Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 locks in its schedule

Blindfolded Sekiro, a Slay the Spire run, and more

Charity speedrunning event Awesome Games Done Quick has finalized the schedule for its 2022 event. And it’s a pretty solid, surprisingly modern lineup filled with a lot of runs that seem like they’ll make for excellent showcases.

The event will run from Jan. 9, 2022 through Jan. 15. If you’re new to Games Done Quick, runners will showcase their talents of getting through games in surprising ways as fast as possible. Demonstrations happen around the clock, and often categories will feature unique parameters or even competition, adding some extra fun.

The full Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 schedule is live here, and the site will adapt to your local time-zone as the event goes on, so it’s worth checking back on when AGDQ is live.

Highlights in my eyes are definitely some of the stranger runs. I’m a big Slay the Spire fan, so a four-character unseeded run of the game sounds incredible; same goes for the Hades All Weapons Race and Risk of Rain 2 Any% runs. With a Returnal run on the schedule too, it’s a good year for roguelite running.

There’s a surprising number of recent releases on the list this year, including Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Axiom Verge 2, Lost Judgement, and bonus game Resident Evil Village. It seems like runners have spent a lot of time already breaking down the newer games for showcase-ready runs.

Some impressive exhibitions are on display as well, like The Centurion category for Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes and a blindfolded Any% run of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I don’t even know how you get that done. And I’m also a sucker for long RPG runs, so count me in for the five-hour estimate Final Fantasy XIII run on Tuesday morning.

Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 will once again be held online this year, for the health and safety of its staff and participants. And GDQ has, in my view, made an excellent jump to virtual events due to health concerns over the last year or so. Last year’s event raised over $2.75 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. I’m eager to see how this year’s event shapes up, too.