Awesome Games Done Quick, the annual event held by Games Done Quick LLC in January every year, has finished with a total donation count of USD 2,556,680.92. The largest single contribution was $71,500, while the median donation was $25. The donations are all going towards the Prevent Cancer Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the prevention and early detection of cancer.
Since 2010, Awesome Games Done Quick, along with its sister event Summer Games Done Quick, have raised a collective [$53] million dollars for multiple charities. Each event features a packed schedule of speedrunners who show off their skills to the audience, with bonus runs or challengers offered as incentives for donations.
There were so many cool runs to watch, but here are my highlights:
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 28 minutes, completed by two players in co-op using only one controller, the legendarily bad game Superman 64 played in 33 minutes with the screen size reduced to 20%, an Elden Ring boss showcase using a saxophone as a controller, a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time “no logic” randomised run, and amazingly, Crazy Taxi featuring a live backing band! (Fun fact: this game hasn’t been possible to run at GDQ before due to the licensed music within the game!) There were many more amazing runs, but don’t despair if you missed any, because all runs are uploaded separately and are linked to the full schedule.
While $2.5 million is a massive achievement, it doesn’t beat Awesome Games Done Quick’s record of $3,442,033.88. That was set during their 2022 event, which was held as a virtual event due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the Author
Edie W-K
she/her
If it isn't video games, Edie doesn't care about it. She's been playing games since the N64 era, and only spent enough time away from her 3DS to earn a Bachelor in Games Design from RMIT.
