The only thing more satisfying in video games than beating them is beating them as quickly as possible. This is why a section of the gaming community is entirely dedicated to speed-running, which both takes advantage of the tools given to them by a game and also looks for ways to break the game itself to complete something faster.
But while a lot of games aren't necessarily tailored to speed runners, there are a variety of games that include time trials as a key part of the gameplay. This spans many genres, but the important thing to note is that Time Trial games keep track of how fast the player is and sometimes rewards them for speediness. Only a handful of games do time trials well.
10 Astro's Playroom
At the launch of the PlayStation 5, one of the most talked about games was Astro's Playroom, a pack-in game from Team Asobi that showed off a bit of what the system's hardware could do and an overall celebration of PlayStation. But while there is a primary campaign for players to complete, there is also an entire section dedicated to time trials.
Called the Network Speed Run, players are able to dive into any of the maps that differed slightly from the main levels but are designed specifically for speed-running. Beyond just regular platforming, the mode also features many of the unique abilities that Astro's Playroom uses to showcase the DualSense controller.
9 PogoChamp
There's been a lot of different vehicles that have been used in video games, but one that doesn't get the spotlight often is a pogo stick. PogoChamp is a celebration of the various tricks that a person can pull off while placing players in absurd scenarios.
Each level of PogoChamp puts players in a different situation, but the main goal of each level is to reach the end of said level in a specific amount of time. How fast the player is determines how many stars they earn, with stars needed to continue to unlock more of the game. There is also a leaderboard where players can watch replays of performances to learn new tricks.
8 Clustertruck
Sure, driving a truck seems like a lot of fun, but it is even more of a thrill to run across the top of trucks as they are driving off the side of a cliff. That is the general premise of Clustertruck, a game where players need to survive by jumping across moving trucks and getting to the finish line.
Set in a variety of different biomes and time periods, Clustertruck puts the player in a variety of weird situations that will require them to strategize how to keep moving forward and what trucks they can trust are stable enough to get on top of. Each level is timed and players can view how well they perform on a leaderboard.
7 Trackmania Turbo
Racing games are typically synchronous against other opponents, but Trackmania has long embraced the idea of prioritizing how quick it is to finish a course versus getting first place against opponents. The highest-rated title in the series on Metacritic is Trackmania Turbo.
There are 200 tracks that players can take on that are spread across four different regions. Along with a single-player campaign that focuses on awarding medals for how quickly a player can beat a course, there is also a co-op mode that has two players attempting to control one vehicle.
6 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
One game that has long had a massive time trial mode is Mario Kart, which has players attempting to complete a course on their own as quickly as they can. While many games in the franchise are great, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features multiple ghosts to defeat per track and has the most tracks in the entire franchise.
Each track has two "Staff Ghosts" for players to attempt to beat. One is attached to 150cc, which used to be the highest speed in the Mario Kart franchise. However, the addition of 200cc in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe led to the creation of a second Staff Ghost for each course, allowing players to complete time trials on 200cc and beat a new ghost.
5 Mirror's Edge
EA has a lot of notable titles, but one that hasn't gotten a nod in a while is Mirror's Edge, a single-player action platformer that mainly revolves around shooting at enemies while jumping across rooftops. But while the campaign is fun initially, the game gets more exciting when time trial mode is unlocked.
As series protagonist Faith Connors, Mirror's Edge tasks the player to complete a series of levels where they are attempting to deliver messages while escaping from surveillance. In the time trial mode, players will complete a series of courses and try to break the target time on each of them.
4 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
A lot of Nintendo 2D platformers typically have some kind of time component, mainly a clock ticking down and a player needing to reach the end before time runs out. But with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, a time attack mode challenges players to try to beat a level in the fastest time possible.
While this isn't necessarily a new feature with the franchise, Tropical Freeze features an online leaderboard that records every player's best time and, with the top players for each level, allows other players to view their run as a method to get other people to try to climb the leaderboard.
3 Trials Evolution
The entire Trials franchise from Ubisoft is based on the premise of time trials, so it makes sense that the series would nail how much fun it is to chase a better time in each of its levels. The best the franchise has been is with Trials Evolution, which came out in 2012.
While Trials Evolution does have a mode where up to four players can race against each other on a map, the real fun comes in driving a motorcycle through a rigorous course to get to the end as soon as possible. On top of the physics platforming skills, some players can use their creativity to create tracks for people to attempt as well.
2 Neon White
Time trials tend to either be a small part of a game or the main gameplay loop that players need to excel in to keep moving forward. Few games have done this better than Neon White, a game all about rushing through a level as fast as possible and killing all the demons that may stand in the player's way.
As a neon who was brought to heaven to clean up, players take on the role of White as he runs through different levels and uses cards to shoot at enemies. However, these cards can also produce different platforming techniques that help clear a level quicker and easier. Playing with these dynamics and going for the best time possible is key to success in Neon White.
1 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
One of the major franchises to always embrace time trial mechanics is Crash, from its mainline platformers to its racing spin-offs. One of its newest entries, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, makes going for the best time in each level incredibly satisfying thanks to how layered it is.
Once any level is beaten in the game, the player can start the level again and activate the time trial by collecting a stopwatch at the start. From here, players will try to get to the end while breaking crates that freeze time for a specific duration. Players can earn three different relics in Crash 4, with Sapphire being the easiest time to earn and Platinum being the hardest.