Rules and regulations

To ensure that all scores and times on this website are legit, a few simple rules need to be put in place. Most of these can be broken by the persistent cheater and this website is largely built around good faith; be good!

Only one account per person is allowed. Do not submit runs using alternate accounts.


Community Rules


Breaking any of our community rules in a video submitted to MossRanking will be banned from MossRanking. Rules include but are not limited to:

  • No discrimination or hate speech will be tolerated at all. This includes racism, sexism, and homophobia. No racial or sexist slurs.
  • No spamming or threats at another member of the Spelunky Discord server.
  • No graphic material or discussion is allowed. This includes pornographic content.
Also see our Code of Conduct for participating in the community below.

Acknowledgement of Rules


All run submissions in the future will require acknowledging that you read the rules and that you agree that the run is in accordance with the rules.


Verification Edge Cases


  • If a run did not qualify for the top 10 of a category but is later moved to the top 10 (such as in the case of a player deleting their runs) the run will need to undergo the verification process if it has not already in order to qualify for the new ranking.
  • To avoid verification problems arising such as audio becoming muted due to copyright, it is encouraged to store a local recording of the run at least until the run becomes "Verified"
  • In certain circumstances, a run that is "Verified" can later be unverified if new evidence is discovered that would make the run unverified. However, circumstances outside of the runners control such as a run losing its audio due to copyright is not something that would make the run lose verified status.

To summarize, if you are aiming to get runs in the top 10 of any category you will want to ensure you follow the video and audio standards and avoid any mods not explicitly allowed above.

Code of Conduct

MossRanking is a collective of individuals dedicated to creating a healthy and inclusive space for Spelunky players to collaborate, communicate, and compete with one another. The care and consideration of the community is what keeps MossRanking moving forward. To continue to ensure the community is as healthy as possible, we encourage all participants to understand and abide by the following Code of Conduct.

1. Community

  1. MossRanking is an inclusive community and welcomes individuals of any identity, orientation, and ability. We do not condone exclusionary behavior or hateful speech towards others.
  2. MossRanking is run voluntarily by community members who have dedicated time, energy, and finances to keep things running smoothly. Please understand and respect these efforts when discussing ideas.
  3. There is a person behind every screen. We should always aim to be understanding and empathetic towards others, even when differences in opinion arise.
  4. Harassment within the boundaries of the community will not be tolerated. While MossRanking does not oversee all private and public spaces involved, we uphold a duty to minimize any potential harm that could befall members of the community, even in places of privacy.

2. Development

  1. MossRanking operates with some expectations of adherence towards the contents of Spelunky and its design. We aim to accommodate a variety of categories and features for the community, but will encourage such additions to remain faithful to the game itself. Exceptionally specific ideas, or ideas that deviate from and/or modify the game’s design will be met with greater scrutiny.
  2. MossRanking is run by the community and for the community. While some dedicated members have been given privileges to direct discussions and decide certain outcomes, they are expected to adhere to the best interests of the community first and foremost.
  3. MossRanking is always evolving. While we aim to be steadfast in meeting the needs of the community, some unavoidable burdens will fall upon the technical or cultural sides of development. Please be considerate of when these difficulties arise.

3. Fair Play

  1. When participating in MossRanking leaderboards, players are expected to read and understand the rules of each game and category documented on the website. Misunderstandings, should they arise, should attempt to be resolved through communication with other community members.
  2. Barring some significant circumstances, the deletion of runs is generally frowned upon and should be avoided. This is especially true of current and former world record runs, as the website aims to document these runs as well as rate all other runs relative to them. While you will never be forced to submit runs, please do so with the intent to have them remain on the website. On some occasions, publicized world records may be posted to MossRanking on behalf of an individual outside the community. Such runs can be removed if requested by the individual.
  3. When competing within the MossRanking community, competition should remain friendly and uplifting. An individual's profile, personal bests, or run preferences should never be used as an excuse to spur negativity towards others. We should always seek to be gracious and encouraging of others, even when their runs may surpass our own, to ensure that the competitive environment is welcoming to anybody involved. Lifting others up will always be more rewarding than tearing others down.

4. Enforcement

Violations of the Code of Conduct will be reviewed by MossRanking moderators and governors to determine the most appropriate actions moving forward. In most cases, any misunderstanding or violation of the above will result in a warning to the individual in question. Significant and/or repeated instances may lead to removal from our community Discord server and MossRanking itself. If you see or experience any violations of the above statements, do not hesitate to reach out to trusted community members to report them. Such reports can be anonymized if preferred.

You can report issues that stem from:

  • MossRanking
  • MossRanking Discord
  • Spelunky Discord (aka Speedrun/Community Discord)
  • Spelunky 2 Discord (aka Official/Developer Discord)
  • Any community involved Discord servers (public or private)
  • Community and MossRanking events
  • r/spelunky Subreddit
  • Social media websites (Twitter, Facebook, etc)
  • Content platforms (Twitch, YouTube, etc)
  • Direct messages

If you see or experience any violations elsewhere that still are relevant to the community, we encourage you to report those as well. The list above serves as a guideline.

5. Outreach

When issues arise, it is important for them to be addressed appropriately and timely. In many cases, we rely on communication from the community to be able to meet these expectations. As such, we encourage you to be ready and prepared to reach out to moderation.

Visit the Staff page to learn about who you can contact about any issues.

Consider joining the MossDev Discord server to keep up with development, report bugs, and request communication with a moderator.

  • Adventure mode, Unseeded unless otherwise specified.
  • No daily challenges for non-daily categories. As the seeds of daily challenges can be worked out, we allow only runs in the ordinary play mode. Please include in your video proof either the main menu or previous run's death.
  • Only solo runs. Unless specified otherwise in the category description, only solo Adventure runs starting in 1-1 are allowed.
  • Segment Categories. For submissions in these categories, runs must feature the entirety of the run beginning from 1-1 or a valid shortcut and may end after the level/area is completed. For ease of verification, include a timestamp in your submission's link or comment. To submit an individual level, enter your Level Time or Level Score displayed in the level transition. Otherwise, to calculate your time or score, subtract your overall total at entry from your overall total after completing the segment. If you cannot get your exact timings, round up to the next second. The Time tracker from Modlunky may also be used for IL times.
  • Score. Infinite score strategies (e.g. collecting coins from the Ghist for the same Hired Hand multiple times) are not allowed.
  • Pausing. Pausing during an In-Game Time (IGT) run can give advantages to the player that take away from the spirit of speedrunning Spelunky. There are many gray areas when it comes to pausing, so pausing is looked at on a case-by-case basis. Pausing may lead to a time penalty greater than or equal to the amount of time spent paused or in extreme cases removal of the run.

    The following types of pauses are examples that could potentially lead to a time penalty or run removal:

    • - Entering the Options menu or disconnecting the controller during a level, stopping the timer (time penalty only)
    • - Pausing for strategic purposes (planning movements, observing the area, etc.)
    • - Pausing to buffer one or more inputs
    • - Pauses to clear dialogue or level feeling text
    • - Excessive pausing

    These examples do not cover all cases but are listed to give an idea of what to avoid when pausing during a run. Taking breaks or changing options during level transitions is allowed. Pausing in Score and RTA categories is allowed.

  • No hacks. All hacks that change the game code to make the game easier for the player are disallowed. On the other hand, tampering with the save file to manipulate which characters are locked/unlocked is allowed. If you want to be the safe side, just stick to vanilla Spelunky.
  • Tools. Tools that modify the game or read the memory of the game are banned except for the ones listed below:
  • Macros. Macros execute pre-defined combinations or sequences of multiple inputs, or a pre-defined duration of a single input. Macros are banned during all circumstances where time is advancing during a run, both IGT and RTA. Macros used outside of a run as part of setup, such as menuing for data management before a run's timer has started, are allowed.
  • Audio Proof Standards. The top 10 runs in a category require in-game sounds. Music can be muted.
  • Video Proof Standards. The top 10 runs in a category require "passable" video quality. This will be judged more case by case as it is hard to set hardline rules for all the variables in video, but good rules to keep in mind to ensure verification are:
    • - Full capture of the entire game
    • - No cropping mistakes
    • - Consistent FPS above 24
    • - Overlays such as webcam are allowed, however, please avoid covering in game timer or HUD.
    • - HUD must have Level Timer set to Level/Total. Level Number may be turned off.
    • - Overlays such as trackers should have transparency if possible.
    • - An excessive number of frame drops may cause the run to be invalidated
  • Console / Version Differences. All retail releases updated to the current version as of the date performed are allowed. Runs can be retroactively taken down if they are using a patched mechanic, on a case-by-case basis.

Modding

  • Spelunker/Hired Help/Eggplant Child Skin Mods. Allow all except ones that blatantly attempt to abuse opacity or hitbox detection, this includes whip and ropes. Example skins that are not allowed is an invisible spelunker or a spelunker that shows the outline of the hitbox. Allow all modification of stickers, menu_leader, and journal entries for characters. Heart colors and gender via Playlunky are also allowed.
  • Pet Skin Mods. Allow all except ones that are blatantly oversized for increased visibility. Pet images related to the journal and menus may be updated as well.
  • Enemy Skin Mods. Only allow Olmec mods.
  • P1 Indicator. Can be modded in such a way to remove it from solo play.
  • Item /Entity / Equippable Skin Mods. Full ban on all item, entity, and equippable skin mods except the rope or whip (see above).
  • Terrain Mods. Full ban on terrain mods.
  • Decoration Mods. With the exception of the head decorations in the Udjat Chest room, all decoration mods are banned.
  • Text Mods. Journal entries, with the exception of the tablet, may be modified. Character and Pet names may be modified. Dialogue spoken in camp may by modified. In general anything that impacts gameplay such as shop messages, the tablet, etc are banned.
  • Audio (SFX) Mods. Full ban on audio mods.
  • Music Mods. Full ban on all music mods (see audio proof standards).