The current main routes are unusual for a Sierra AGI game in that they avoid zips and high emulation power, even though both are allowed and a route based on them exists. The reason for this is that many sections of the game are timed, and the timers are impossible to beat at high cycles if game speed is set to Fastest. Since changing cycles mid-run is forbidden, this forces the zip route to switch to Fast for these sections; the zipless route gains time during these segments by remaining in Fastest and barely beating the slower low-cycle timer. In addition, the desert on Kerona is unfavorable for zips, and the zip route is forced to use Fast there as well.

The ideal number of cycles for you personally is the highest cycle rate at which you can still control Roger in Fastest and beat the timers. This makes DOSBox the ideal emulator for running SQ1 Any%. (Note, though, that all runs - even TAS - must temporarily switch to Fast during the detonation panel sequence near the end.)

As many commands as possible should be prepared en route to being needed; ideally while Roger is walking straight. Commands are given in uppercase for clarity, but need not be typed so. The main dangerous timed sequences include escaping Arcada and escaping the detonation at the end.

Zipless route: Select [Fastest], head west through the doors until you find the keycard. GET CARD, and head down through the adjacent elevator. Head east, taking the next elevator. (If you hear footsteps, wait for a moment for the Sarien guard to leave.) Walk east and up a bit to the large panel, PUSH OPEN (ideally without stopping). Continue east, INSERT CARD, take the elevator. Navigate to the panel, PUSH AIRLOCK. Navigate to the doors above, PUSH RIGHT, GET SUIT, PUSH LEFT, GET GADGET. West, navigate to panel. PUSH BUTTON. Navigate to left side of the pod, GO POD. WEAR BELT, CLOSE DOOR, PUSH POWER, PUSH AUTONAV, PULL LEVER. Dismiss textboxes with Enter until you land on Kerona. REMOVE BELT, TAKE KIT, OPEN [F3], EXIT. GET GLASS below crashed pod. Head east for 3 screens, TURN DIAL en route. Prepare TOSS WATER before heading northeast into Orat's cave. Trigger it at Orat. East, GET PART, navigate back to the path seen before. Navigate along the path (some sections may require temporary use of Fast). At the end of the path, walk east into the hidden elevator. Navigate to rock (GET ROCK). South a couple steps, west up to the crate. Avoid the monster by hugging the north wall. PUT ROCK HOLE (or PU[F3] HOLE). Head north through the tight spot (the sequence 8179 from the zip route can help here; while not the shortest route, it's safe and avoids the risk of a greater time loss). Navigate through the cavern, head west, USE GLASS at the beam (temporarily switching to Fast here is the safe option here). Navigate up the path (zip sequence 7968 is an option) and head east (save before the acid drops if you're playing safe). Navigate to the end of the path, type SET PART en route so you can hold Enter down to both dismiss all textboxes and enter the new command. North, dismiss textboxes, GO SKIMMER, TURN KEY. When the arcade sequence begins, head for the left edge. Save if you feel you're making good progress, restore otherwise (unless you feel like betting everything on good RNG). Finish arcade sequence, GET KEY, EXIT SKIMMER. Say N to offer. Head west, return immediately. Say Y to new offer. Use the secret code HOLY SHIT to make the fruit machine easy (while this could be considered a cheat, all runners use it since the alternative would be an RNG hell). Repeatedly select HOLY SHIT, 3 and F8 until the machine breaks. Head out, up and east to the droid shop. BUY DROID at top-right. Out, west to screen with spaceship. Walk southwest, then immediately back north. BUY SHIP. Use the droid to help you get on the right pixel for the ladder (38). CLIMB L. LOAD. HH. Hold enter until you reach the Deltaur. WEAR JETPACK. EXIT SHIP. Navigate to red handle, OPEN DOOR. Prepare OPEN TRUNK, and move out of the droid's way a bit; the ideal here is to go through the door as the droid originally comes in, but if you miss, move in front of the door and have the droid push you through on his way back. Navigate to trunk. OPEN TRUNK, GO  [F3] (minimum 2 spaces). Dismiss textboxes. OPEN [F3], navigate to washing machine. OPEN UNIT, GO  [F3]. Wait, OPEN [F3]. Head out, take first elevator, head west, take last elevator, go east. LOOK SUIT en route. GIVE CARD to droid (switch to Fast temporarily). Navigate to grenades, GET GRENADE. Head back to droid to get your gun. West, DROP GRENADE above the guard. West to last elevator. East (save before screen transition, and fire your pulseray upon transition. Bad transition outcomes include death and a random droid). East, GET REMOTE, PUSH BUTTON. Navigate to panel, LOOK PANEL. Switch to Fast, use the panel interface to enter the code 6858. Stay in Fast until told to blow the taco stand. Head west (handle the screen transition as before). Take first elevator, saving in case of a random enemy upstairs (it is possible, but unlikely, that the enemy could be killed or avoided). Take the other elevator, navigate to pod, GO POD, LAUNCH.

Alternative route for Any%, using zips. (Pick your cycles carefully even here; max cycles should be avoided, since extremely brief use of Fastest can be used on Arcada to save time.) [Fastest] zip west [fast] west, GET CARD (follow the zipless route for the rest of Arcada. Additional brief zips may be risked in the long corridor at the bottom) (follow zipless route as far as GET GLASS. Take a brief zip east, using Esc to stop, and pray you stop at a good point...) (nav to Orat) TURN DIAL, DRINK, TOSS WATER [fastest]. Zip to part, GET PART, ideally zip out. (Sequences here depend somewhat on location; they might be something like 9367 GET PART 2717 [fast]. Follow zipless route as far as the arch. Zip west, switch back to fast. Navigate until going east becomes an option again, then north a bit.) 6 [Fastest] 6429296 GET ROCK 17272727272741 PU[F3] HOLE 817967172674 [fast] USE GLASS [fastest] (nav up, e.g. 7968, then save and pray) 616 [fast] (south a bit) 6 [fastest] SET PART 838 GO SKIMMER [save] TURN KEY (head west and pray...) GET KEY 5 EXIT SKIMMER (have "yes" typed ready; mash Enter upon 2nd offer) 9671 (handle machine as in zipless route) 481717 BUY SHIP 627967818 BUY DROID 23174273918 CLIMB L, LOAD, HH, dismiss textboxes. WEAR JETPACK, EXIT SHIP. [fast] (northeast, east on nearing handle) OPEN DOOR [temporary Fastest to speed up droid, then Fast, follow droid out] 7 [fastest] 6 OPEN TRUNK, GO  [F3] dismiss textboxes, OPEN [F3] 38 OPEN UNIT, GO  [F3], OPEN [F3] 3839279824 -- if no guard: 927938: if guard: 94398 176 LOOK SUIT [fast] GIVE CARD (navigate to grenades, get grenade while droid is away, go to droid for gun) [fastest] 17 (should take to door, reposition if not) 1818... (until in position above the guard), DROP GRENADE 4493817 (save) 6 [until not shot] 29 GET REMOTE [] PUSH BUTTON 838 LOOK PANEL Play out the end in Fast, following the zipless route.