79.6K Any% route explained

This run differs from the no-yolostops route in introducing several Robb zips and a stop at the giant. The exact number of Robb zips can be tailored to the player's taste (the Robb zip at the end is the most useful one; if that zip is omitted, the end route from the no-yolostops route should be used instead).

The recommended emulator for this route is DOSBox Staging 0.80.1, with machine=tandy, output=openglnb and core=dynamic set in the configuration, and cycles set to 79618. This exact cycle rate (or something *very* close to it) is strongly recommended for any player wishing to include the Robb zip(s) en route from the mushroom to the leprechaun. (Alternatively, a modified version of this zip can be done at 77803 cycles, substituting a 1 for the 2; this version permits an additional 6396 Robb zip on leprechaun entry.) The end zip and the stop at the giant are less precise, and permit more leeway (anywhere from 77000 to 83000; above 83000 cycles, all Robb zips should be omitted and the no-yolostops finish used).

Before the *first* run, visit the castle once (e.g. Fast, 481, Normal, northeast a few pixels, 3, Fast, Normal, open door etc.); for some reason, having visited the castle at any point during the session slightly affects the speed at which the game subsequently runs. You only need to do this once every time you boot up the game, it does not need to be repeated before each run.

On many zips you must to be careful not to zip too fast, as long zips not being instant is very noticeable at this cycle rate.

ANY% (extremely optimized route, allowing times down to 0:40)  
(MOVE ROCK) (sound off) (restart game, start time)  
[fast]  
716175 F3 [] GET KNIFE  
938479 GET CLOVER  [alt: 6893835 GET CLOVER 939393 etc.; this adds two keystrokes and a fairly long zip, but avoids fairy RNG]  
3939347274 HI [repeat until heard]  
GET KEY [x3]  
197 F3 [normal]  
*(navigate west a bit; Graham should be on the easternmost pixel of the screen immediately to the west. Type "get mushroom" while walking. Head north when on the correct pixel, [fast])*  
24743 GET MUSHROOM  
*(here you have three options:*  
*92729172717 EA[F3] - avoids Robb zips, but is marginally slower and introduces dwarf RNG*  
*92454527 EA[F3] - adds two Robb zips (each 45), but avoids dwarf RNG*  
*924427 EA[F3] - adds a single double-length Robb zip (the 44), relying on the player's* *double-tapping speed being fast enough for this without being too fast. This is the fastest* *option, but should not be used without specific testing, as your tapping speed on the 4 needs* *to be right)*  
637486[Ent]6 GET SHIELD  
*(note: the 3 must be hit very shortly after the initial 6, otherwise Graham will die*)
4838 (prepare yourself mentally...)  
47([Esc](normal))  
*(these keys must be hit in very quick succession, while still allowing enough time for each of them to take effect properly. This is one of the riskiest parts of the run, but considerably less so than at 140K cycles)*  
(ideally, you should now be at the northern wall. Select Normal and walk to a spot where a 4 zip to the exit is possible; typing "open door key" while en route.)  
4 [Fastest]  
*(here you have two options:*  
*2[Enters if needed]81839389 OPEN DOOR KEY*  
*361[Enters if needed]939 OPEN DOOR KEY*  
*Option 2 is faster, but the 61 in it is a Robb zip, and I personally cannot make this specific Robb zip at all consistent. You can test whether you have better luck with it)*  
F3 (3x backspace to remove "key")  
4939 (save if you feel wimpy)  
993927724[Enter]5 *(try to stop immediately after hitting Enter - number 5 is okay for this)*   (hope for a lucky giant)  
*(if giant is next to you, thank your personal deities; if the giant can be zipped to, do so; otherwise, use yolostops to try to reposition)*  
GET CHEST [ideally still in Fast]  
*(navigate back to a spot where you can return to the cave by zipping east. If necessary, this can involve yolostops, zipping to a tree and temporarily switching to Normal, or both. Type GO   PAIL (with at least 3 spaces); if you need to use Normal to reposition, type while moving)*  
6833818611142924 GO   PAIL (min. 3 spaces)  
[normal] EXIT F3  
*(type "cut rope" while falling)*  
= CUT ROPE [] DIVE  
*(navigate SW to position, type "toss water" while navigating)*  
2 [fast - be ready to press the next key immediately]  
72 TOSS WATER  
7 GET MIRROR  
274[Ent]241[dismiss fairy if needed]4817  
35 (as a Robb zip)  
[normal]  
*(navigate to edge of differently colored area, type OPEN DOOR en route)*  
9 [fast] (reposition if needed) OPEN DOOR  
97 (stop time)  

As an alternative, it's possible to exit the pail first, and then immediately switch to normal. This is slightly faster, but very risky.

It is also possible to add a yolostop (635) at leprechaun entry, as a random stop position has a good chance of being better than the usual position in the corner. Typing "get shield" immediately after the yolostop gives you some time to take stock of where you ended up. This is only recommended at 79618 cycles; alternative cycle rates such as 77803 cycles (6396) or 83006 cycles (63929) offer Robbzip options here, removing the need for the yolostop.

A comparison of cycle rates

All cycle rates presume DOSBox Staging 0.80.1, after visiting the castle (unless otherwise indicated).

**79618 cycles**

- 3924427 leprechaun entry Robb zip, avoiding the dwarf RNG
- yolostop in leprechaun hall   
- option of 361939 Robb zip after leprechaun exit (very risky)  
- 274241481735(9) end Robb zip, requiring a fairly short walk

**83006 cycles**

- 392729172717 leprechaun entry zip, going through dwarf (no Robb zips)  
- either yolostop or window-perfect 9 in leprechaun hall  
- option of 361939 Robb zip after leprechaun exit (very risky)  
- 274241481735 end Robb zip, requiring a very short walk

**63404 cycles**

- 93874 zip from clover to gnome (extremely risky, but quite early the run)  
- 39244817 leprechaun entry Robb zip, going through dwarf  
- yolostop in leprechaun hall  
- option of 3667839 Robb zip after leprechaun exit (going through ogre and [extremely briefly] dwarf), as well as 3626141439 (going through elf)
- best chance at yolo leprechaun exit (still not recommended)  
- option of yolo well (1615 zip)
- 27424149439322448 end double Robb zip, requiring no walk at all  
- more leeway on well zip  
- the slowest zips, giant wait and end textbox

**139634 cycles (DOSBox 0.74)**

- the fastest zips, giant wait and end textbox  
- no yolozips at giant  
- no Robb zips  
- 84868 zip in leprechaun hall  
- 392729172717 leprechaun entry zip, going through dwarf  
- 274261276727179293 end zip, requiring the longest walk but no Robb zips

Acquiring and configuring DosBox for speedruns.

[IMPORTANT]
If you have the GOG or Steam distribution of the games, then that will be where your copy of King's Quest 1 is located. Refer to the post in the "Forum" tab of this page for an explanation as to why we do NOT use them for speedrunning.

Downloading DosBox:
Download DosBox Enhanced Community Edition => https://dosboxece.yesterplay.net/
Scroll down and download the "DOSBox ECE rxxxx.7z" (x is the current version number) file
Unzip to a location of your choosing. Launch DOSBox.exe once and close it.

Configuring DoxBox:
Navigate to C:\users\<username>\appdata\DosBox (username is your Windows username) and open dosbox-ece.conf with a program like notepad++.

From top to bottom of the configuration file make these following changes (use CTRL+F to find them):

Under [SDL]
fullscreen = false (change to true if you want to play in fullscreen)
fullresolution = desktop (if you are playing in fullscreen and want the game to fit your desktop's resolution)
windowresolution = x (X is something that can fit on your monitor and is smaller than it's resolution)
output = opengl
autolock = true (Locks the mouse cursor in the window. Press CTRL+F10 to release it.)

Under [dosbox]
machine = tandy

[render]
aspect = true (keeps the aspect ratio of the game in a 4:3 ratio rather than most modern display's 16:9)

[cpu]
cycles = max

*Most settings further down from here are related to music and sound which are irrelevant.

[autoexec]
mount x: <location of game files such as C:\Kings Quest 1>
x:

Note: as mentioned above the files for the GOG and Steam distributions of the game will be located in their respective folders. You may need to search around for them, but most commonly GOG will be at: C:\GOG Games\ and Steam will be under C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common and in the King's Quest Collection folder. As said: please look for these files yourself as I do not own these two distributions and cannot verify their exact default installation locations).

Launch DosBox ECE and type kq1 to launch King's Quest: Quest for the Crown.

That is it, you should be setup. Happy running.

Glitches and tricks explained

The AGI version of King's Quest I contains quite a few glitches for speedrunners to exploit. King's Quest I speedruns also include some high-precision maneuvers which, while not based on glitches, require frame-perfect input. This guide explains how they work.

1. Water-walking (the Jesus approach). If Graham is at the extreme southern, western or eastern edge of the screen, he can simply walk over rivers as if they weren't there. This requires pixel-perfect placement to work.

There are several limitations to water-walking. It only works on river screens, not on lake screens. Some water-walks to Rumplestiltskin's island are also entirely blocked; while it might appear there are four different ways to water-walk to the island from the south, only one of these is actually good. On the screen west of the southern troll bridge Graham runs into a bush; while it is possible to navigate around the bush, it is difficult and time-consuming. The western water-walk on the bridge screen is blocked entirely by the bridge itself; and the walk on the next screen east is also blocked since Graham cannot climb out of the river. The remaining water-walk, on the eastern edge of the bridge screen, is used in the ScummVM route to bypass the troll.

Water-walking is used in Any% and ScummVM. The Any% route contains one water-walk, which is precise but relatively easy; it is set up at normal speed, there is a bush that actually blocks Graham from walking north at all if he is not at the correct pixel, and if Graham accidentally wanders over to the next screen east he can simply adjust strategy and use that screen instead. (The optimized strategy is to type "get mushroom" while setting up the waterwalk, which does increase the difficulty.) The ScummVM route contains two water-walks; these are extremely demanding as they're set up at high speed, one of them is completely pixel-perfect (although there is a short window to make adjustments), and the other is almost impossible to quickly adjust for at high speed. The 100% route contains no water-walks, since the goat is used for points to reach Rumplestiltskin's island and the condor is used for points to reach the leprechauns.

The technical reason water-walking works is threefold: 1) many zones and triggers (including the river ones, but not the lake ones) have been coded improperly and exclude the left, right and bottom edges of the screen; 2) although Graham's position is stored as a specific pixel, he has a hitbox 6 pixels wide (and 1 pixel tall) at full size (4x1 when tiny); and 3) obstacle collision is triggered when *any* part of Graham's hitbox touches the obstacle, but death zones like the rivers are only triggered when the *entire* hitbox is in the zone, so 1 pixel outside it is sufficient to let Graham cross safely.

2. Sky-walking (easy beanstalk). This glitch essentially bypasses the last part of the beanstalk. On the third beanstalk screen (the second after leaving ground level), walk straight up until Graham is next to the large hole in the middle and his right foot is touching the darker pixels below. Now press 7; Graham will leave the beanstalk and walk into the sky. (In speedruns, switch to Fastest after pressing 7; no further changes of direction are needed.) Once Graham reaches the western edge of the screen, he will continue moving upwards; and on the next screen up, the game automatically positions him in the middle as if nothing unusual had happened. 

Sky-walking is used only in the 100% route, since beanstalk routes are too slow to be used in Any% or ScummVM.

3. Goat pen clips. In two different locations, it is possible to clip through the fence surrounding the goat pen; both of these clips only work if Graham is being followed by the goat, and the second clip only works when used immediately after the first clip. 

The first clip requires somewhat accurate but not pixel-perfect positioning. Show the carrot to the goat, head out of the pen and south into the screen with the stump, move east a bit, and head back north. If your position is accurate, you will appear inside the pen! This can be quite easily accomplished with zips; simply zip south through the gate,, and then keep zipping north and back south until the clip happens. Because of the unusual geography of the area combined with additional displacement from the goat, each successive zip pair will move you slightly east until you are sufficiently far east for the clip to happen.

After the first clip, it is possible to zip straight west and clip through that side of the fence. This clip seems much more natural than the first one, in that the fence is not actually visible at all from the eastern part of the goat pen and on the next screen west the fence is much further north; so Graham can clip through it simply by maintaining the same Y coordinate on screen transition. This is normally impossible, though, since the game will move Graham north on the screen switch if it detects him as being inside the pen. The second clip is only made possible by the first clip, which allows you to slip into the pen unnoticed.

The goat pen clips were formerly used in the 100% route, to facilitate zipping to the troll bridge with the goat. They are currently not used, since a better zip was found.

4. Well zip. This is not a glitch, but a highly precise trick. Dive into the well at normal speed, move southwest a bit (type "toss water" while moving so the time is spent productively), head south, select Fast speed from the menu and immediately press 7. At high cycles, the 7 press must be frame-perfect; too early and Graham dies, too late and Graham dies. At extremely high cycles this trick is outright impossible, which is why Max cycles are not recommended for King's Quest I.  
There exists an alternative way to perform the well zip: head south immediately, select Fast, immediately press Esc and select Normal, go northeast for exactly 1 pixel, press 7, and re-engage Fast. This method would be faster with arbitrarily fast typing, but is slower for runners in practice, due to the extra speed change and the need to type "toss water" separately later.  
At sufficiently low cycles, it would be possible to simply do a 2947 zip in the well, but the cycle rates in runs are too high to allow this. Another possible zip at lower cycles is the 161 zip; this version is viable at 63,404 cycles, but requires both extreme precision and a yolostop at the dragon while providing a very small time gain at best. 
A slightly safer version of the 161 zips is to quickly type "toss water" while heading south in Normal, then turn southeast and do a 31 zip. This requires both precise positioning and the yolostop at the end, but the zip itself is far simpler and more consistent.

The well zip is used in the Any% and 100% routes to save time. It can be avoided by simply navigating through the well at normal speed, but doing so costs about six seconds.

For versions with a yolostop at the end, note that Graham's position for (and after) picking up the mirror may not be ideal. 1927 get mirror 2734 etc. is a general solution, but not always the fastest. Note also that at the southern edge of the screen Graham will always be considered close enough to toss the water, regardless of his position in the west-east direction. The recommendation is not to use the yolostop zips.

5. Quick well return. This is both a glitch and a high-precision maneuver, although the glitch part is very easy to set up. After getting the mirror, zip southeast; Graham will disappear into the eastern wall, but will not (yet) clip into the well itself. Now press 6, and then immediately 4. As with the normal well zip, the 4 press must be perfect (while still allowing the initial 6 to trigger) or Graham dies.

This trick is used only in the 100% route, to get the extra points for returning into the well. It is safer to temporarily switch to Normal for the 6 and 4, but this loses some time.

With very high precision, it is possible to return *up* the well with zips only: prepare "climb rope" in advance, then press 68[Enter] in extremely quick succession. This is not done in actual runs, since it's both slower and highly dangerous.

6. Witch return speed-up. Waiting for the witch to return home is very time-consuming; this can be remedied by temporarily switching to Fast speed, but doing so is risky since at Fast speed the witch will only stay in position at the oven for a very short while.  
There are three spots at which it is possible to save time by switching to Fast (and zipping): when initially moving to the cupboard (the smallest timesave), when moving east from the cupboard (the largest timesave), and when returning back to the west once the witch is in position. The third zip is particularly dangerous, since at high cycles the witch will kill you if the zip and the following push are not both executed near-perfectly. (Preparing "push witch" in advance can help a tiny bit.)

For the middle zip (the largest timesave), the safe approach is to enter the witch's house at Normal speed, open the cabinet, get the cheese, head south a bit, head east, save, switch to Fast speed and wait for the first message about the witch's return (if this does not appear very quickly, the witch isn't returning and you'll need to reset - this problem can be mitigated with GamerThom's memory reading strat). Upon receiving the message, press Enter and then immediately Esc to switch to Normal speed; if the witch is not in position at the oven, spend the remaining wait productively by getting and reading the note.

The riskier, but faster, approach to the middle zip is to wait for the second message about the witch's return and only then switch to Normal speed. This saves more time, but has a greater chance of backfiring and necessitates a slight detour later to get and read the note.

This trick is used only in the 100% route.

7. YOLO zips (or YOLO stops); zips that are not stopped by an obstacle, but by the player. YOLO zips come in two distinct flavors: regular YOLO stops (completely inconsistent), and Robb zips. A regular YOLO stop uses numpad 5 to stop, and is usually performed with two fingers on the numpad; while a Robb zip uses one finger on any numpad or number key to move, and one finger on a key that isn't numpad 5 to turn or stop.  
Due to a quirk in how keys are processed, Robb zips (and *only* Robb zips) will (if performed correctly) always stop at or very close to the same point if the same settings and cycle rate are applied and the same version of DOSBox used. By contrast, regular YOLO stops are essentially random outside of a TAS setting; this theoretically allows some TAS-only maneuvers in human runs, but with an extremely low success rate.  
The accurate timing for each Robb zip has an approximately 0.05-second window; though at some specific spots the game has a tendency to eat the input, making the zip far less consistent. One spot where this happens particularly often is the 361 zip after leprechaun exit. Another complicating factor is that the player has no practical way to tell where the window for the second input actually is, relative to the first input; so the best approach is just to press the keys in very quick succession.  
It is possible to execute double- or triple-length Robb zips, equivalent to two or three normal Robb zips combined; but these require more of a rhythm (and a bit of luck) to time precisely.

Robb zips are used in low-cycle routes, such as the 79,618 cycles DOSBox Staging Any% route, the 63,404 cycles route or Robb's Any% route for 60,000 cycles in DOSBox ECE (as noted, which Robb zips are productive depends on the version and cycle rate; each of these routes uses distinct Robb zips). Related to these zips is the stop after the giant's textbox, similarly used in low-cycle routes.  
Fully random YOLO stops have formerly been used in both Any% and 100%, but are currently not explicitly routed in. (They can be used for quick repositioning on the giant screen, but this is not recommended in a high-cycles run.)

For an unknown reason, entering the castle at any point after booting the game will change the cycle rate needed for subsequent Robb zips. For example, the 79,618 cycles route is explicitly based on having visited the castle in the past; though a similar route could be used at 75,920 cycles without the visit.

8. Troll bridge clip (found by Robb). Trying to walk by the side of any troll bridge generally results in death; but on the southern side of the eastern troll bridge, there is a tiny area of 3 pixels where the death trigger can be bypassed, due to a quirk in how triggers work. This allows the only known way to bypass the troll using exclusively non-YOLO zips, but only when approaching from the southeast and only with near-pixel-perfect positioning.

The troll bridge clip is used in the Any% zips run.

9. Leprechaun back entry (found by Robb). After picking up the mushroom, zip back to the mainland and the leprechaun cave's *exit*, and eat the mushroom there (on most screens, the mushroom immediately runs out, but on this screen that does not happen). Press 6, and then immediately 3 (otherwise the mushroom would run out on the intermediate screen; this is already a precise move). Pick up the shield, 4838 to get into position.    
From here, the *really* precise move follows; and there are three ways to execute it. The fastest is to simply perform a hyper-quick 47174 zip; but this is only possible at lower cycles, and even then is exceedingly dangerous (it has been performed at 63,404 cycles, but the usual result for players at such a high cycle rate is death).  
The second-fastest exit is to do a hyper-quick 47[Esc], switch to Normal, reposition while typing "unlock door", head west when in position, and switch back to Fast. This is possible at 140,000 cycles, but is *also* extremely dangerous (the usual result is death). The opportunity to type "unlock door" while moving greatly mitigates the time loss, but it's still slower than the all-zips exit due to the speed changes.  
The third-fastest (and generally recommended...) exit is to press 1, switch to Normal, press 7 to switch screens, press 7 again to start moving, type "fast", hit Enter, immediately hit Esc to switch to Normal, and reposition as in the second-fastest exit. This is still very dangerous, for the same reasons as the well zip (hit Esc too quickly and the Fast never takes properly; hit Esc even a fraction too slowly and Graham dies); but it is by far the most consistent way to perform the exit fast enough to make skipping the rat worthwhile, and is somewhat more consistent than the well zip due to a slightly more lenient timer.

Leprechaun back entry is used in the Any% zips run, to avoid the rat (and the treasure given to the rat); with lower cycles permitting the more aggressive implementations. It is also used in the ScummVM Any% run, but with one major difference: in ScummVM the player needs to eat the mushroom about four seconds before entering the screen where the hole is (the trick only works if the mushroom's expiration timer runs out on that specific screen; this is near-instant in DOSBox, but takes time in ScummVM). Leprechaun back entry is not useful in 100%, since it skips points.

10. Memory reading (discovered by GamerThom). In the 100% run, use a save named *%v62*; and upon entering the witch's house (with the witch not present), press F5, hit Enter and note the number shown. If the number is 180 or higher, exit the hut and return to try again until the number is low enough. Numbers from 180 up represent the ~28% random chance that the witch would not spawn on schedule, killing the run if discovered later.

11. Cloverless. It is possible to perform the leprechaun segment with no fiddle or clover, by very precisely navigating to the shield while the chasing leprechaun is stuck behind other leprechauns.  
Cloverless is possible from both the normal entry and back entry, but is both less difficult and less time-consuming when approaching from the back entry. The most consistent (though still very dangerous) form of cloverless uses the back entry and immediately turns southwest to hide behind the leprechauns near the corner; using leprechauns closer to the shield is slightly faster, but extremely difficult.

Cloverless is not used in the zips run, as it is only humanly viable at low speeds (and is extremely difficult even then). Back entry cloverless is used in the ScummVM run, where it provides a small time save.

How King's Quest 1 reads the keyboard

*Disclaimer:  
All information here is based on experience and experiments, not on direct knowledge of the AGI engine's internal workings. Also, none of this information should be understood as applying to the ScummVM categories.*

In general, King's Quest 1 polls keys every 0.05 seconds in Fast, and every 0.10 seconds in Normal. Usually, this means that all keys registered (=not eaten...) during that window are processed at once at the end of the window, in order; but there are some important exceptions.

In particular, not all keys are processed at the same speed. The slowest keys to process are action keys like Esc (open menu) or F3 (repeat last command); other keys pressed later but during the same window can potentially *overtake* the slow key, and get processed first despite being pressed later (this is much more common at Normal speed due to the longer window, but it can also happen in Fast).  
F3 and Esc do not behave in entirely identical ways; in particular, in Normal (but not Fast), the *visual* opening of the menu happens with a 1-window delay. (The game still treats the menu as open, and any keys registered during that window are treated accordingly.)

**Numpad 5** is on an interrupt, and as such is an exception to the usual keyboard polling, always triggering immediately when registered. This special behavior of numpad 5 adds the possibility of essentially random yolozips. (It also allows numpad 5 to potentially overtake other keys. including movement keys.)

Conversely, the usual 0.05 second polling rate makes Robb zips possible, by having a consistent amount of time elapse between moves; but it also adds the important complication that the ideal window for the next input cannot be entirely predicted from when the previous key was *pressed*.  
Consider the case of a player with a tapping speed of 0.11±0.02 seconds, tapping 4 twice in a row for the leprechaun Robb zip. At the slow end of the range (0.13 seconds), the second 4 effectively has a 60% chance of falling into the third window (failure, necessitating a lengthy 43416829 correction) and a 40% chance of the second window (success), counting from the initial 4's window as zero. Conversely, at the fast end of the range (0.09 seconds), the input has a 20% chance of falling into the *first* window, also undesirable though at least potentially allowing a simpler 45 correction.

Join our KQ Speedrunning Discord!

Invite link here: https://discord.gg/XEJbsHp

Just started up this server, runners of all KQ games are welcome to join! I'd love to start up a community of KQ fans so we can help each other out with routing, runs, strats, etc.

I'll see y'all there!

-Jaki

Speedrun notes

- Left (x2), move rock
- Get knife, up(x3)
- Get & open nut
- Right, up, pebbles
- Down, right, right
- Give nut troll up
- Talk to man
- Get key x4
- Down (x2), get clover
- Right(x2), down(x2), get and open pouch
- Top, right, climb bucket
- Leave bucket, cut rope swim
- Dive, Throw water, get mirror
- Left until exit, eagle
- Left, get mushroom
- Right, hole
- Down, left give diamonds
- Open door, left, down
- Get shield
- Left,eat shroom, exit
- Right, down x2
- Unlock door, open door
- Stairs, down, get sling
- Left, up
- Use sling, get chest
- Stairs, down (x2),right
- Open door, continue, bow on the stairs (precise spot)

Updated (2023) no-yolostops routes for Any%

The Any% routes assume the game is played in DOSBox at high cycles, and take advantage of it by using Fast speed to zip around the map. Recommended cycles for these runs are approximately 140000/second (and not Max); this is high enough to allow very quick zipping, but also low enough to allow for the well zip and leprechaun back entry. Note that DOSBox's machine emulation mode should be set to either *machine=tandy* or *machine=vgaonly* in the configuration files; on most computers, the default svga_s3 setting cannot actually run DOSBox at such a high cycle rate.

The first commands, which are "move rock" for the risky route and "get clover" for the easy route, can be prepared before actually starting play (and then triggered with F3). Fast speed should also be selected through the menu before starting play; although actually starting the game automatically sets the speed to Normal again, Fast can now be selected slightly faster since the menu position is remembered by the game. Sound should also be turned off before starting play, to eliminate the fanfare on opening the castle doors.

Commands to type are indicated in uppercase for clarity, but need not be typed in uppercase.

--

ANY% (easy route with comfortable sub-1:00 potential - suitable for new players - main danger spot is the well zip)  
(GET CLOVER) (sound off) (restart game, start time)  
[fast]  
975 F3  
162715 MOVE ROCK [] GET KNIFE  
86762639 GO   PAIL (min. 3 spaces)  
*(NOTE: instead of the 86762639 zip, 8674 can be used and is faster; but the longer zip avoids the deadly wolf RNG)*  
[normal] EXIT F3  
(type "cut rope" while falling)  
= CUT ROPE [] DIVE  
(navigate SW to position, type "toss water" while navigating)  
2 [fast - be ready to press the next key immediately]  
72 TOSS WATER  
7 GET MIRROR  
27426242 GET BAG  
71613434186172 74 HI [repeat until heard]  
GET KEY [x3]  
197 F3 [normal]  
*(navigate west a bit; Graham should be on the easternmost pixel of the screen immediately to the west. If you're a fast typer, type "get mushroom" while walking. Head north when on the correct pixel, [fast])*  
2717627 GET MUSHROOM  
68127172 OPEN BAG [] GIVE F3 [repeat until accepted]  
*(NOTE: If you accidentally do the waterwalk on the western edge of the gnome screen instead, different zips are required: [fast] 481817 GET MUSHROOM 671727172 OPEN BAG, etc.)*  
48 OPEN DOOR  
16 GET SHIELD  
4383847174 EAT MUSHROOM  
281839389 UNLOCK DOOR [] OPEN  F3 (2 or 3 spaces)  
4939 (save if you feel wimpy)  
9939277171727 (hope for a lucky giant)  
GET CHEST [possibly in Normal, but Fast can be maintained with a favorable giant position; 28 can be used to recycle the giant if needed]  
(navigate back to a spot where you can return to the cave by zipping east)  
68338186111713432717179293 [normal]  
(navigate to edge of differently colored area)  
9 [fast] (reposition if needed) OPEN DOOR  
834 (stop time)  

--

ANY% (faster but riskier route, introducing leprechaun back entry and moving the dangerous well zip to much later in the run. This route is only recommended once you start hitting times close to 1:00, both due to the higher risk and because leprechaun back entry must be done quickly to save time compared to rat. If you want to start on this route earlier, the alternative safe version of leprechaun back entry is strongly recommended)  
(MOVE ROCK) (sound off) (restart game, start time)  
[fast]  
716175 F3 [] GET KNIFE  
938479 GET CLOVER  
3939347274 HI [repeat until heard]  
GET KEY [x3]  
197 F3 [normal]  
*(navigate west a bit; Graham should be on the easternmost pixel of the screen immediately to the west. Type "get mushroom" while walking. Head north when on the correct pixel, [fast])*  
2717627 GET MUSHROOM  
39272943927 EA[F3]  
6348486[Ent]8 GET SHIELD  
*(note: the 3 must be hit **immediately*** *after the initial 6, otherwise Graham will die*)
4838 (prepare yourself mentally...)  
47([Esc](normal))  
*(these keys must be hit in **very*** *quick succession, while still allowing enough time for each of them to take effect properly. This is the part that makes leprechaun back entry a highly risky strategy at 140K cycles*)  
(ideally, you should now be at the northern wall. If the 7 did not have time to take effect, or the 4 and 7 registered in the wrong order, you may still be on the stairs, which will lose several seconds. Regardless, select Normal and walk to a spot where a 4 zip to the exit is possible; typing "unlock door" while en route.)  
4 [Fastest] 281839389 UNLOCK DOOR [] OPEN  F3 (2 or 3 spaces)  
4939 (save if you feel wimpy)  
9939277171727 (hope for a lucky giant)  
GET CHEST [possibly in Normal, but Fast can be maintained with a favorable giant position; 28 can be used to recycle the giant if needed]  
(navigate back to a spot where you can return to the cave by zipping east. If this requires temporarily switching to Normal, type GO   PAIL (with a minimum 3 spaces) while repositioning)  
6833818611142924 GO   PAIL (min. 3 spaces)  
[normal] EXIT F3  
(type "cut rope" while falling)  
= CUT ROPE [] DIVE  
(navigate SW to position, type "toss water" while navigating)  
2 [fast - be ready to press the next key immediately]  
72 TOSS WATER  
7 GET MIRROR  
274[Ent]261276[Ent x2 if wolf]727179293 [normal]  
(navigate to edge of differently colored area)  
9 [fast] (reposition if needed) OPEN DOOR  
834 (stop time)  

Alternatives:

- instead of 938479 GET CLOVER 393 etc., do 6893835 GET CLOVER 9393 etc.; this adds two keystrokes, but avoids fairy RNG
- instead of 274261276727179293 at the end, do 274261292618479293; this goes through the ogre instead of the wolf, which is potentially better due to the ogre having a slightly lower chance of appearing, but the keystrokes may be a bit more awkward
- instead of 483847[Normal] for the no-mushroom return, do 48381[Normal]77fast[Normal]; this is slightly slower, but much more consistent

Updated (2023) ScummVM route

ScummVM

Since the ScummVM route doesn't rely on zips, general directions rather than exact inputs are indicated. Nearly all commands should be typed while navigating to the place where they'll be actually needed. A good ScummVM speedrun in King's Quest I is very difficult, since it requires excellent RNG, extremely precise water-walks, and (at the highest level) cloverless and leprechaun back entry. (This is the opposite of King's Quest II, where the ScummVM route is both relatively simple and less dependent on good RNG than Any%.) Commands to be typed for later use while navigating are indicated in parentheses.

Two routes are given here, a safe route (~2:30) without cloverless, and an expert route (~2:20) with all the stops pulled out. The expert route can be used at any level, but you should practice the leprechaun segment beforehand, and still be prepared for having many runs die there.

**Safe route**:  
*(notes: no cloverless - the two demanding waterwalks and dwarf RNG are the biggest run-killers here. Both waterwalks are pixel-perfect. The rat can also kill you occasionally, especially if you try to give the nut without stopping)*

(restart game, start time)
* northwest, west behind the castle (sound off), southwest to rock (MOVE ROCK), GET KNIFE
* south/southeast (bypassing the rock on the east side), turn southeast shortly (but if you're already near the screen border, not quite immediately) after the screen transition (GET PEBBLES), turn south when you can no longer go further southeast
* get the pebbles, turn southwest (GET NUT). Pick up the nut a fair way northwest of the actual walnut tree, even if this requires a westward adjustment. Keep heading southwest (the ideal is to reach the left edge of the screen a pixel or two before you would reach the south edge)
* west a bit, swim (GO   PAIL with min. 3 spaces), southwest towards the pail. EXIT F3
* (CUT ROPE) swim, CUT ROPE, DIVE
* navigate to hole and towards the dragon (TOSS WATER), GET MIRROR
* west, out of the cave, head west a bit and then northwest between the spruces. Turn west immediately upon screen transition. On the next screen transition (to the east side of a large tree stump, immediately cross screens to the south and then back to the northwest. Head west immediately on screen transition. Head southwest when roughly below the middle of the zigzagging portion of the shadow above (GET CLOVER). Southwest to clover patch.
* northeast to east edge of screen, but without crossing screens (HI); waterwalk across the river
* navigate northwest to gnome, HI, GET KEY [x4]
* cross screens to west, then instantly turn north and set up a waterwalk at the east edge of this screen. Walk north across the river, head northwest and west towards the mushroom (GET MUSHROOM)
* southeast and east to hole (OPEN NUT), over to rat (GIVE F3), OPEN DOOR
* southwest, south and east to shield (GET SHIELD)
* west and over to hole (EAT MUSHROOM), through hole
* southeast (on the screen where the sorcerer can appear, cross the east edge by walking southeast, but *only* after going far enough south to be in the bottom half of the screen)
* over to door (OPEN DOOR KEY), OPEN DOOR (to be typed by F3 and removing "key")
* navigate through the stairs, hugging the upper walls if you lack confidence (GET SLING); if the dwarf appears, leave the screen and try again until he isn't there
* navigate south to sling, then northwest to giant (USE SLING), GET CHEST
* navigate back out (again, you can hug the upper walls for safety)
* south and southeast a bit, over to castle doors (OPEN DOOR)
* over to King Edward (BOW), stop time on last command

**Expert route**:  
*(notes: Includes cloverless and leprechaun back entry. A successful back entry requires that **approximately 4.8 seconds after eating the mushroom** you must be somewhere (anywhere) on the screen with the leprechauns' exit/back entry (the screen immediately north of the sorcerer); if this proves problematic from just following instructions, adjust when you eat the mushroom. The route also includes three waterwalks, but the first and especially the third are relatively easy by ScummVM standards. The other major run-killer is dwarf RNG).*

(restart game, start time)
* east a little bit, then southeast (HI); navigate between the obstacles, set up a waterwalk at the east edge of the troll bridge screen (the west edge of the next screen over also works fine, giving you one pixel of leeway)
* head over to the gnome, say HI as soon as feasible (the gnome's wandering is RNG - if you're really pushing, you can reset on runaway gnome); GET KEY [x4 - the ideal is to pick up the key while heading due west without ever stopping, but often this isn't quite feasible]
* cross screens to west, then instantly turn north and set up a waterwalk at the east edge of this screen. Walk north across the river, head northwest and west towards the mushroom (GET MUSHROOM)
* east and southeast, set up a waterwalk going south at the west edge of the screen where the hole is. (This is the easiest of the three waterwalks to set up, as even if you are a couple pixels too far to the east, your position will auto-adjust to the correct pixel upon crossing screens to the south.) Cross the river (GET PEBBLES), go a *tiny* bit southwest, head west towards the pebbles
* turn north and then northwest from the pebbles (MOVE ROCK); don't cross over to the ogre screen until you are near the north edge, to minimize the time spent there. Navigate to rock
* MOVE ROCK, GET KNIFE, west to lake (swim). Head west and northwest towards the pail (GO PAIL with min. 3 spaces). EXIT F3
* (CUT ROPE) swim, CUT ROPE, DIVE
* navigate to hole and towards the dragon (TOSS WATER), GET MIRROR
* west (EAT MUSHROOM), out of the cave, turn north as soon as possible. On the next screen over, turn northeast fairly soon (aim to cross screens to the east at a position not very far below the spruces - you should practice this positioning a bit, as crossing too far south will kill the run by dumping you in a bad area on transition). EAT MUSHROOM shortly before transitioning
* head northeast until tiny Graham briefly becomes visible, upon which immediately turn east. (If you accidentally go too far north and cross over to the lake screen above, *immediately* cross screens back to the southeast, then turn east.) When Graham next becomes visible further east, head northeast and into the leprechauns' back entry (GET SHIELD)
* perform cloverless, either the "safe" version (which has an ugly tendency to kill you) or the yolo version (which practically always kills you, and saves less than a second).  
In the safe version, turn southwest immediately upon screen transition, lose the chasing leprechaun behind the leprechauns in that corner, head east (hoping he won't be too close...), and approach the shield from either west or southwest. Shield exit can also be to either west or southwest, though if the approach was from the west, the exit will nearly always be to the southwest (the opposite is not as often true). Head west and northwest to the stairs.  
In YOLO cloverless, just keep heading on southeast from screen transition, turn east at an opportune moment, and try to lose the chasing leprechaun behind the single leprechaun near the south edge of the screen. This requires both extreme precision and some luck. Approach the shield from the southwest, exit as appropriate based on the leprechaun's position.
* head out up the stairs and through the hole (OPEN DOOR KEY)
* southeast (on the screen where the sorcerer can appear, cross the east edge by walking southeast, but *only* after going far enough south to be in the bottom half of the screen)
* over to door, OPEN DOOR (to be typed by pressing F3 and removing "key")
* navigate through the stairs (GET SLING); if the dwarf appears, leave the screen and try again until he isn't there
* navigate south to sling, then northwest to giant (USE SLING), GET CHEST
* navigate back out; south and southeast a bit, over to castle doors (OPEN DOOR)
* over to King Edward (BOW), stop time on last command

Updated routes for Any%, 100% and ScummVM

The Any% and 100% routes assume the game is played in DOSBox at high cycles, and take advantage of it by using Fast speed to zip around the map. Recommended cycles for these runs are approximately 140000/second (and not Max); this is high enough to allow very quick zipping, but also low enough to allow for the well zip (and in 100%, the well return zip and the witch spéed-up). Slightly lower cycles may be indicated for 100%, since the run is longer and contains three precision tricks instead of just one.

The first commands, which are "move rock" for Any% and "get clover" for 100%, can be prepared before actually starting play (and then triggered with F3); this is unnecessary in ScummVM, since the first command can be comfortably typed while navigating. Fast speed should also be selected through the menu before starting play; although actually starting the game automatically sets the speed to Normal again, Fast can now be selected slightly faster since the menu position is remembered by the game. Sound should also be turned off before starting play, to eliminate the fanfare on opening the castle doors.

Commands to type are indicated in uppercase for clarity, but need not be typed in uppercase.

--

ANY%
(MOVE ROCK) (sound off) (restart game, start time)
[fast]
716175 F3 [] GET KNIFE
767618 GET NUT
1392634 PICK BAG [] OPEN F3
39 GO   PAIL (min. 3 spaces) [normal] EXIT F3 
(type "cut rope" while falling) 
= CUT ROPE [] DIVE
(navigate SW to position, type "toss water" while navigating)
2 [fast - be ready to press the next key immediately]
72 TOSS WATER
7 GET MIRROR
27424242495 GET CLOVER [normal] 
*(navigate west a bit; Graham needs to be roughly in line with the 2nd clover from the left. Being a little to the right of it is okay. Type "open nut" while walking. Note that you must give the walnut to the troll and the diamonds to the rat, not the other way around; this is because the desirable short word "bag" is not accepted as a synonym for "diamonds" on the troll screen but is accepted on the rat screen)*
8 [fast] OPEN NUT [] GIVE F3
62 HI [repeat until heard] GET KEY [x4]
749 [normal] (set up water-walk on eastern edge of screen)
8 [fast] 2717627 GET MUSHROOM 68127172 GIVE BAG [repeat until taken]
*(NOTE: Because you need to hit the exact pixel for the water-walk, it's easy to overshoot and end up waterwalking on the western edge of the next screen to the east instead. This is perfectly okay, but requires a different response: 8 [fast] 481817 get mushroom 67127172 give bag)*
48 OPEN DOOR
16 GET SHIELD
4383847174 EAT MUSHROOM
283939439 UNLOCK DOOR [] OPEN  F3 (2 or 3 spaces)
4939 (save if you feel wimpy)
9939277171727 (hope for a lucky giant)
GET CHEST
(navigate back to stairs)
3381861117134314 [normal]
(navigate to edge of differently colored area)
9 [fast] (reposition if needed) OPEN DOOR
834 (stop time)

--

100%
(GET CLOVER) (sound off) (restart game, start time)
[fast]
975 F3 
31 [normal] (navigate to doors, type "open door" while walking) 
*NOTE: You can try to speed things up by using Fast to move west, and then stopping at the right moment, but this is risky*
[fast] OPEN DOOR
8184 [normal, east to 1st step] BOW [fast] 6161 [normal]
(navigate southeast a couple steps, then west to start of bridge)
7 [fast] [result will depend on the exact pixel you were on]
*(if at tree north of rock: 617925 MOVE ROCK [] GET KNIFE)
(if at tree with egg: 2925 MOVE ROCK [] GET KNIFE)
(if at tree with egg, and 2925 doesn't take you to the rock... restart and have another go)*
767618 PICK NUT [] OPEN F3
62 [82 until elf appears] TALK ELF [repeat until successful] 
1838396813 GET BOWL
81818 [normal] (navigate to pebbles) 
2 GET PEBBLES [fast]
92 (only if at northern bush rather than southern bush; unneeded if you are already at the southern bush)
[normal] 
*(move north enough that Graham's nose bobs between the pixel at the top of the southern bush and the pixel above that. This is a pixel-perfect move. Being slightly off to the north will cost a couple of seconds but allow repositioning later, likewise being exactly 1 pixel off to the south. Being more than 1 pixel off to the south is extremely bad)*
4 [fast] (4 again if stopped by sorcerer) 
8 EAT HOUSE [normal] [save]
OPEN DOOR (restore and repeat if house not empty) (navigate north, type "open cabinet" while walking)
OPEN CABINET [] GET CHEESE
(make sure you are sufficiently far south you won't get stuck on the northern doorframe upon zipping east)
6 [save] [fast] (be ready with a very quick ENTER-Esc-[normal])
*(if witch not yet in position, GET NOTE [] READ NOTE)
(if no witch messages at all, restart or exit cottage and reset)
(the ideal is to press Esc immediately after the second witch message. Pressing Esc after the first message may force you to wait, but some of this time can be spent productively getting and reading the note)*
(get in position) PUSH WITCH [fast]
(zip to note (e.g. 842627) if you did not already get and read it, then 387417 to get in position to exit)
292624 GO   PAIL (min. 3 spaces) [normal] EXIT F3
(type "cut rope" while falling) 
= CUT ROPE [] DIVE [] FILL PAIL (!!)
*[safe dragon: (navigate to hole) 7 [fast] TOSS WATER [] GET MIRROR]
[risky dragon: (navigate west or southwest a bit, type "toss water" while navigating", then turn south) 
[fast] 7 (immediately after the speed change!) 2 TOSS WATER 7 GET MIRROR]*
3 [normal] 64 [fast] (you can 64 without a speed change if you feel brave, but you must be very quick)
241818 GET CARROT 42718 CLIMB TREE [normal] 
(navigate to under the egg while typing "get egg")
8 [fast] GET EGG 
33634 LOOK IN STUMP [] PICK BAG [] OPEN F3
74184927296386 GIVE BOWL [] FILL
136 GET FIDDLE 
7171817972716292 (if the condor is here, smash the "jump" button and pray; if unsuccessful, repeat 82 followed by jumps)
842743 GET MUSHROOM 
96127172 GIVE CHEESE
186 GET SHIELD [] GET SCEPTRE 
1847174 EAT MUSHROOM
34716271275 OPEN GATE [normal] (navigate west to goat) SHOW CARROT
*(navigate back to the eastern part of the pen; depending on your starting position, temporary zips may or may not be faster than remaining in normal speed)
(navigate so southbound Graham's westernmost pixel is roughly in line with the westernmost pixel of the rock above; there is some room for error)*
2 [fast] 8284849636168 [normal] (navigate east a bit, type "hi" while moving) 
8 [fast] 62 HI [] IFNKOVHGROGHPRM [] GET   BEAN (min. 3 spaces) 
9792342938 PLANT F3
1 CLIMB STALK 
8 [normal] [save] (north until Graham's knees start brushing the air above) 
9 (to middle) 8 [fast] [normal]
(up until Graham's feet are just below and to the left of the largest hole, with his right foot exactly on the darker pixels; then save)
7 [fast - take advantage of skywalk glitch] 
86717172716 GET SLING 
49 (navigate to sleeping giant) GET CHEST 
(get in position for a quick zip to the east if not already in position; save if you feel uncertain)
68338186111492934314 [normal] (navigate to edge of differently colored area)
9 [fast] OPEN DOOR (reposition if needed)
7971 [normal] (navigate to in front of king) BOW (stop time) 

--

ScummVM

Since the ScummVM route doesn't rely on zips, general directions rather than exact inputs are indicated. Nearly all commands should be typed while navigating to the place where they'll be actually needed. A good ScummVM speedrun in King's Quest I is very difficult, since it requires both excellent RNG and three extremely precise water-walks. (This is the opposite of King's Quest II, where the ScummVM route is both relatively simple and less dependent on good RNG than Any%.) 
Commands to be typed for later use while navigating are indicated in parentheses.

(restart game, start time)
- northwest, west behind the castle (sound off), southwest to rock (MOVE ROCK), GET KNIFE
- north to egg tree (CLIMB TREE), GET EGG
- west to pail, avoid the wolf (GO   PAIL) (min. 3 spaces), EXIT F3 
- CUT ROPE, DIVE
- navigate to hole and towards the dragon (TOSS WATER), GET MIRROR
- west, out of the cave, across the lake, southwest to clover patch (GET CLOVER)
- northeast, to edge of screen, waterwalk across the river
- navigate northwest to gnome (HI), GET KEY [x4]
- southwest a bit,, waterwalk west, walk northwest to pebbles (GET PEBBLES)
- east, waterwalk north (on either screen), around the right side of the trees and west to mushroom
(GET MUSHROOM)
- southeast to hole, over to rat (GIVE EGG), OPEN DOOR
- southwest, south and east to shield (GET SHIELD)
- west and over to hole (EAT MUSHROOM), through hole
- southeast (try to cross the sorcerer's screen at the bottom-right corner)
- over to door (UNLOCK DOOR), OPEN  F3 (2 or 3 spaces)
- navigate through the stairs, hug the upper walls as much as possible (GET SLING); if the dwarf appears,, leave the screen and try again until he isn't there
- navigate south to sling, then northwest to giant (USE SLING), GET CHEST
- navigate back out (again, hug the upper walls)
- south and southeast a bit, over to castle doors (OPEN DOOR)
- over to King Edward (BOW), stop time

Name	Author
79.6K Any% route explained	SantaClaus 1 month ago
A comparison of cycle rates	SantaClaus 1 month ago
Acquiring and configuring DosBox for speedruns.	ChuckGrody 3 years ago
Glitches and tricks explained	SantaClaus 1 month ago
How King's Quest 1 reads the keyboard	SantaClaus 1 month ago
Join our KQ Speedrunning Discord!	JakiJo 6 years ago
Speedrun notes	PackSciences 6 years ago
Updated (2023) no-yolostops routes for Any%	SantaClaus 2 months ago
Updated (2023) ScummVM route	SantaClaus 2 months ago
Updated routes for Any%, 100% and ScummVM	SantaClaus 2 years ago