Many racers have been hitting top speed in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe since the game’s release on the Nintendo Switch. Attaining first place is difficult due to the randomness of items and the tough competition online. The best way to stay ahead of the game is to know the tracks and the shortcuts that lie hidden within. Each track has at least one shortcut that can shave seconds off your time, but finding each one while racing is a challenge. Here are 10 hidden shortcuts to help you earn gold!

*(All GIFs created via Mr. Panda)

Near the center of Thwomp Ruins, there’s an open area with two paths on the left and right sides and a conspicuous wall in the middle. It turns out one of the cog-like wheels rolling throughout the tunnels can push down the wall, opening up a hidden shortcut with a glider ramp. Thanks to the speed advantage of being airborne, this center path helps a lot.

The Twisted Mansion is filled with spooky surprises. After the long dining room corridor, the track leads you down a tight turn around a haunted library. If have a speed-boosting Mushroom, you can sneak between the bookshelves in the center.

Dolphin Shoals has a number of paths that you can take on your way to the giant eel. Chances are, if you’re just speeding through the track, you take the most straightforward path above the strong current pipes. By veering to the rightmost path, you can enter a hidden tunnel with a couple of effective boost pads, leaving others wondering how you got past them.

Mount Wario hides a secret in its forest section during the second portion of the track. Upon leaving the dam and entering the wintry woods, you can either take a left or right route to get to the next section. Start by taking the left route, but immediately go straight off course between some trees and cliffs. You’ll find a hidden glider ramp allowing you to momentarily fly above the forest as opposed to driving through it.

If you also played Mario Kart Wii, you may recognize this shortcut from Wario’s Gold Mine. Near the end of the course, you’ll be on railroad tracks with some mine carts. Follow one of the mine carts into a hidden cave on the left side. Its three boost pads can help you get past your opponents. The mine carts themselves have antigravity boosts attached to them, so don’t fear bumping into them to reach this tunnel.

The Legend of Zelda series is built upon uncovering secrets. It should be no surprise that the inspired Hyrule Circuit has a hidden shortcut activated by solving a puzzle. Once you first enter Hyrule Castle, you make a tight turn with three mysterious switches. On your own, hitting all three switches in one turn is difficult, especially on higher speeds. But if you can activate them, a boost ramp will emerge alongside the now lit Master Sword in the center pedestal. The classic “secret found” jingle even plays, making this one of the more stylistic shortcuts.

The remade Ribbon Road track has a couple of shortcuts that are easy to miss because they blend into the visually stunning scenery. While you’re on the blue ribbon, keep an eye for some blocks on the right side that you can drive toward. This shortcut leads to a nice boost ramp propelling you above a bear buggy, but don’t stop there. Shortly after, there’s another set of narrow blocks, again on your right side, leading toward an even more effective glider ramp. Just be careful not to fall off!

If you look on the map of Ice Ice Outpost, you may actually notice a tiny portion of track broken off in the upper right corner. There you can find several hidden ramps on the right side. You’ll need to turn very tightly to make it, but it’s worth it. You then fall onto another alternate path on the left side that leads to some more ramps. Don’t forget to perform those jump tricks on the ramps for small boosts!

Shy Guy Falls has a similar hidden ramp near the end of the course. Look at the bottom right of the map for a suspicious lone rock between two separate portions of the track. As you drive there, watch the area to your right to find two stone spires sticking out of the ground. Drive between them to find a hidden ramp that takes you to an alternate path back onto the track. Since the off-course path has a grassy terrain that slows you down, you’ll need a Mushroom to build up enough speed to offset that.

Finally, Big Blue has an unconventional shortcut that you can take by actually driving off the course shortly after Lap 2 begins. You’ll go flying off the edge onto a later track below. This is a more unintentional shortcut than the others, but it looks cool when performed at top speed.

Hopefully, these shortcuts can help you get the gold in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. What other hidden shortcuts have you found in the game? Good luck racers!

Alex Mateo is a lifelong gamer and a huge Nintendo fan. You can find his articles here and his gaming videos here.