Gunpoint(2013)

Any% (2.0) Route

Updated 2 years ago by Quivico

So you want to speedrun Gunpoint...

Any% (2.0)

Is the most popular category of the game, and the one recommended for new speedrunners. Though glitches do exist, this guide will not cover door clips or vault door clips. This guide will show a near-optimal route to completing the game as quickly as possible. A good goal to reach is completing the game using this route in under 10 minutes, counting time from the start of a new game to the fade to "GUNPOINT" after completing the final level and clicking "Continue".

The Basics

Gunpoint is a stealth puzzle-platformer indie game, created by Tom Francis and published by Suspicious Developments on June 3rd, 2013. The player controls the protagonist, Richard Conway, who is a private agent around the year 2032. Armed with handy gadgets, including the Crosslink, an app which allows the user to hack into electronic circuits, Conway jumps through windows and punches guards in the face, planning, striking, and panicking through a noir-inspired story.

One of the main design philosophies behind the game is predictability, which turns out to be very helpful for speedrunning. Movement is clean and simple, and an indicator makes calculating jumps very easy. Guards work on fixed AI, which can be learned, so one can control the actions of a guard from afar. And any time you fail being a master spy, as is common, a quicksave feature lets you strategize and try again. This feature is especially useful to new speedrunners.

As for movement options, Conway can walk normally, jump with the Hypertrousers, or climb/hang with the Gluon Gloves. Jumping, especially once upgraded, is the fastest method of movement. Charged (indicator is white) jumps are suggested wherever possible, especially when traveling horizontally. Jumping should also help avoid long and slow climbing sections.

Although the game only has 21 levels (though you can only play one out of The Truth/The Killer), the speedrun uses the two given level skips to bypass The Prototype and The Truth, playing through 18 levels. The back-to-back introduction segments are also skipped for free.

For the purposes of this guide, when a form of movement is not specified, run. This will be for short distances where usually quicker jumps end up losing time. Also, be sure to make sure your resolution is set to the native/largest setting, some jumps cannot be made on smaller resolutions.

Fun fact! The category name seems to be an artifact of the past, since version 2.0 was a thing but only for a short time. Not that anyone active can confirm that...

Current World Record Run: Be advised the run might be using slower strats in some spots.

Act One

Introduction

Although the introduction segment might appear to be one section, the flashback is an individual scene. Skip twice here, once for the first segment and once for the flashback. Mash through the title screen (clicking on the "End call" button before it appears might help).

Rooke: Caught on Camera

A straightforward level. The first straight section requires a technique (let's call it bellyflopping). Hold right, keep the cursor along the ground about 1/4 the length of the screen away, and mash the jump button. This tends to only work once in a level. Mash until you are close to the left wall, then jump and scale it. Take one jump to the right edge of the roof, then fall off. If you stop on the correct pixels (tapping right might help) you can drop straight down. Once inside the building, take one jump left to reach the elevator, then enter it and click the top set of doors/call button. Once you are at the top floor, exit and make quick hops (click each time it ends). Make two, hack the objective, jump out the window, and make more quick jumps to the exit.

Rooke: Guarded

Another simple level. Bellyflop until you pounce on the guard, punch him, then go down the stairs. Press the lightswitch and wait outside the door. Once the guard opens the door, pounce on him and punch. Hack the objective, make one long jump to the stairs, climb up, then make quick jumps to the exit.

Rooke: Crossed Wires

Before entering this level, upgrade charge-up time to three and purchase the Crosslink. Upgraded charge-up time means you will not perform bellyflopping or quick jumps elsewhere in the run.

Take two partially charged jumps towards the building, then climb up the stairs. Walk to the light switch, crosslink it to the door, then take one jump and hack the objective. Take two jumps back to the stairs and go down. Take one charged jump towards the window (don't get too close or you can't break the glass next, to the potted plant is fine), take one jump through the window, then take one more jump to the exit.

Rooke: Mains

Take three jumps towards the building and on the last jump pounce on and punch the guard. Take one more jump to the lightswitch, then crosslink the lightswitch to the electrical socket on the top floor and then to the door on the bottom floor. Press the lightswitch, go up the stairs, make a quick jump left, hack the objective, make a slightly more charged jump right, go down the stairs, make another slightly charged jump, then make a fully charged jump to reach the exit.

Rooke: Three for All

The first complex level of the run. Make a charged jump right, walk to the left slightly, then make a jump onto the balcony of the middle floor. Take a jump to the lightswitch, crosslink the lightswitch to the elevator call button on the bottom floor, press the lightswitch, then go down the stairs. Pounce and take out the guard, make a quick jump right, hack the objective, make a quick jump left, and enter the elevator going one floor up (use your up movement button). While in the elevator, crosslink the elevator call button on the middle floor to the light on the top floor without interrupting any other crosslinks. Once the elevator reaches the middle floor, quickly tap your right movement button, release it, then immediately make a jump right to pounce on the guard facing your direction. This method of pouncing is used elsewhere in the run. Knock out the guard, hack the objective, make a jump back to the elevator, and go up another level. Walk right a bit, pounce on the guard, hack the objective, then make two charged jumps, one through the window and one to reach the exit.

Act Two

Collins: innocent

Before entering this level, upgrade charge-up time to full and purchase the Wirejack. This makes all of your jumps practically immediate.

When you click the start mission button to enter the level, don't move the cursor and take one jump right. This should place you right outside of the camera. Crosslink the camera to the door, take another jump right, then walk to and go down the stairs. Take one jump to the green wirejack (this might take practice), wirejack the green circuit, then take one jump back to the stairs and go up a floor. Walk to the lightswitch, crosslink the lightswitch to the door in front of you, then walk to the elevator and go directly to the top floor. Along the way, crosslink the top elevator call button to the rightmost door. Mash through the text on the top floor and go directly back to the ground floor. Make one jump out of the building and one more to reach the exit.

Gessler: Industrial Espionage

The first part of this level has a tight cycle to make. Take two jumps towards the building, then walk towards the lightswitch. Crosslink the lightswitch to the trapdoor and press it when the enforcer is above the trapdoor. Walk right, make one jump past the trapdoor to reach the elevator on the floor above, and press on the top set of elevator doors/elevator call button without entering the elevator to make it move. Jump right to the stairs, and go up once the elevator has almost reached the top floor. Unlock the blue circuit, then go down one level. On the blue circuit, crosslink the camera to the lower set of trapdoors, those trapdoors to the door in the basement, that door to the exit door on the ground floor, and then crosslink the lightswitch in the basement to the lower set of trapdoors. Go down the stairs, take one jump left, fall through the trapdoor, hack the objective, take one jump right, press the lightswitch, jump left onto the wall just below the trapdoor, jump right through the door, and jump right one more time to reach the exit.

Collins: intex

Make four jumps right to begin the level. On the third jump, take out the guard, and on the fourth jump, reach the lightswitch. Crosslink the lightswitch to the door on the top floor, and then crosslink from that door to the right floor on the ground level. Jump right and unlock the green circuit (although walking is a safer method here), jump left, go up the stairs, and make a tiny jump left to reach the lightswitch. Crosslink the light to the door, walk right past both doors, jump on the ceiling, and pounce and take out the guard from above. Unlock the yellow circuit, crosslink the yellow camera to the door, jump left, go down the stairs, make one jump right to reach the camera (this takes practice), make another jump left, go up the stairs, make two low jumps right, and hack the objective. Make two low jumps left, go down the stairs, make one jump right again, then make one more jump to reach the exit.

Rooke: The Prototype

Enter this level, then immediately skip it. This is one of two levels skipped in the route.

Gessler: Acquisitions

Before entering this level, upgrade jump strength to five and purchase the Hushcracker and the Dropshot.

Make one jump towards the building (go most but not all of the way), then make one jump up and scale the building. Make one jump right on the roof, walk right off of the roof and a bit further, then jump through the window on the top floor at a steep angle and use the Hushcracker. This should put you on the ceiling directly above the green terminal. Drop down and unlock the green circuit, walk right off of the edge, and take a jump left and reach the elevator. Trigger the elevator to go down one floor, then crosslink the elevator call button on the floor the elevator is reaching to the left light on the top floor, and disconnect the lightswitch on the top floor for safety. Walk out right and jump up one floor (you can take your time), follow behind the enforcer, take the prototype, make one jump right (don't forget to stop your slide with your down movement button), then make one jump right to reach the exit. The guard below will fire and miss.

Rooke: The Trace

The first part of this level has a tight cycle to make. Take one jump towards the building, then crosslink the motion detector to the left door on the ground floor and crosslink from that door to the door on the right. If you mess up, the Crosslink can work on the hand scanner of the second door but not the first.

Collins: the recording

Before entering this level, purchase the Resolver. A note of warning, when using the Resolver, on this level and others, don't fire too early or the bullet will misfire. Wait at least until the laser sight appears.

Take one jump close to the building, then pull out the Resolver and shatter the highest window (4th floor) on the left side of the building. Take one jump up the building, scale the remaining distance, and hack the objective. Jump on to the ceiling and scale to the roof, then jump right twice to reach the exit.

Act Three

Anonymous: The Collins Case

Make one jump and climb/reach the top of the "pillar". Once you reach the top, make another jump and scale the building. Make one jump to the right side of the roof, tap down twice so you're inside the building, then jump down to the elevator and call it. Enter, go down one floor, pounce on the guard (much like with The Trace, but safer),

Mayfield: The DataSec Recording

This level uses a trick with guard behavior that opens up a door. First, position Conway at the dumpster in the background in front of the building. Crosslink the motion detector on the top floor to the right-most door on the same floor, after the guard has passed through it. Then, line up a jump that takes Conway through the window, through the motion detector, and to the right side of the room. A moment after the guard crosses the right edge of the background window, jump. If done correctly, the window will shatter, but the guard will open the door before turning around. By that time Conway will be on or near the guard. Take out the guard, jump once to the objective, hack it, jump twice to the left, jump once onto the ceiling near the broken window, climb out and up onto the roof, then make two large jumps right to reach the exit.

Mayfield: The Morgue

Before entering this level, upgrade jump strength to full.

This is one of the tougher levels of the run. The start diverges slightly depending on guard behavior. Jump to about halfway between the start and the wall, then jump up through the window so you pounce on the guard, then knock him out. If the Enforcer on the floor below starts running, wirejack the blue terminal, run right, and descend down the stairs twice, and open the Crosslink. If done correctly, you will enter the stairwell the same time the Enforcer leaves it. If the Enforcer does not run, run to the stairs, perform the crosslinking described in the next section, then fire the Resolver and immediately descend two floors. If done correctly, you will be in the stairwell the same time the Enforcer is. Crosslink from the blue lightswitch on the ground floor, to the left blue vault door in the basement, to the elevator call button one floor above the ground floor. Then, for the basement alone, crosslink the right red camera to the right red vault door, the blue lightswitch to the left blue vault door, and the left red camera to the right red vault door. After the crosslinking section, and once Conway reaches the ground floor, press the blue lightswitch, then immediately descend the stairs. Run slightly left to activate the camera, then run right to the objective, pressing the blue lightswitch along the way. Hack the objective, run left, ascend two levels, jump right, enter the elevator, ascend one level, and exit and jump to the exit.

Mayfield: The Suspect

This level is quick and precise. At the start, wait for a moment so the Enforcer above will turn before he spots you, then jump left about halfway inbetween the buildings. Once there, jump up and left through the window two floors up, so you land anywhere near the corner of the ceiling and the wall above the floor. Once the Enforcer runs right, jump left and down, pushing him out of the window while staying on the floor. Then jump up and right through the window of the next building, jump right again, and pick up the shipping receipt. Then jump right onto the roof of the next building, and jump right to the exit.

Mayfield: The Room

This is a cycle-based level, but thankfully a consistent one also. Jump up and right to land on the roof of the building, and run right to position yourself over the left side of the red trapdoor. Crosslink the red right motion detector to the red trapdoor, and once it opens use the Hushcracker to silence the glass shatter. Immediately jump left onto the wall, then down, then run right and Wirejack the green and purple terminals. Crosslink the green elevator call button in the "room" to the green motion detector and back, then jump right through it. Jump up, then jump left and down, and position yourself over the right side of the purple trapdoor. Crosslink the sound detector to the purple trapdoor, then fall down once it opens, run right, hack the objective, and run back left. On a perfect cycle the guard on the ground level will have reopened the red trapdoor. Wait if necessary for it to open, then jump through it, and jump right to complete the level.

Rooke: The Plant

Jump right, then diagonally up and right to land near the center of the roof, then jump right so you collide with the stage barrier and fall to the exit. Then jump and use the Hushcracker through the top of the window, drop down, run slightly right, and wirejack the blue terminal. Crosslink the blue camera to the left blue door, shoot the Enforcer, jump left twice, and hack the objective. Jump right twice to reach the exit.

Jackson: The Truth

Enter this level, then immediately skip it. This is the second level skipped in the run. The Truth is chosen so Hightower does not appear on Come and fucking get me.

Gessler: Come and fucking get me.

Before entering this level, purchase the Gatecrashers.

Jump diagonally up and right and land just above the window. Then jump diagonally up and left to cling on the underside of the balcony, and climb to its side. Then carefully line a jump so the indicator is either exactly vertical or very slightly to the right (left will not work well). If the jump works you will land on the upper balcony on top of the Professional, who you can not punch. If this fails both of you will fall onto the ground, and you can just rescale the building, climbing onto the bottom of the upper balcony first this time instead of lining up a pointless jump. Doing this initial jump from the upper balcony is possible and gives slightly more range of error, but is slow and not worth it once consistent. After knocking out the Professional only tap to move off him. Pull out the Resolver, line up the cursor near the wall of the building on the structural floor two levels up (you might have to practice this, though you should have four or three bullets to do this with), and shoot out the window. Jump up and scale as little as you have to and reach the top level. One option is jumping to the door and getting hit by it, which is consistent but slightly slower. The other option is jumping right above the door, then jumping down and to the left, which lets you shoot Gessler earlier, but Gessler still has to walk some distance before the shots land and the trick is specific. In either case, pull out the Resolver and shoot Gessler, then run right a little into his penthouse, and jump right out the window and off the screen, and click "Continue". Timing stops once "GUNPOINT" appears. If you are out of bullets from shooting out the window, you can still pull out the Resolver, mash through the text, pounce on Gessler, knock him out, and proceed.