What is a god run in gaming?
A "god run" refers to completing multiple notoriously challenging video games in succession without taking any hits or dying even once. Seen as the holy grail for elite gamers, a god run represents the ultimate test of skill, mental fortitude, and persistence.
The Origin Story of the God Run
The first ever god run was pioneered in 2016 by Twitch streamer The Happy Hob. He shocked the gaming world by completing a completely no-hit run of all five brutal FromSoftware Soulsborne games back-to-back: Demon‘s Souls, Dark Soul 1, 2, 3 and Bloodborne.
This feat was previously considered impossible, even among the most hardcore fans. Prominent Soulsborne streamer Elajjaz famously stated he didn‘t believe anyone would ever achieve a full Souls no-hit run. But The Happy Hob‘s monumental achievement shattered expectations and immediately cemented his god-like status.
| Game | Release Year | Time Taken |
|---|---|---|
| Demon‘s Souls | 2009 | 42 hours |
| Dark Souls | 2011 | 105 hours |
| Dark Souls 2 | 2014 | 96 hours |
| Bloodborne | 2015 | 59 hours |
| Dark Souls 3 | 2016 | 55 hours |
*Completion times statistics according to HowLongToBeat.com
Other elite gamers later built upon The Happy Hob‘s god run by incorporating additional FromSoftware cult classics like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring into their epic feats. Their back-to-back no-hit runs across all games also captured the imagination of scores of passionate fans across the globe.
The Intense Rules and Difficulty of God Runs
Completing a herculean god run requires following an intensely strict set of rules:
- No hits or damage taken at all
- No deaths permitted throughout
- No healing via spells, items, bonuses
- Entire run must be done back-to-back
- Quitting out of a game equals resetting the full run
With these uncompromising stipulations, god runs represent the absolute peak of challenge runs. Most average gamers struggle to complete even one FromSoftware game without dying constantly, let alone seven of them flawlessly in succession!
The path to godhood is long, arduous and painful. Only gaming legends possessing profound expertise have managed to reach such astronomic heights. Let‘s take a closer look at why god runs require borderline superhuman gaming skills.
Mental Stamina Over 120 Hours
Beating seven notoriously difficult games without hits could easily take over 120 hours non-stop. Maintaining peak concentration for so long is mentally crushing. Fatigue starts heavily deteriorating reflexes and focus well before hitting the 100 hour mark for most humans.
But god run victors need to retain their decision making, strategic thinking and reaction time all the way till final boss falls. The sheer prolonged mental taxation borders on inhumane torture for all but gaming‘s cognitively elite.
Pixel Perfect Technique Across Thousands of Enemies
The Soulsborne series and Elden Ring contain thousands of unique lethal enemies and bosses. Each has creative attacks and behaviors meant specifically to entrap and destroy you. Surviving them all flawlessly requires executing precise movements and attacks frame by frame.
Against nourishing beast Cleric in Bloodborne for example, one microsecond slower on a dodge guarantees being smashed by its giant mace. Running straight into its chest lets it grab and chew through your hunter‘s neck. Only choosing the exact correct angles of approach whileattacking in tiny exploitable windows allows coming away unscathed.
Multiplying such infinitesimally slim survival paths across so many enemies and seven full-length games strains sanity. Only masters with enormous battlefield experience can intuit and move with such accuracy through literal days of consecutive play.
Encyclopedic Game Knowledge Across Massive Worlds
FromSoftware RPG worlds are intentionally designed with obscure secrets and dangers to wreck incautious travelers. Charming chests transform into iron-mawed mimics. Spectacular vistas hide dragon ambushes. Grabbing items may trigger lethal traps. Behind beautiful facades lie endless creative ways to die.
But god run victors memorize all sneaky tricks across the sprawling open worlds. For Elden Ring‘s Lands Between alone, that easily encompasses over 100 square miles of terrain holding thousands of weapon abilities, spells, crafting ingredients and more. Yet they recall layouts and events with savant-like clarity despite normal brains biologically struggling to retain so much complex data.
Infinite Persistence Through Utter Defeat
The road to godhood swallows whole the dreams of countless competitors. Attempting perfection across so many games over so many hours inevitably results in getting struck down eventually. Perhaps an accidental misplaced roll, distracted glance away or brief lag spike destroys 100+ hours of progress instantly.
Many promising potential legends burned out after just one heartbreaking failed run. But the steel-willed few persist through soul crushing despair of witnessing days of flawless grace disintegrate. After each catastrophic failure, they rise again fueled by obsession to capture the gaming holy grail.
The Few God Slayers Who Reached Mythical Status
To date, only two gamers have successfully completed full god runs of all current FromSoftware titles back-to-back without damage:
1. The Happy Hob
The first gamer who initially attained godhood, The Happy Hob took approximately one year to finish his original five game run starting February 2016. His initial reactions after taking the final critical blow against Soul of Cinder in Dark Souls 3 echoed through gaming history:
"We got him! Let‘s gooooo! Finally! My god!"
The monumental feat immediately ignited him into Twitch streaming fame and fortune. His pioneering god run remains the stuff of legend and catalyzed the rise of the wider challenge running community.
2. Otzdarva
Popular Dead by Daylight streamer Otzdarva spent years honing his skills before triumphantly taking up the god run mantle recently in December 2022. His reactions upon landing Elden Ring‘s final attack highlighted immense elation:
"Let‘s go! We‘ve done it! Seven games in a row!"
By succeeding at the expanded seven game god run including smash hit Elden Ring in only 17 attempts, Otzdarva cemented his warrior name in gaming immortality.
Their superhuman achievements will likely stand unmatched for years until another challenger with sufficient skill, grit and mental fortitude emerges to etches their names alongside legends.
Preparing For Godhood Through Rigorous Training
For hopeful god run aspirants, understanding what it takes to walk the razor thin line between glorious success and agonizing defeat is critical before attempting the journey.
Based on accounts of exalted god run victors, preparing involves incredibly rigorous training across multiple stages:
1. Individual Game Mastery
First ensure flawlessly beating each selected game individually through repeat no hit attempts. Etch enemy movesets into muscle memory through countless rematches.
2. Trilogy / Duology Dry Runs
Group sets of similar games like Dark Souls trilogy and playthrough without hits. Analyze areas of weakness. Recalibrate strategies accordingly.
3. Marathon Short Run Attempts
Do full god run attempts on smaller game lists to condition mental stamina. Use failures to identify weak points and modify tactics.
4. Final Full Run Attempts
Go for actual full god run glory only after having cleared prior training gates. Minimize weaknesses and maximize endurance for best final success odds.
The path to godhood is long and intense. But for those seeking gaming‘s highest echelons, hope lies in heroic legends having already blazed the trail to Olympus. Stay tuned for further amazing achievements as more hyper-talented challengers step forward with eyes upon the prize!
