Terrible Lizards Speedrun Guide and Routes

Terrible Lizards is a new game, and its speedrun scene is still small. There is no settled world record, no agreed category list, and no database of frame-perfect tricks. That makes this a route guide rather than a record guide. It covers the decisions that save the most time and the parts of the game that cannot be skipped.

The game's movement has a high skill ceiling, but it is not a movement-only speedrun. The chapters have scripted sequences, locked doors, and unskippable interactions. A good route saves minutes; it does not break the game open.

What a Terrible Lizards speedrun looks like

There are three natural categories:

• Any% story. Finish all four chapters as fast as possible. Skip collectibles and optional rooms.
• All achievements / 100%. Collect every amber, tape, note, statue, and stuffed animal. This is a completion route, not a race.
• New Game Plus. Replay with modifiers. The modifiers change movement and routing, especially low gravity and slippery surfaces.

The story category is the most practical place to start. The game does not have a difficulty setting, so every run uses the same encounters. The variance comes from deaths and route mistakes.

The route, chapter by chapter

Chapter 1: Dalton's Dinos

The opening chapter is the slowest because it has the most scripted interactions. The route is:

1. Car note, pay phone, lobby.
2. Box office code 9216.
3. Coin from the arcade, projector.
4. Gift shop and back rooms.
5. Four fuses in the basement.
6. Gift shop escape.

The time savers are small: skip the exhibit notes, take the Brontosaurus tail amber only if it is on your path, and do not watch the pre-show twice. The fuse basement is the only mandatory loop. The stuffed animal is a skip; carrying it costs a detour and a death risk.

The gift shop escape is scripted, so there is no route to optimize beyond staying on the upper walkway.

Chapter 2: The Digsites

Chapter 2 is where route knowledge starts to matter. The chapter has two generators, a tower code, a bunker keypad, an elevator, a gondola key, and four dynamites.

The fast route:

1. First generator via the timed doors.
2. Second generator via the crawl and service lift.
3. Foreman's tower, 0451, red button.
4. First Brontosaurus escape.
5. Bunker keypad, 0978.
6. Three sub-switches, three kill switches.
7. Elevator 1677, shaft, fuse box.
8. Gondola key, flooded cave.
9. Safe house 0180, four dynamites, detonate.

The biggest savings come from doing the generators in the right order and not backtracking after the tower. The gondola key has a cutscene; you have to pick the key up again after it plays. Players who miss that lose a full run.

Chapter 3: Rail and Freight Caverns

Chapter 3 is the longest chapter and the one with the most routing freedom. The first half is linear: flood start, first Allosaurus warning, train worksite, dynamite door, generator.

The second half is the fuse search. The fast order is:

1. Generator enclosure fuse (green workbench).
2. Ground-floor office fuse (wide window).
3. Upper wooden office fuse.
4. Shed key from the upper key cabinet near the Call It In sign.
5. Locked wooden shed fuse.
6. Central panel, main console, Motherlode.

The Allosaurus patrol adds randomness. The stare mechanic can break a charge, but it costs a second. The safest route is to keep moving and use the offices as line-of-sight breaks.

The final escape is linear. Do not place the stuffed animal unless you are doing the completion category.

Chapter 4: The Deep

The final chapter is shorter but has more backtracking. The route is:

1. Opening chase, camp, projector.
2. Find DJ, get the Allosaurus tooth from the Dennis lair.
3. Find the working tommy gun, return the tooth.
4. Restore the three auxiliary lights and the main switch.
5. Cavern A dynamite, blow Cavern B.
6. Climb the spire, get the crew lift key.
7. Second dynamite, clear the return path.
8. Crew lift, two-minute ascent.

The ascent is the run killer. It is a fixed movement sequence, and a fall costs the full climb. Practice the wall run before you attempt a timed run.

The shortcuts worth learning

• Slide under closing doors. The timed doors in Chapter 2 and the shutters in Chapter 1 reward a slide instead of a jump.
• Wall-run the long corridors. The Chapter 3 red-lit wall run and the Chapter 4 ascent both have wall-run lines that skip a platform sequence.
• Use the crane swing. The Chapter 2 crane can carry you past a platform section if you release at the top of the arc.
• Take the gondola line. The gondola key route is mandatory, but the cable structure can be climbed faster than the ground path.
• Skip the office detours. Most offices contain notes, not route progress. The exceptions are the Chapter 2 tower office and the Chapter 3 shed-key office.

There are no known game-breaking glitches in the current build. Patch 1.0.9 fixed several progression blockers, including a fuse registration bug in Chapter 3, so older runs may not be comparable.

What costs the most time

• Deaths in the Allosaurus hunt. A death sends you back to the start of the sequence.
• Missing the shed key. The search can add ten minutes.
• The gondola key cutscene. If you do not pick the key up again, you have to repeat the route.
• The final ascent. A fall resets the climb.
• Collectible detours. A single note can cost a minute; a stuffed animal can cost a run.

The game's checkpoints are generous, so a death is not catastrophic. But in a speedrun, every reset adds up.

Route notes for New Game Plus

New Game Plus unlocks after the credits, and the modifiers are tied to amber collection. The four modifiers are:

• Body-cam presentation.
• Slippery surfaces.
• Death if you stop moving for a couple of seconds.
• Low gravity.

Low gravity changes jump distances and swing timing. Slippery surfaces change every landing. The stop-moving modifier is the most demanding; it turns every note and cutscene into a potential death. If you are routing NG+, learn the modifier behavior before you attempt a timed run.

FAQ

Is there a world record for Terrible Lizards? Not an established one. The game is new, and the community route is still being optimized. Treat any posted time as a community run, not an official record.

What is the fastest way to finish the story? Skip collectibles, follow the critical path, and learn the four chapter gates. The route is more important than movement tech.

Can you skip chapters? No. The chapters are sequential. Level select unlocks after you finish the story.

Are there glitches? No major game-breaking glitches are known in the current build. Patch 1.0.9 fixed several progression bugs, so older versions may behave differently.

What is the hardest part of a speedrun? The final ascent in Chapter 4. It is a fixed movement sequence with a fall reset.

Do you need to collect amber for New Game Plus? The modifiers unlock in groups of four amber. You do not need all 16 to finish the story, but the modifiers are tied to the collection.

What to read next

The movement guide covers the tech behind the shortcuts. The chase sequences guide explains the encounter routes, and the bosses guide covers the creatures.

For the full route, start with the walkthrough. If you are hunting achievements instead of time, read the achievements guide.

Sources

• Terrible Lizards on Steam — release date, patch notes, and achievement list.
• Steam news hub for Terrible Lizards — patch 1.0.9 and developer Q&A.
• PlayStation Blog developer interview — movement design and skill ceiling.
• Xbox Wire: Movement Is Your Weapon — the no-combat, movement-first design.

Official source: Terrible Lizards on Steam — release date, price, platforms, and patch notes.