Awesome Games Done Quick

Every winter, there's an event I look forward to, Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ). It's a weeklong speedrunning marathon for charity, and to put it simply, it lives up to the name. For seven days, some of the most talented video game players come together to showcase just how fast they can complete their favorite games. All while raising money for a good cause.

But AGDQ is so much more than just speedrunning or fundraising. There's something uniquely special about it, an energy that fills the air, even when you're just watching from a couch or desk chair. Players and commentators explain what’s happening in each game, crack jokes, and celebrate every hard-earned victory. And when the audience cheers after an impossible trick? You don’t need to be in the room to feel the joy.

It doesn't matter if they're playing a game I've never heard of; the gameplay is mesmerizing. The things these runners do, how they can control their character with such precision, make my jaw drop. There are glitches upon glitches, tricks upon tricks, everything looks impossible, yet they complete it all so blazingly fast it feels as if the game itself can barely keep up.

Seriously, it's mind-boggling. I've played some of the games before (A Link to the Past, Super Monkey Ball, and Super Mario World 3 to name a few), but watching them dismantle something that took me weeks to beat? It is humbling, amazing, and so hard to look away.

And while the gameplay is inspiring, the heart of the event lies in its main purpose: raising money for charity. This year, like many others, AGDQ raised money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, an organization devoted to the early detection and prevention of cancer. Every year, the community’s generosity is astounding. Throughout the event you hear donation messages read aloud, tributes to loved ones, cheers for the runners, even some jokes that make everyone laugh. It's wholesome. There's this feeling of, "We're doing something really good here," and even through a screen, you can feel it.

By the end of the week, as the donation total climbs into the millions, you can see looks of excitement and awe in everyone's faces. There's this mix of pride and gratitude for what's been accomplished, by the runners, the viewers, and the organizers. When the final run ends and the donations are totaled, it's a reminder of what makes video games so special: the creativity, the challenge, and most of all, the community. AGDQ is about coming together to celebrate video games and do something awesome. That's why it's one of my favorite events of the year.