This morning, January 7, the 2018 installment of Awesome Games Done Quick went live. The annual speedrunning and fundraising marathon will continue nonstop for the entire week, culminating in the finale in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, January 14.
For the uninitiated, speedrunning involves racing to the end of a game far quicker than the developers ever intended, and the online communities surrounding popular speedrunning games continue to grow. AGDQ brings the most high-profile games and runners together for a charity drive that has raised over $1 million several times in the past. Previously the patrons of organizations like Doctors Without Borders, donations this year will be given to the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
The schedule for the event is available, and it features some old favorites in addition to some new, exciting entrants. The festivities began with a brand-new run, a demolition of the third game in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and will end with an unimaginable All Quests speedrun of Breath of the Wild—predicted to clock in at just under four hours. All runs are commentated by figures within each game’s individual community, giving insights into just what feats the players are performing.
There are plenty of classic runs on the schedule as well. From Super Mario Sunshine and Ocarina of Time 100% runs to the necessary inclusion of Metroid, the old favorites are out to play—with the conspicuous absence of Super Metroid in any form, the classic AGDQ mainstay that kicks off the traditional “Kill or Save the Animals” bidding war.
The full marathon will be streamed on the Games Done Quick Twitch channel. Enjoy the week, and don’t forget to donate if you can.