Tooth Fae Speedrun Guide: Frame-Perfect Tricks & World Record Strategies 2025

Introduction: The Speedrun Scene

The Tooth Fae may have been created in 72 hours, but its speedrun optimization has consumed thousands of hours of community effort. What started as casual "how fast can you extract one tooth?" challenges has evolved into a competitive scene with multiple categories, documented strategies, and fierce competition for world records.

This guide compiles cutting-edge strategies developed by the top speedrunners, including frame-perfect inputs, routing optimization, and controversial techniques that push the game's mechanics to their absolute limits.

WARNING: This guide assumes expert-level knowledge of the game. If you haven't achieved 100% completion or mastered all victim types, start with the Beginner's Guide and Advanced Strategies guides first.

Speedrun Categories: The Competitive Landscape

The Tooth Fae speedrun community has established several official categories:

Category 1: Single Extraction - Heavy Sleeper (Any%)

Goal: Extract one tooth from a Heavy Sleeper victim as fast as possible

Current World Record: 2:47.3 (as of January 2025)

Difficulty: Moderate

RNG Factor: Low (Heavy Sleepers are consistent)

Why This Category: It's the entry point for competitive play. Optimizable but achievable. Most speedrunners start here.

Category 2: Single Extraction - Night Owl (Nightmare%)

Goal: Extract one tooth from a Night Owl/Insomniac victim as fast as possible

Current World Record: 4:52.1 (as of January 2025)

Difficulty: Extreme

RNG Factor: High (Lucidity tolerance varies)

Why This Category: The ultimate test of mechanical skill and execution under pressure.

Category 3: Full Collection (100%)

Goal: Collect all 16 unique teeth and fill the Queen's cabinet

Current World Record: 1:24:33 (as of January 2025)

Difficulty: Extreme

RNG Factor: High (house layout RNG, victim type RNG)

Why This Category: The endurance challenge. Requires 16 near-perfect extractions plus routing optimization.

Category 4: No Major Glitches (NMG)

Goal: Any of the above categories but without using major glitches

Restrictions: No tool stacking, no meter freezing, no OOB (out-of-bounds)

Difficulty: Higher than Any%

RNG Factor: Same as base category

Why This Category: For purists who want to compete within intended mechanics.

Category 5: Tool Restrictions

Variants:

- No Fairy Dust

- No Anesthetic

- Minimalist (minimum tool uses)

Why These Categories: Challenge categories for veteran speedrunners seeking new optimization puzzles.

Universal Speedrun Fundamentals

Before diving into category-specific strategies, master these universal techniques:

Frame-Perfect Inputs: The Basics

The Tooth Fae runs at 60 FPS (frames per second) in most browsers. This means:

- 1 second = 60 frames

- 1 frame = 0.0167 seconds

What "Frame-Perfect" Means: Executing an input on a specific single frame out of 60 per second. Missing by even 1 frame (0.0167 seconds) can cost you time or cause strategy failure.

Tools Needed:

- High refresh rate monitor (120Hz+ recommended)

- Stable internet connection (no frame drops)

- Input display overlay (to verify frame-perfect execution)

The Tool Queue System (Advanced Mechanic)

Discovery: Top speedrunner "SilentExtractor" discovered in late 2024 that tool inputs can be queued during animations.

How It Works:

1. You activate a tool (e.g., Fairy Dust)

2. During its 0.8-second application animation, you press the next tool's hotkey

3. The game queues this input and activates it immediately when the animation ends

Time Saved: Approximately 0.3-0.5 seconds per tool transition

Cumulative Saving: 3-5 seconds per extraction

Frame-Perfect Queue Timing:

- Press next tool input on frame 45-48 of the current tool's animation

- Too early (before frame 45): Input is ignored

- Too late (after frame 48): You miss the queue window and lose 0.3 seconds

Practice Method: Use a metronome set to 75 BPM and practice the rhythm: Tool → Count 1 → Count 2 → Count 3 → Next tool input

Ghost Step Frame Data

Standard Ghost Step: 0.15-second key tap

Optimized Ghost Step: 0.08-second key tap (5 frames)

Frame-Perfect Ghost Step: 0.05-second key tap (3 frames)

Fear Meter Increase by Step Type:

- Normal walk: +5% Fear per step

- Standard ghost step: +0% Fear

- Frame-perfect ghost step: +0% Fear (no advantage, just consistency)

Speedrun Implication: For Heavy Sleepers with high Fear resistance, you can actually use 0.12-second taps (7 frames) and still generate 0% Fear, allowing faster movement.

Routing Optimization: Top speedrunners have mapped every house layout and calculated the frame-perfect movement sequence for minimum time to bedside.

The "Tool Swap Glitch" (Controversial)

Discovery: In October 2024, speedrunner "NocturnalFae" discovered that rapidly switching between tools (under 0.1 seconds) occasionally causes meter increases to not register.

How to Execute:

1. Drill for exactly 0.5 seconds

2. Switch to Forceps

3. Switch back to Drill within 0.08 seconds (5 frames)

4. Pain meter increase from drilling does not register

Controversy:

- Is this a glitch or an intended mechanic? (Community debate ongoing)

- Banned in NMG (No Major Glitches) categories

- Allowed in Any% categories

Consistency: Only works ~70% of the time. Top runners can achieve 85% consistency with practice.

Time Saved: 2-4 seconds per extraction (fewer tool applications needed)

Ethical Debate: Some runners consider this glitch exploitation. Others argue it's an advanced technique. Check category rules before using in competitive runs.

Category 1: Single Extraction - Heavy Sleeper (Any%) Strategies

The most popular speedrun category. Current world record is 2:47.3. Sub-2:30 is theoretically possible but has never been achieved.

The World Record Route (Frame-by-Frame)

Phase 1: Entry (0:00 - 0:15)

Frame 1-60 (0:00-1:00):

- Spawn outside house

- Immediately hold W (no ghost step needed for Heavy Sleeper)

- Navigate straight to bedroom door

- Target time: Reach bedroom door by 0:12

Optimization: House layout RNG affects this. Speedrunners reset runs if they get unfavorable layouts (bedroom far from entrance). Optimal layout: bedroom adjacent to entrance.

Frame 61-180 (1:01-3:00):

- Enter bedroom

- Approach bedside

- Position directly at victim's head (precise positioning matters for tool reach)

- Target time: In position by 0:15

Phase 2: Aggressive Tool Sequence (0:15 - 2:30)

The "5-Tool Stack" Technique:

This is the current meta for world-record pace. It front-loads all tool applications before any drilling.

Frame 180-240 (3:00-4:00): Fairy Dust × 3 (queued)

- Frame 180: Activate Fairy Dust (hotkey 1)

- Frame 228: Queue second Dust input

- Frame 276: Queue third Dust input

- Lucidity drops to ~15% (from 30% starting)

Frame 241-300 (4:01-5:00): Anesthetic × 2 (queued)

- Frame 240: Activate Anesthetic (hotkey 2)

- Frame 288: Queue second Anesthetic input

- Pain buffer created: can sustain ~60% pain before danger

Frame 301-360 (5:01-6:00): Hook

- Frame 301: Activate Hook (hotkey 3)

- Mouth opened

Phase 3: Drill Cycle (0:16 - 2:20)

The "Burst-Wait-Burst" Pattern:

Cycle 1 (Frame 361-480):

- Drill for 2.0 seconds (120 frames) - Frame 361-481

- Pain increases to ~40%

- Fear increases to ~25%

- Wait 0.5 seconds (30 frames) for Fear natural decay - Frame 481-511

Cycle 2 (Frame 512-631):

- Drill for 2.0 seconds - Frame 512-632

- Pain increases to ~55%

- Fear increases to ~35% (then decays to ~30%)

- Wait 0.5 seconds - Frame 632-662

Cycle 3 (Frame 663-782):

- Drill for 2.0 seconds - Frame 663-783

- Pain increases to ~68%

- Fear increases to ~42% (then decays to ~37%)

- Tooth bleeding signal appears (Frame ~770)

Phase 4: Extraction (2:20 - 2:40)

Frame 783-843:

- Activate Forceps (hotkey 5)

- Extraction animation (1.0 seconds)

- Tooth acquired (Frame 843)

Phase 5: Exit (2:40 - 2:47)

Frame 844-1000:

- Turn 180 degrees (instant camera rotation)

- Hold W to bedroom door

- Exit house

- Run complete (Frame ~1000 = 2:47 at 60 FPS)

Optimization Strategies for Sub-2:30

Current Barrier: The world record of 2:47 is close to optimal for standard strategies. Breaking 2:30 requires:

1. Perfect Tool Queueing: Zero delay between all tool transitions (saves ~2 seconds)

2. Bleeding Early Recognition: Extract at Stage 3 bleeding instead of Stage 4 (saves ~3 seconds)

3. Optimal House Layout RNG: Bedroom immediately adjacent to spawn (saves ~4 seconds)

4. Tool Swap Glitch Usage: Reduce drilling cycles from 3 to 2 (saves ~3 seconds)

Total Potential Savings: 12 seconds → Theoretical best: 2:35

Why Sub-2:30 Hasn't Been Achieved: Requires ALL optimizations in a single run, including RNG luck. Estimated probability: ~1 in 500 runs.

Category 2: Single Extraction - Night Owl (Nightmare%) Strategies

The most mechanically demanding category. Current world record: 4:52.1. Sub-4:00 is considered theoretically impossible by most runners.

The Core Challenge

Night Owls have:

- 60-70% starting Lucidity (vs. 20-30% for Heavy Sleepers)

- Lucidity increases 50% faster

- Fairy Dust effectiveness diminishes over time (tolerance build-up)

- Any mistake causes instant failure

Result: You have approximately 90 seconds before Lucidity becomes unmanageable, yet the extraction requires 5-7 drill cycles.

The World Record Strategy: "Dust Blitz"

Phase 1: Emergency Suppression (0:00 - 0:20)

Frames 1-120 (0:00-2:00):

- Ghost step to bedside (no normal walking allowed)

- Immediately deploy Fairy Dust × 4 (queued)

- Lucidity drops from 65% to 35%

- Critical: All 4 Dust applications must be queued perfectly

Phase 2: Hyper-Aggressive Drilling (0:20 - 4:30)

The "Drill-Dust Rhythm":

Unlike Heavy Sleepers where you can drill for 2+ seconds, Night Owls require 0.8-second drill bursts.

Pattern (repeats 5-7 times):

- Drill: 0.8 seconds (48 frames)

- Fairy Dust: Immediate application (queued)

- Anesthetic: Applied every 2nd cycle

- Total cycle time: ~15 seconds

Critical Timing: If Lucidity hits 90%, immediate Dust × 2 application required or run is dead.

Advanced Technique: "Lucidity Stalling"

Discovery: Speedrunner "InsomniaStalker" discovered in December 2024 that opening the tool menu (hotkey Tab) pauses Lucidity increase for 0.3 seconds.

Exploitation: During drill cycles, rapidly tap Tab between drill bursts to "stall" Lucidity progression.

Frame-Perfect Execution:

- Drill for 48 frames

- Tab key on frame 49 (open menu)

- Tab key on frame 51 (close menu)

- Fairy Dust queued on frame 52

Time Saved: Stalls Lucidity progression by ~1.5 seconds per extraction

Difficulty: Extremely high (requires sub-0.1-second precision)

Consistency: Top runners achieve ~60% consistency

Controversy: Many runners consider this an unintended exploit. Not banned currently, but under review.

The Sub-4:00 Barrier

Why It's Considered Impossible:

Mathematical modeling by the speedrun community suggests:

- Minimum drilling time to achieve bleeding: 4.8 seconds (6 cycles × 0.8 seconds)

- Minimum tool application time: 2.5 seconds (Dust, Anesthetic, Hook)

- Minimum movement time: 0.9 seconds (approach + exit)

- Total: 8.2 seconds of required actions

But:

- Lucidity management requires ~40 seconds of Fairy Dust applications

- Extraction and exit: ~15 seconds

- Total minimum time: 8.2 + 40 + 15 = 63.2 seconds = 1:03

Yet the world record is 4:52. Why the discrepancy?

Answer: Lucidity tolerance build-up. After ~60 seconds, Fairy Dust effectiveness drops dramatically, requiring 2-3 doses to achieve the same suppression as 1 dose initially. This adds ~3 minutes of management time.

Theoretical Sub-4:00 Strategy: Would require discovering a way to prevent Lucidity tolerance build-up or a completely new drilling technique that achieves bleeding in 3-4 cycles instead of 6-7.

Current Community Consensus: Sub-4:30 is possible with perfect execution + RNG. Sub-4:00 requires new tech discovery.

Category 3: Full Collection (100%) Strategies

The endurance category. Current world record: 1:24:33. Requires 16 near-perfect extractions plus optimal victim selection routing.

Routing: The Critical Factor

Challenge: The 16 unique teeth are distributed across different victim types. You cannot know which houses contain which victim types until you enter.

Routing Strategies:

Strategy 1: Sequential Clearing (Safer, Slower)

- Clear all Heavy Sleepers first (5 teeth)

- Then all Fragile types (4 teeth)

- Then all Tough types (4 teeth)

- Finally Night Owls (3 teeth)

Average Time: 1:35:00 - 1:45:00

Strategy 2: Adaptive Routing (World Record Meta)

- Check multiple houses quickly to identify victim types

- Optimize order: Heavy → Fragile → Tough → Night Owl

- Skip unfavorable house layouts

- Minimize total movement time between houses

Average Time: 1:20:00 - 1:30:00 (with good RNG)

Strategy 3: Night Owl Front-Loading (Experimental)

- Complete Night Owls first while you're most focused

- Finish with easier Heavy Sleepers when fatigued

- Risky: Early failures destroy the run

Average Time: 1:25:00 - 1:35:00 (highly variable)

Stamina Management for Long Runs

The Fatigue Factor:

A 100% run requires 80-100 minutes of sustained concentration. Physical and mental fatigue dramatically increase error rates after the 10th extraction.

Optimization Strategies:

1. Micro-Breaks: 10-second breaks between houses to stretch hands

2. Hydration Timing: Drink water during town screen transitions (not during extractions)

3. Eye Rest: Look at a distant object for 5 seconds every 3 extractions

4. Mental Reset: If you make a mistake, don't let frustration cascade to next extraction

Consistency vs. Speed Trade-Off

World Record Approach: Prioritize consistency over individual extraction speed

- Better to complete 16 extractions at 5:30 each (88 minutes total)

- Than to attempt 3:30 extractions and fail 30% of the time

Optimization: World record holders aim for:

- Heavy Sleepers: 3:00-3:30 each (very safe)

- Fragile: 5:30-6:00 each (patience crucial)

- Tough: 5:00-5:30 each (resource management)

- Night Owl: 7:00-8:00 each (survival priority)

Total: 16 extractions × ~5:15 average = 84 minutes + routing time

The Final Stretch: Teeth 14-16

Psychological Challenge: You're 80+ minutes into the run. One failure means restarting everything.

Strategy Adjustment for Final Teeth:

- Slow down - Don't rush due to finish-line excitement

- Over-resource - Use extra Fairy Dust/Anesthetic even if inefficient

- Visual confirmation - Double-check bleeding signal before extraction

- Perfect ghost stepping - No lazy movement even if victim type is easy

Common Failure Point: Tooth #15. Runners get excited seeing the end and make careless errors.

Advanced Techniques: The Cutting Edge

Technique 1: "Meter Freezing" (Major Glitch)

Discovery: Found by "QueenCollector" in November 2024

How It Works: If you open the in-game menu (ESC key) on the exact frame that a meter would increase, the increase doesn't register when you unpause.

Frame-Perfect Execution:

- Drill for exactly 60 frames

- On frame 61 (when Pain would increase), press ESC

- Resume game immediately

- Pain increase is skipped

Consistency: ~40% success rate even for top runners

Time Saved: 10-15 seconds per extraction (fewer resource applications needed)

Status: Banned in NMG categories, allowed in Any%

Technique 2: "OOB (Out-of-Bounds) Movement"

Discovery: Houses have boundaries, but imprecise collision detection allows clipping through walls.

Exploitation: By moving at precise angles, you can clip through bedroom walls and approach victims from impossible angles, saving movement time.

Time Saved: 2-3 seconds per extraction

Difficulty: Extremely high (requires pixel-perfect positioning)

Status: Banned in NMG, allowed in Any% but rarely used due to difficulty

Technique 3: "Tool Stacking"

Discovery: Rapidly applying the same tool multiple times can cause effects to stack multiplicatively instead of additively.

Example:

- Normal: 3 Fairy Dust applications = -75% Lucidity

- Stacked: 3 Fairy Dust applied within 0.5 seconds = -90% Lucidity

How to Execute: Use tool queue glitch to apply same tool 3+ times in rapid succession

Consistency: ~50% (sometimes causes graphical glitches instead)

Time Saved: 5-8 seconds per extraction

Status: Under review; may be banned in future

Speedrun Setup and Tools

Optimal Technical Setup

Hardware:

- 144Hz+ monitor (reduces input lag)

- Gaming mouse with programmable hotkeys

- Mechanical keyboard (faster actuation)

- Stable 1Gbps+ internet connection

Software:

- Browser: Chrome (best performance for this game)

- Timer: LiveSplit with auto-splitter for The Tooth Fae

- Input display: NohBoard (shows key presses for verification)

- Recording: OBS Studio (for verification and analysis)

Hotkey Optimization

Standard Setup:

1. Fairy Dust

2. Anesthetic

3. Hook

4. Drill

5. Forceps

Speedrun Optimization:

- 1: Fairy Dust (most used - easiest key)

- 2: Drill (second most used)

- 3: Anesthetic

- Q: Hook (easier reach than 3)

- E: Forceps (easier reach than 5)

Advanced: Some runners use mouse side buttons for Dust and Anesthetic, freeing left hand for pure movement.

Practice Regimen

Becoming Competitive (Sub-3:00 Single Extraction):

- 2-3 hours daily practice

- 50-100 attempts per session

- Focus on specific optimization (tool queuing, ghost stepping, etc.)

- 3-6 months to reach competitive level

World Record Contention (Sub-2:50):

- 4-6 hours daily practice

- 100-200 attempts per session

- Frame-perfect technique practice outside of runs

- 6-12 months of dedicated practice

- Requires natural talent + dedication

Competitive Scene and Community

Where to Submit Runs

Official Leaderboards:

- Speedrun.com: The Tooth Fae section (submit with video proof)

- Game-specific Discord server leaderboards

- Community spreadsheets for unofficial categories

Verification Requirements:

- Full video recording from run start to completion

- Timer visible throughout

- Input display (for top times)

- No editing or splicing

The Top Runners (as of January 2025)

Single Extraction - Heavy Sleeper:

1. SilentExtractor - 2:47.3

2. NightShiftCollector - 2:51.8

3. ToothOptimizer - 2:53.1

Single Extraction - Night Owl:

1. InsomniaStalker - 4:52.1

2. LucidityMaster - 5:03.7

3. DustBlitzer - 5:11.2

Full Collection (100%):

1. QueenCollector - 1:24:33

2. PerfectLovelies - 1:28:09

3. CompletionistFae - 1:31:47

Community Resources

Essential Links:

- Discord server: [The Tooth Fae Speedrunning Community]

- Strategy repository: [Google Doc with community-maintained strategies]

- Video tutorials: [YouTube playlist of technique breakdowns]

- RNG manipulation research: [Community spreadsheet]

The Future: Potential Optimizations

Undiscovered Techniques (Theoretical)

Lucidity Manipulation: Some runners theorize there's a way to prevent tolerance build-up, which would revolutionize Night Owl speedruns.

Perfect RNG: Research into how house layouts and victim types are generated may allow RNG manipulation for optimal Full Collection routing.

New Glitches: The game likely has undiscovered glitches that could save significant time.

The Sub-2:30 and Sub-4:00 Barriers

These represent the community's current "impossible" goals:

- Sub-2:30 Heavy Sleeper: Theoretically possible, requires perfect execution + optimal RNG

- Sub-4:00 Night Owl: Considered impossible with current tech

Prediction: Sub-2:30 will be achieved within 2-3 years as optimization improves. Sub-4:00 requires new tech discovery.

Conclusion: The Pursuit of Perfection

Speedrunning The Tooth Fae is a test of mechanical skill, strategic optimization, and mental endurance. Every second saved comes from countless hours of practice, frame-perfect inputs, and deep understanding of game mechanics.

Whether you're aiming for a personal best or chasing world records, the journey of optimization is the reward. Each frame-perfect tool queue, each perfectly executed ghost step, each successful extraction under pressure - these are the moments that define speedrunning.

The Queen's cabinet awaits. The timer is running.

How fast can you fill it?

Next Steps

For Aspiring Speedrunners:

1. Master the Beginner's and Advanced Guides first

2. Practice individual techniques in isolation

3. Record your attempts for self-analysis

4. Join the community Discord for feedback

5. Set incremental goals (sub-4:00, sub-3:30, sub-3:00)

6. Submit your first verified run to the leaderboards

For Current Competitors:

1. Review top runners' VODs frame-by-frame

2. Practice the cutting-edge techniques (tool queueing, Lucidity stalling)

3. Experiment with new strategies

4. Share discoveries with the community

5. Keep pushing the boundaries

The night is fast. The collection is waiting. The records will fall.

Will you be the one to break them?