The Leaf it Alone Any% world record is 20:49.950 by SonOfTheNerd on speedrun.com. Runners clear only the story areas, use leaf inlets and race through the garage door, then crawl into the secret room. The game supports LiveSplit and, since update 1.1, a built-in speedrun timer.
Current World Records
The official leaderboard lives on speedrun.com. These are the top times for the original Hometown map as of November 2, 2026. SonOfTheNerd currently holds first place in all four main categories.
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any% | SonOfTheNerd 20:49.950 | PremixedGen 22:30.809 | Secentac 22:52.086 |
| All Leaves | SonOfTheNerd 25:43.062 | PlazmaNinjoob 28:01.941 | Zmarfan 28:16.437 |
| All Objectives | SonOfTheNerd 26:11.326 | maximusbuddy 29:07.879 | PlazmaNinjoob 30:01.928 |
| 100% | SonOfTheNerd 1:17:20.875 | lunasmoonfox 1:32:17.876 | PronKill 2:09:54.763 |
Speedrun Categories Explained
Any% is the simplest category: reach the ending as fast as possible. All Leaves requires every leaf collected, and bagging them is enough as long as the summary shows 100%. All Objectives requires every journal objective.
The 100% category requires all 18 original achievements, so it needs two playthroughs with their in-game times added together. No Inlets is like Any% but without using any leaf inlet. Max% asks you to earn the maximum $736.90 shekleaves as fast as possible.
Timers, LiveSplit and Leaderboards
Patch 1.0.12 added LiveSplit integration for speedrunners. Update 1.1 then added a built-in game timer that shows your best Any%, All Leaves or All Objectives time. The timer is off by default and turns on in the settings.
The game also has its own Steam leaderboards in the Rankings panel. Custom Mode runs still count on the leaderboard if you enable Ranked, which enforces default settings. Ranked Custom runs skip cutscenes and let you restart from the pause menu.
The Core Any% Route
Every route follows the story chain to the secret room. Runners start with the free porch inlet for instant money, then clean the Porch for bag tying. A speed bonus from the Driveway or Front Yard sets up the garage sprint.
- Free porch inlet, then the Porch for bag tying.
- Driveway or Front Yard for +0.2 m/s.
- Garage sprint from the shed button.
- Basement, then the Shed (buy the Rake).
- Pool with its $15 inlet.
- Swings ($6 inlet) and Greenhouse ($25 inlet).
- Basement vent to the secret room.
LunasSkip and No-Skip Runs
LunasMoonFox found a movement trick known as LunasSkip, or the bag skip. There is a Steam guide, a speedrun.com guide and a YouTube tutorial for it. Some runners label their videos No Skip to show they did not use it.
The developers have patched some movement exploits over time. Patch 1.0.6 stopped climbing over throwables into restricted areas, and 1.0.8 added colliders so stacked bags cannot be used to jump between areas. Check speedrun.com for what is allowed today.
Speedrun Tips
Press V to show only the current area's leaves and spot stragglers fast. Practise jump-throwing bags into bins, because missed throws cost time. Grab leaves while moving between areas for extra money.
Pausing pauses the in-game timer, so learning runs can stop to check notes. Backing up your save before the garage sprint lets you practise that part alone. Watching a full run helps you learn the lines.
Upgrade Order Used by Runners
Early money goes into the hand, because cheap upgrades pay off immediately. A common route buys Greedy Grasp 1 for $0.10, then Greedy Grasp 2 and Dexterity 1 within the first few bags. The Medium bag follows as soon as you can afford $0.75.
| Hand upgrade | Price | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid Picker | $0.40 | Hold the mouse button instead of clicking |
| Greedy Grasp 1 / 2 / 3 | $0.10 / $0.50 / $1.75 | Grab more leaves at once |
| Greedy Grasp 4 / 5 | $3.50 / $5.75 | Grab more leaves at once |
| Dexterity 1 to 5 | $0.25 to $4.50 | Pick-up time from 0.5s down to 0.2s |
After the Shed, the Rake and its upgrades take over. Sweep Radius, Handle Length and Leaf Stickness are bought as money comes in. The Leaf Blower and its Power and Air Spread upgrades are used for the Greenhouse.
Leaf Inlet Costs
Inlets are the biggest time saver in any Any% route. Repairing one lets you sweep or blow leaves straight in for instant money. The No Inlets category exists precisely because they speed things up so much.
| Leaf inlet | Repair cost |
|---|---|
| Porch, right side | $0 |
| Porch, left side | $3 |
| Court side of the garage | $3 |
| Swings, back of the garage | $6 |
| Grill area, house side | $10 |
| Pool | $15 |
| Maze, back of the house | $20 |
| Path to the Greenhouse | $25 |
Most routes use the free porch inlet, then the Pool, Swings and Greenhouse inlets. Keep $15, $6 and $25 ready for them. Running short means raking more leaves into the inlet you already own.
The Garage Door Trick
The garage door is the first real execution check in every run. Stand in the shed doorway so the button is barely visible, and hold it until the TV shows the door fully open. The button releases on its own shortly after.
One route hugs the porch stairs, jumps onto the flowers and cuts toward the rain pipe. With the Driveway speed bonus, this makes the door on the first try. Bunny-hopping helps if you have no sprint yet.
Speedrunning the New Maps
Update 1.1 kept LiveSplit support on the Castle and Sakura maps. The built-in timer also works there and shows your best time per category. Custom Mode lets you pick which map to play directly.
Runners have already started posting runs of the new maps on YouTube. Sakura adds a mini tractor with a Sport Mode and speed upgrades. Expect new routes and categories as the community learns them.
Speedrun Achievement: Need for Sweep
Finishing the story in under 40 minutes unlocks Need for Sweep. It is the rarest Hometown achievement at 6.7% of Steam players. Top runners finish in about half that time.
A relaxed sub-40 route still uses the same chain of areas and inlets as Any%. The main difference is fewer tricks and more safety margin. Our under 40 minutes guide has a simple checklist.
Runs Worth Watching
Secentac's 22:52 Any% No Skip run is the most viewed Leaf it Alone speedrun on YouTube, with over 340,000 views. LunasMoonFox's 23:32 Any% run has around 140,000 views. ScoobysBooty has both an Any% run and a commentary video for getting under 40 minutes.
If your goal is the Need for Sweep achievement, you only need under 40 minutes. See the Need for Sweep guide for a relaxed route. Runners have also started on the new 1.1 maps.