The annual Awesome Games Done Quick charity speedrunning event kicks off this week and as always there are some incredible speedruns on the schedule. The winter version of the Summer Games Done Quick takes place at the Wyndham Grand in Pittsburgh from January 5-12 and raises money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
The full event schedule has just been released, so let's take a look at some of the most exciting categories in this year's AGDQ.
Astro Bot Any% – Sunday 5th January at 3.30pm
This will be the first Games Done Quick event since Astro Bot came out and is one of the games I can't wait to see. Astro's Playroom included time trials and leaderboards in each level to act as a fantastic introduction to speedrunning, so I was surprised to see that Astro Bot only offered five timer levels upon release.
My favorite thing about speedrunning is seeing my favorite games played in new ways, and with Astro Bot so fresh in my mind, it's going to be great to see the best players find ways I never even thought of. Some games offer great speeds because they're unexpected, but Astro Bot has been the quintessential speed game since day one.
Resident Evil Survivor Wednesday, January 8 At 1:22 AM
Another of my favorite things about Games Done Quick is how it can highlight unique games with weird gimmicks, and Resident Evil Survivor is one of the weirdest. This PS1 game is the first in the Gun Survivor series of Light Gun games, but unlike House of the Dead and Time Crisis, you have full control over your character…sort of.
By aiming the screen and using the D-Pad on the back of the light gun, you explore a zombie-infested island as Resident Evil's forgotten protagonist, Ark Thompson. Survivor takes the awkward tank controls of the old Resident Evil to the next level, and I can't wait to see how a pro does in this speedrun.
Elden Ring Saxophone Controlled Boss Showcase – Saturday, January 11 at 12:52 p.m
Speaking of crazy peripherals, no Games Done Quick app is complete without someone playing a Souls game on something that shouldn't be a controller. This showcase features 20 minutes of Twitch streamer DrDootPhD defeating Elden Ring bosses with an electronic saxophone.
Crazy Taxi with Live Support Band – Saturday 11th January at 1.27pm
Stick around just after the Elden Ring for one of this year's main events: a 16-minute Crazy Taxi speed race accompanied by a live band. Crazy Taxi has one of the most iconic soundtracks in video game history, so getting a band of four to play Bad Religion and The Offspring is the perfect way to turn this speedrun into a must-see event.
Metroid Prime Any% Inbounds Race – Monday, January 6 at 3:00 p.m
The Metroid series is a Games Done Quick staple, so with Metroid Prime 4 right around the corner (hopefully), this is the perfect time to give the original Metroid Prime the spotlight. Live Speedruns at AGDQ are always high stakes for runners, but the race format elevates it even more by pitting multiple runners against each other. It's fun to see multiple people running at once, because you get a sense of how much every input and millisecond counts. Prime races are rarer than Super Metroid races at Games Done Quick, so don't miss this one.
