Yes, it’s that time of year! Awesome Games Done Quick, probably one of the most prolific events in speedrunning video games for charity, is coming back to Twitch on January 8th 12PM Est. All the money raised will be going to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The channel will have a continuous broadcast for 160 hours at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel in Herndon, Virginia. All speedruns will also be archived on the Games Done Quick Youtube channel.
This year’s schedule include games across all genres and systems, ranging from the classics like Super Metroid and the Donkey Kong Country trilogy to modern games like Dark Souls 3 and Hyperlight Drifter. For those looking for laughs, Awful Games Done Quick takes some of the worst games in history and shows them off as a speedrun in ways no one thought they needed. To see if your favorite game is going to be played, check out the full schedule here.
Now, that schedule starts off mighty with games like Ape Escape 2, Shovel Knight, and Quake ,all of which are games that are pure spectacle to see played at the extreme speed and skill these players muster up. Some of the more obscure games to look forward to are Sega Bass Fishing, Jumping Flash 2, and Bishi Bashi Special just to name a few. A truly broad spectrum of gaming experiences are being represented. With the assured “wow” moments that these events often have, it will be a must-see experience. Add in that all of this action is coupled with raising a ton of money for charity makes for one of my favorite events on Twitch.
Last year alone, Games Done Quick events raised over $2.5 million for multiple charities. Yes, playing games really well can make a difference, showing just how caring the people in these various gaming communities really are. In 2015, AGDQ raised $1.5 million and this year they are hoping to surpass that goal. Each year gets a little bigger, with more prolific achievements being shown and as more techniques are created for speedrunning. These players and viewers are doing much more than playing games quickly, they’re changing the world.
Donations once again will be helping out the Prevent Cancer Foundation with the number being tracked through the GDQ website. Those who donate could have their entered comments read on stream, as well as be entered to win prizes put together by the multiple communities and sponsors. Some of the sponsors for this year’s event include Bandai Namco, Chrono.gg, Fangamer, The Yetee, TinyBuild, Tokyo Attack and Twitch.
“We are honored to partner with Awesome Games Done Quick and the gaming community around the world for cancer prevention and early detection. This community has been instrumental in funding national and global research projects that are critical to saving lives.” – Jan Bresch, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation®
Awesome Games Done Quick is a phenomenal experience for everyone involved and has been for many years. Some of my fondest memories watching Twitch actually come from seeing these amazing players and hearing all the wonderful things the donators say. Nothing’s more heartwarming than seeing a donation come through and hearing the applause from those at the event, often times coupled with a story on how their lives have been affected but they still have hope. It really shows just how games have brought people together. I never thought I would be able to make a change in my own community with my gaming hobby, but because of events like AGDQ I was inspired to pursue a charity to help with and ended up raising over a thousand dollars with Extra Life. I will continue being a part of gaming-based charity because of the efforts from those involved with Games Done Quick.
Remember, events start tomorrow on the Games Done Quick Twitch channel at 12pm Est.
For an example of what to expect in a speedrun, check out this one from SGDQ 2016 (Summer Games Done Quick)
