Moon Sweepers speedrun: categories, rules and records

How is a Moon Sweepers speedrun defined?

A Moon Sweepers speedrun begins in a newly created world. The clock starts the moment the host first gains control of their character, so the last menu before you spawn is not part of the run and everything after it is.

The Speedrun.com board for the game runs two rule sets. The four Any% categories end when the game registers 100% Moon completion and triggers the ending. The milestone categories end when the selected goal registers.

Equipment is open in both: every legitimate upgrade, vehicle, structure and built-in automation system is allowed. The milestone rules add one condition — equipment is permitted “unless the selected level states otherwise” — and none of the nine current milestone levels adds a restriction.

That 100% target is the same one the Time To Go Sleep… achievement tracks, listed with its global unlock rate on the achievement checklist.

Which categories are on the board?

The player limits are the board’s own, and the game’s lobby holds up to 16 players. The multiplayer rules cover lobby size.

Crew categories also share one progression: since 1.0.3 the crew uses the host’s Upgrade Matrix, and any purchase upgrades it for everyone.

What are the Any% rules?

The four Any% categories share one rule set, with the player count swapped:

• New world only. No previous progress carries into the run.
• Timing starts when the host first gains control of their character.
• Timing ends when the game registers 100% Moon completion and triggers the ending.
• Everyone is listed. All participating players must be included in the submitted team.
• No outside help. Players who are not on the team cannot assist.
• Equipment is open. All legitimate upgrades, vehicles, structures and built-in automation systems are permitted.
• Work can be split. Players may divide tasks, share resources and cooperate freely.
• The whole run is recorded, and the completion must be clearly verifiable.
• Menus count. Loading screens, menus and pauses all add to the total run time.

Menus are charged to the clock, so rebuilding a layout mid-run spends run time. Since 1.0.5, moving a piece is free and removing one refunds its full price; the building guide covers the controls.

What milestones can you run?

The milestone categories replace “clean everything” with one measurable goal, each with its own leaderboard:

Timing ends when the selected milestone registers. The money boards state the stop condition directly: “Stop when the threshold is first reached.”

Sector milestones count the world’s completed sectors, not one player’s share. Money milestones count cumulative earnings for the shared world, not the combined personal balances of individual players.

How do the milestones line up with achievements?

The four money boards match achievement thresholds exactly: $1,000 is Dust Pays the Bills, $10,000 is Filthy Rich, $100,000 is Lunar Payday and $1,000,000 is The Moon Is a Gold Mine on the achievement list.

The cleaning boards only partly overlap. Achievements exist for 100, 1,000 and 10,000 — A Good Start, Patchwork Moon and Hex Appeal — and none for the 1-sector or 10-sector boards. The two lists also count in different words: the board says sectors, while Hex Appeal reads “Help clean 10,000 sections”. Making a Dent counts 10 cleaning regions, while the three cleaning achievements count sections.

What is on the board right now?

A snapshot taken on November 3, 2026. The board held 15 verified runs from 8 players:

The milestone entries, at the board’s own precision:

Board pages can show one fewer entry than the run count: one player submitted two of the four $1,000 runs, and a leaderboard lists only that player’s best. The other five milestone boards — 1,000 and 10,000 sectors, $10,000 through $1,000,000 — had no entry, and no second full cleanup had been submitted.

The completion-time guide covers the size of the map and why no fixed playtime exists.

Does a run have to be on the current patch?

Crewmates must share one version, and saves made in a newer build cannot be opened in an older one.

1.0.4 changed J.O.O.N.A.S.: it now works with no nearby players and launches capsules instead of returning to a dock, so a run recorded before that patch shows different automation behaviour. 1.0.5 spread those capsules across catcher groups. The patch history lists the changes, and Update 1.1 is planned for December 2026.

How do you submit a run?

1. Record the entire session, including the menus.
2. Finish at the category’s condition: 100% completion plus the ending, or the milestone you entered.
3. Keep the evidence that identifies every player on the team.
4. Submit the video to the matching category on the board, where a moderator verifies it before it appears.

Game imagery © DragDrop Games.