Awesome Games Done Quick's annual 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 Cancer Foundation.
The full event schedule has just been released, so let's take a look at some of the most exciting categories from this year's AGDQ.
Astro Bot Any% – Sunday, January 5 at 3:30 p.m
This will be the first Games Done Quick event since Astro Bot was released, and it's one of the games I'm really looking forward to seeing. Astro's Playroom included time trials and leaderboards at each level to act as a fantastic introduction to speedrunning, so I was surprised to see Astro Bot only offer five levels of time trials at launch.
My favorite thing about speedrunning is seeing my favorite games being played in new ways, and with Astro Bot so fresh in my mind, it's going to be great to watch the best players find ways I hadn't even thought of. Some games make great speedruns because they're unexpected, but Astro Bot has been the quintessential speedrun since day one.
Resident Evil Survivor Wednesday January 8th at 1:22 am
Another one of my favorite things about Games Done Quick is how it can bring out unique games with weird tricks, 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.
Aiming at the screen and using the D-Pad on the back of your light gun, you explore a zombie-infested island as Resident Evil's forgotten protagonist, Arc Thompson. Survivor takes the awkward tank handling of the old Resident Evil to a whole new level, and I can't wait to see how a pro handles it in this speedrun.
Elden Ring Saxophone Controlled Boss Showcase – Saturday, January 11th at 12:52 p.m
Speaking of stupid peripherals, no Games Done Quick is complete without someone playing Souls on what isn't supposed to be a controller. This showcase features 20 minutes of Twitch streamer DrDootPhD defeating Elden Ring bosses with an electronic saxophone.
Crazy Taxi with a live band – Saturday, January 11, at 1:27 p.m
Stay right after the Elden Ring for one of the highlights of the year: the 16-minute Crazy Taxi high-speed ride accompanied by a live band. Crazy Taxi has one of the most iconic soundtracks in video game history, so the four-piece will play Bad Religion and The Offspring – the perfect way to turn this speedrun into a must-see event.
Metroid Prime Any% Inbounds Race – Monday, January 6th at 3:00 p.m
The Metroid series is a staple of Games Done Quick, so with Metroid Prime 4 just around the corner (hopefully), it's the perfect time to bring attention to the original Metroid Prime. Live speedruns at AGDQ are always high stakes for runners, but the race format elevates it even higher by pitting multiple runners against each other. It's interesting to watch different people run at the same time because you really feel how important every input and millisecond is. Prime races are less common than Super Metroid races on Games Done Quick, so don't miss this one.
