Skate Story Developer Reacts to Incredible Speedrun

IGN
IGNApr 25, 2026

Why It Matters

The run showcases Skate Story’s deep mechanics and community engagement, while highlighting QA gaps that developers must address to sustain credibility and growth.

Key Takeaways

  • Speedrunner completed 6‑hour game in 1h22m, shattering expectations.
  • Developer praised physics‑based combo system rewarding momentum over trick count.
  • Game’s nine chapters draw from Dante’s Inferno, each with distinct themes.
  • Boss fights integrate skate tricks, showcasing innovative design challenges.
  • Speedrun exposed QA gaps, revealing hidden glitches and shortcuts.

Summary

Skate Story developer Sam breaks down a record‑breaking speedrun of his indie skateboarding title, which compresses a six‑hour, nine‑chapter experience into just 1 hour 22 minutes.

The run skips tutorials, cutscenes, and even entire boss encounters, highlighting the game’s physics‑driven combo system that rewards momentum, big air and environmental interaction rather than sheer trick count. Sam notes that the power‑slide tutorial, Manhattan Bridge segment, and the “Tony Hawk” letter challenges were all breezed through in seconds.

He points out design inspirations—from Dante’s Inferno shaping each chapter’s aesthetic to a giant eye boss that must be defeated with high‑scoring tricks—and cites a two‑second tutorial completion as proof of the runner’s mastery. The soundtrack, contributed by Blood Cultures, and hand‑painted 4K textures further illustrate the game’s artistic ambition.

The speedrun exposes QA oversights, reveals hidden glitches, and demonstrates the community’s capacity to push the game’s limits, offering valuable feedback for future updates and marketing leverage.

Original Description

It took 6 years for Skate Story creator and solo developer Sam Eng to make this Dante's Inferno-inspired game. In this episode of Devs React, Sam watches his work get shredded in an incredible speedrun. Check out Sam's real-time commentary as he reacts to all the tricks in this Skate Story speedrun by Sladke.
Check out more from speedrunner Sladke:

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