IGTAP Speedrun Guide: Best Routes, Times, and Vman Tips

Mastering an IGTAP speedrun requires a radical shift in how you view platforming efficiency. In IGTAP: an Incremental Game That's Also a Platformer, shaving tenths of a second off a level is not just a personal challenge—it directly scales your resource automation and dictates your incremental gains.

Whether you are chasing individual level personal bests or attempting the grueling endgame trial, executing an optimized IGTAP speedrun is the definitive way to supercharge your resource multipliers and reach true facility completion. This comprehensive guide details core movement mechanics, community stage benchmarks, and the optimal skips needed to conquer the Vman trials.

Understanding Speedrun Mechanics and Clone Automation

The central design of IGTAP connects precision platforming directly to an idle economy. Whenever you complete a course, you earn Watts (power), which can then be spent on clones. These automated workers do not simply generate flat rates; they physically replay your recorded path at the exact speed of your personal best.

Because clone production is derived from your fastest course time, approaching an IGTAP speedrun is not just about bragging rights; it is the core economic engine of the game. A faster run tightens the clone cycle, drastically increasing income per second. When resource accumulation slows down later in the game, running an optimized route breaks progression walls much faster than passive waiting.

Unlike traditional incremental titles where resets only give mathematical multipliers, IGTAP ties active skill checks to progression gates. Later stages demand high movement fluency, turning routine farming runs into high-stakes time trials.

Essential Movement Tech and Traversal Mechanics

Executing rapid times across both early and late biomes requires mastering the distinct nuances of the character's movement toolkit. The game builds on classic platformer maneuvers while introducing unique momentum constraints that players must navigate.

Wall Jump Momentum Rules

Wall jumping in IGTAP features strict physical interactions that can disrupt muscle memory from other platformers. Community player feedback confirms that wall slides reset your horizontal momentum entirely.

To execute wall jumps cleanly without losing forward speed, you must register the jump input first before pressing the directional key toward your target. If you press the directional input away from the wall before jumping, the character detaches from the wall slide and falls straight down.

The Omni-Dash vs. Double Jump Dynamic

As progression reaches the later acts, players encounter the omni-directional dash. Early versions of the game forced players to forfeit their double jump upon acquiring this upgrade, which sparked significant friction within the community. Following Hotfix #2, the developer implemented an in-game toggle that allows players to switch freely between the omni-dash and the classic double jump move set.

Mastering speedroutes requires recognizing when each configuration shines:

• Double jump provides vertical forgiveness and precise platform adjustments in narrow shafts.
• Omni-dash enables diagonal dashes, wave dashing, and rapid trajectory shifts, which are vital for bypassing extended platforming segments.
• In the late-game layout, unlocking the regained double jump alongside the omni-dash allows for simultaneous two-dash, one-jump chains.

Advanced Momentum Preservations

Players have documented several execution tricks that bypass normal stage layouts:

• Dash-Jumping: Hitting the jump key immediately at the tail end of a dash propels the character forward with carried momentum, clearing wide chasms without touching intermediary blocks.
• Floor Bouncing: Angling downward momentum or dashing low into flat surfaces lets you maintain burst speed across horizontal planes.
• Moss Ground Awareness: In the lower facility, green moss surfaces prevent your movement abilities from refreshing. Speedrunning these sections requires plotting paths that only touch clean concrete platforms or refresh orbs (Stem Cells) to preserve dash charges.

Vman Speedrun Routing and Stage Skip Strategies

Upon triggering the initial credit roll in the lower facility, the true endgame appears: the Vman challenge. Rather than functioning as a detached side mode, the Vman mode introduces an active IGTAP speedrun challenge that imposes a strict time limit while multiplying your global resource generation by 5x for every further course reached.

You begin Vman with a limited timer that can be extended by purchasing one-second incremental upgrades. However, attempting to clear all ten courses sequentially (Courses 1 through 10) under the initial clock is practically impossible without extensive farming.

The Optimal Vman Skip Route

Community reports show that optimizing an IGTAP speedrun through the Vman trial relies on aggressive stage skips. You do not need to finish every stage in sequential order to progress or to unlock the Quam Formidolosum achievement (viewing the ominous message).

Follow this step-by-step route to complete the run with ample time to spare:

1. Clear Course 1 and Course 2 normally: Use standard horizontal movement and wall jumps to bank initial completion flags quickly.
2. Bypass Course 3 and Course 4: After obtaining your midair jump tools, head directly to Course 5. You can execute Course 5 using two directional dashes, skipping the zipper block entirely.
3. Transition to Area Two: Move toward the second zone, collecting the double jump ability along the route while bypassing intermediate sections.
4. Enter Course 7 via Vertical Skip: In the starting hub of the second zone, perform a high jump combined with a double upward dash and wall jump up the concrete structure to drop straight down into Course 7.
5. Skip Course 8 and Course 9: Bypass the complex mechanics of Courses 8 and 9 entirely by pathing directly toward Course 10.
6. Finish Course 10 with Ground and Wall Jumps: Complete Course 10 using long ground jumps and wall jumps. Community testing confirms that Course 10 can be completed cleanly without activating the zip blocks.

Players utilizing this 1 > 2 > 5 > 7 > 10 sequence report clearing the Vman trial starting with roughly 400 to 418 seconds on the timer, finishing with more than 100 seconds to spare.

Target Course Times and Community PB Benchmarks

Tracking your personal bests against community records provides critical feedback during your IGTAP speedrun attempts. The following table compiles established personal bests, community forum averages, and top records verified on the official IGTAP Steam store page community discussions and speedrun leaderboards.

Critical Course Optimization Notes

• Course 5 Skip: While the standard developer route intends for players to ride the zipper blocks, community members discovered that wave dashing at the start followed by an immediate floor bounce shaves two full seconds off the completion time.
• Course 6 Sub-2 Grind: Course 6 is the shortest sprint in the game. Reaching a sub-2.00s time requires precise frame-one directional dashes without wall collisions.
• Course 8 Route: Players consider Course 8 one of the most mechanically demanding courses due to scarce checkpoints. Consistent execution relies on buffering dash inputs before touching safe landing surfaces.

Key Achievements and Alternative Speedrun Challenges

Beyond basic stage records, IGTAP incorporates 29 Steam achievements that test traversal mastery and run routing. Achieving full completion also involves specialized run modifiers alongside the standard IGTAP speedrun path.

Reverse Current Challenge

The "Reverse Current" achievement requires players to complete every course in reverse sequence, starting from Course 10 down to Course 1 (10 -> 1). Attempting this challenge is best saved for late-game play after you have unlocked your full movement suite (double jumps, omni-dash, and teleporters), as backtracking through courses demands backward wall-jumping routes that standard forward pathing never requires.

Quam Formidolosum

This achievement requires players to locate and view an ominous secret message hidden within the Vman trial. By utilizing the 1 > 2 > 5 > 7 > 10 skip route outlined above, you retain enough spare time on the countdown timer to investigate structural openings above the standard course ceilings. Players can omni-dash into high crawlspaces above the main level boundaries to discover the hidden message room.

Movement Precision Challenges

• Igtap want boing boing: Requires bouncing on 10 springs consecutively without your character touching the floor. Maintain jump height by letting the spring propel your character before using midair corrections.
• Secret Upgrades: Achievements such as "Not all those who wander are lost" and "Definitely not lost" require collecting all hidden nodes across the map. These upgrades dramatically boost resource caps and provide the timer buffer necessary for comfortable endgame running.

Frequently Asked Questions About IGTAP Speedrun

Why is an IGTAP speedrun mandatory for endgame progression?

In the post-credits phase, incremental resource generation hits steep mathematical scaling walls. Reaching farther stages during the Vman speedrun applies a massive 5x income multiplier to multiple currencies. Without running optimized speedrun routes in Vman, gathering enough resources to fully clear the upgrade tree becomes impractically slow.

Can you change abilities during an IGTAP speedrun?

Yes. Following developer balance updates in Hotfix #2, an in-game toggle allows you to switch between the classic double jump and the omni-dash. Depending on whether a course requires vertical double jumping or diagonal wave dashing, you can toggle your preferred move set to match the route.

How much time do I need on the timer before attempting a full Vman clear?

While standard sequential clears of all ten stages demand extensive timer purchases, community skip routes require far less preparation. Using the 1 > 2 > 5 > 7 > 10 routing strategy, players have successfully cleared the challenge starting with roughly 400 to 418 seconds, finishing with over 100 seconds remaining.

Do clone times update automatically when I beat my record?

Yes. Your automated clones immediately adopt the path and completion speed of your newly established personal best. Improving a course time instantly accelerates your production cycles across all active clones assigned to that specific stage.

Related guides

• IGTAP VMAN Best Path: Fastest Route and Skips Guide
• The Guide to IGTAP Best Times: Top Records & Routes
• IGTAP B-Side Walkthrough: Unlock Hard Mode and Fast Times
• IGTAP Ending Explained: True Ending, VMAN, and Lore