGnR-9rd7fMJctpma5Rq0/edit?usp=sharing

Any% NMG Strat Guide

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19jUhOhja-V9sEgDT2d_p_umH47OZwZD4obhlFPnUTes/edit?usp=sharing

Downloading other versions of the game through steam

In general you just need to follow through the guide linked below, but to save you time I've already located the proper IDs to download the version of the game you may want for speedrunning. This means you can safetly ignore steps 1-4.

Guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/611h5e/guide_how_to_download_older_versions_of_a_game_on/

General App ID and Depot ID for HLD:
App ID: 257850
Depot ID: 257851

4/1 Patch Console Command:
download_depot 257850 257851 6581810038893780372

10/27  Patch Console Command:
download_depot 257850 257851 2399266238090370119

5/18 Patch Console Command: 
download_depot 257850 257851 6581810038893780372

For the case of Hyper Light Drifter, you shouldn't have to replace the files found in your game folder with the newly downloaded files. The folder with all the files you downloaded should have an exe to launch the game, so you can just move the newly downloaded folder somewhere else on your computer and make note of it for later use. 

As a side note, there is a small chance the 3rd ID located in any of the three console commands is for the wrong patch, if that's the case PLEASE tell me and I'll try to fix it. Also if you have any questions feel free to ask me on discord because this is a really rough guide that I just wanted to get out there in case anyone wanted to run any% on 10/27 or any different patch categories. Thanks.

Glitch/Trick Glossary [2025 Updated Version]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hOHW4Ca0IjQ7104h5vx2U0DB2tbTFbCf0iW2a4muiSs/edit?usp=sharing

Glossary of Glitches and Techniques

**Cutscene skips**
To skip the intro cutscene, either press ABXY+LT+RT on gamepad, or write /skip on PC.
Pillar activation cutscenes and module activation cutscenes can be cut short by teleporting away.
The cutscenes where the shadow attacks you, which occur upon opening the 4th module, can be skipped by quitting and reloading as soon as the auto-save icon appears. Be quick, though, doing it too slow can softlock your game or make annoying music play forever.


**Barrier Clip**
Several fights in the game spawn barriers that are supposed to trap you. Dashing into one of these barriers as it's forming gets you caught inside of its collision. While inside any collision, you're freely able to move out of bounds anywhere you want. Once you touch ground without collision, this effect stops. You will still fall down pits.

*Applications:*
West: To the right of the teleporter, the second module can be reached with a barrier clip.
North: The second module, on the left side of the mountain, is reached with a barrier clip. [(Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NS17j82vlo) (Works on versions 1.1 and earlier)
South: Using a barrier clip, the 1-module door on the right side can be entered from behind.


**Crystal Clip**
The crystals in the west can lock you in place if they spawn on top of you. If they manage to catch you during a bonk animation, the game seems to forget your height. In this state, sitting down causes you to fall through the floor. If you can fall through the floor while the crystal respawns back on top of you, you can get caught in its collision, and go out of bounds, as above.

To activate the glitch, destroy a crystal, then start chain dashing as soon as it starts to flicker for respawns. You should get caught bonking. From there, break out of the crystal, then either step off it for a split second before sitting down, or dash drop off it (see below).

*Applications:*
At the crossroad, before the Anubis cutscene, either of the crystals on the top side can be used to go OOB to the north, and enter the back side of the area. This way you can reach the west pillar without fighting Greybeard.
The first elevator can be skipped by instead crystal clipping at the bottom-left of the screen. [(Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dDgQxmBBJ0)



**Low-height Clip**
A variant of the crystal clip. To set up low-height, first let a crystal interrupt your bonk animation, then break it again, and let it interrupt your falling animation from sitting (don't dash-drop). This disjoints your position and allows you to dash through most obstacles. Falling down a pit resets your low-height. 
[NOTE: As of the 4/6 beta patch, this no longer works. You can setup low height on crystal bugs, but it's very inconsistent.]

*Applications:*
The second west module can be reached easier by going low-height and passing through the area.
The area with the fourth module can be passed through much faster with low-height. Be careful not to fall in any pits.


**Dash Dropping**
Stand at a ledge, then input dash+sit. You will plummet off the edge. What makes this useful is that your pathing is considered normal in this state, which allows you to hit loading zones, trigger buttons, and perhaps activate elevators, etc. 

*Applications:*
North: On the right side of the 10-key door building, there's a small hole you can dash drop off into the room. It contains 2 gearbits. [(Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D2hjI2vFHk) (Works on versions 1.1 and earlier)
South: After the second module, the door guarded by 2 robots can be dash dropped into from the side. [(Video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY8h9sfmGoE)


**Door Clipping**
On some doors in the game, it is possible to clip into the walls as soon as they open, by walking into the door and quickly moving to the side. This only works on the vertical doors.

*Applications:*
Skipping the cut scene after exiting the house at the start of the game, and going straight north.
[(Video)](https://gfycat.com/WholeVerifiableCow)


**Air Dashing (or Damage Boosting)**
By taking damage in mid-air, your dash can be reset, allowing you to dash twice to cover large distances over pits.

*Applications:*
East: Left of the door to Frogger, the ninja frog can be manipulated to allow an air dash to the other side, skipping Frogger completely.


**Plinking**
Probably not a glitch, but very useful. Most gun shots can be cancelled into a sword slash. Most enemies can be very quickly killed by plinking a pistol shot into a slash.
The final boss is especially vulnerable to plink-swapping: plink with the shotgun, swap guns, plink with pistol, swap guns, etc.

How to patch the game (PC) [Obsolete]

Step 1: Download the xdPatcher and the patch that you would like from the resources page.

Step 2: Extract both and put them in a folder on your desktop.
-
https://i.gyazo.com/57a4d8dcedc3cc2d1861cd5d0437f5ca.png
-

Step 3: Open xdPatcher and click on "browse" for the first box. Select the patch folder that you downloaded from the resources page. It should end with .xdpatch

Step 3: Click on "browse" for the second box. This is your Hyper Light Drifter game files in the Steam directory.
It should look like this:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\HyperLightDrifter
OR
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\HyperLightDrifter

Step 4: Click on "browse" for the second box. This is where a patch folder will be saved to. Just select your desktop and click "OK".

Step 5: If everything looks kind of like this:
-
https://i.gyazo.com/cf75332627feb82813cf5c0cdbf1a2c6.png
-
then you can click "Apply Patch"

Step 6: Wait for the green bar at the bottom to fill up. This means that your precious patch is working!

Step 7: Once the patch is done, you can open up the new file on your desktop and launch the application inside.

Step 8: Have fun with ninjas.

Hyper Light Drifter Fully Loaded Boss Rush Speedrun Tutorial by Aurorious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwr0XS_y_sE

Monolith Room Early (MRE) Cutscene Skip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ6oe77t6qQ

NG No Major Glitches Beginners' Tutorial

Guide is featured in a multitude of videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH50Ff3OqAXE--GZinep8HawMlBHiTaRk

NOTE: As of late 2022, current patch makes a number of routing/tech things in this guide impossible; as such it is advised to back patch to [7-21-2017] through the Steam Betas menu (see second video if unsure how).

Routing Notes (4/1 Patch) [Obsolete]

Current as of 4/6/2016 on the 4/1 Patch ("Speedy Patch")
The route changes a lot. This guide will updated whenever possible with new route changes.
To stay 100% up to date with tech and route developments, join the discord at: https://discordapp.com/invite/0vKmxURBYArSeVFO

Credit for Notes goes to Discord User falky (Source: http://pastebin.com/tkZXAi65)

HLD NOTES

North
------
DOOR SKIP FROM HOME
INVISIBLE BRIDGE FOR 1ST BIT
2ND BIT ON BROKEN STAIRS
OOB FOR 2 BITS IN KEY DOOR
1ST FRAGMENT SW OF DOG ROOM OUTSIDE
1 BIT IN KEY ROOM
KEY
1 BIT IN THE HAY WHATSUP BIRD GAUNTLET
1 BIT IN AREA BEFORE OOB CLIP TO THE RIGHT NEAR TUTORIAL ENTRANCE
1 BIT BEFORE OOB TO THE RIGHT
OOB FRAGMENT
EASY FRAGMENT
FRAGMENT / 1 BIT IN GAUNTLET ROOM
3 FROM BOSS
ACTIVATE PILLAR
WARP HOME
N AREA COMPLETE

East
------
GET UPGRADE
GO EAST
E AREA BEELINE TO 1ST FRAGMENT EN ROUTE TO WAYPOINT
E OF WAYPOINT SE ENTRANCE DUNGEON
2ND FRAGMENT AFTER GAUNTLET ROOM N INSIDE DUNGEON
EXIT UNDER
GAUNTLET ROOM TO KEY DOOR
3RD FRAGMENT IN KEYROOM
EXIT NORTH OF GAUNTLET ROOM
BAIT SHURIKEN FROG TO SKIP GAUNTLET ROOM
FROGGERSKIP (PRAY)
GET FRAGMENT (QUIT AND CONTINUE), SHOTGUN, PILLAR AND TELPORT OUT.
E AREA COMPLETE

West
------
GO WEST
1ST FRAGMENT SW OF BRIDGE
GO VIA HIDDEN PATH, DROP GLITCH TO AREA BEFORE WAYPOINT
2ND FRAGMENT E OF WAYPOINT AREA SE MODULE
WAYPOINT, ACTIVATE
N OF WAYPOINT
LOW HEIGHT GLITCH TO W ELEVATOR
3RD FRAGMENT - LOW HEIGHT GLITCH TO FRAGMENT
BACKTRACK TO W ELEVATOR FROM N OF WAYPOINT ELEVATOR
BOSS SKIP
ACTIVATE PILLAR, TELEPORT TO WEST MODULE
4TH FRAGMENT SE OF WAYPOINT IN DOGLAND, TELEPORT HOME
WEST AREA COMPLETE

South
------
GO SOUTH
ACTIVATE WAYPOINT
NE ENTRANCE TO DUNGEON
CLIP INTO FRAGMENT DOOR
1ST FRAGMENT PAST INVISIBLE PLATFORM NEXT TO SHOOTY MCPILLAR (WEST)
SKIP MOST THE ROOM, JUMP FROM INVIS PLATFORM TO THE SWITCH
2ND FRAGMENT BEHIND NE DOOR
ENTER NW DOOR
BOSS FIGHT
ACTIVATE PILLAR, TELEPORT
SW HIDDEN AREA
3RD FRAGMENT, TELEPORT
W ENTRANCE
4TH FRAGMENT BEHIND 1 FRAGMENT DOOR (QUIT + CONTINUE), TELEPORT HOME
FIGHT THE BOSS CHAMP

Setting up the load remover & autosplitter

To enable the load remover in LiveSplit, the game name must be exactly 'Hyper Light Drifter'. It should then give an option to activate the load remover, and settings to enable various autosplits.

After the load remover is activated, we still need to make sure the displayed timer is using it. Right-click on LiveSplit and under 'Compare Against', select 'Game Time'. Alternatively, you can directly change the comparison method of a specific timer to 'Game Time' in the layout settings. This is useful if you want seperate timers for RTA and loadless time.

The Any% NMG splits for download already have all the autosplits configured, but for running other categories you'll need to set them up yourself.

Name	Autor
99% and 100% Guide by CptPorky, Aurorious and CovertMuffin	CovertMuffin 8 years ago
All Modules Route	SpringSylvi 7 years ago
Any% NMG Strat Guide	SpringSylvi 5 years ago
Downloading other versions of the game through steam	Fir 8 years ago
Glitch/Trick Glossary [2025 Updated Version]	SpringSylvi 8 months ago
Glossary of Glitches and Techniques	Onin 10 years ago
How to patch the game (PC) [Obsolete]	yharna 3 years ago
Hyper Light Drifter Fully Loaded Boss Rush Speedrun Tutorial by Aurorious	st4rwave 9 years ago
Monolith Room Early (MRE) Cutscene Skip	oxbox 10 years ago
NG No Major Glitches Beginners' Tutorial	CovertMuffin 3 years ago
Routing Notes (4/1 Patch) [Obsolete]	iGGyyy 3 years ago
Setting up the load remover & autosplitter	SpringSylvi 6 years ago
Toad Skip Zip Tutorial	SpringSylvi 3 years ago