Every year, the fundraising organization Games Done Quick puts on two, week-long speedrun marathons to raise money for charity. Streamed live on their Twitch channel, these events often raise a staggering amount of cash while simultaneously offering a solid week of gaming entertainment. The winter event, Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 (or AGDQ for short) just wrapped up in mid-January, and it was one of the best marathons we’ve seen in years. The schedule was packed with fun speedruns, the vibes were positive and warm, and the generosity was astounding. By the end of the week, AGDQ 2025 raised just over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. In case you missed the marathon, let’s take a quick look back at all of the exciting festivities. If you want to watch any of the speedruns mentioned, you can view full replays on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel (check for the AGDQ 2025 playlist).
The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2025
AGDQ 2025 kicked off on Sunday, January 5 with a bang, starting with an “All Parts” speedrun of Pikmin by runner Ray0ken on the Switch. Jovial, quirky, and full of fun tricks, this was an excellent way to get the ball rolling and set an uplifting tone for the marathon to come. Though the shortest day of the marathon, the fun continued throughout Sunday, with great games like Mega Man X3, Astro Bot, and a particularly glitch-heavy “Any%” speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker by runner Linkus7. Monday brought more classics, like Ninja Gaiden 2 for the NES and a 4-way race of Super Mario Bros., complete with awesome tech that showcased the positions of each runner.
One of my favorite parts of any Games Done Quick marathon is learning about new, unusual games, often played in the early morning or wee hours of the night. I had a particularly good time checking out the “Low%” speedrun of the 1991 point ‘n click adventure, Conquests of the Longbow, played by runner Lemming. Things also got exceptionally uproarious during the 1CC attempt of Batman Forever: The Arcade Game by runner LRock617, thanks to crazy fun gameplay and a highly entertaining cast of couch commentators. Other hits included the “Crazy Box” run of Crazy Taxi by Chuckles825, which was accompanied by a live punk band, as well as an “All Romances + Any%” speedrun of Fallout: New Vegas by Tomatoanus, adding some spice to the mid-week schedule.
By all accounts, AGDQ 2025 was bustling with energy throughout the week, and by Thursday night, the marathon had already raised over $1 million. Things only got more exciting as the primetime weekend began, leading to some of the most anticipated speedruns of the entire event. I was on the edge of my seat while watching the Elden Ring DLC “Lockout Bingo” race between runners adef and Captain Domo, which was both fun to watch and easy to follow, thanks to highly informative commentators. Another highlight of the marathon was the “No Logic Randomizer” run of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by ZFG, which randomizes all item locations, loading zones, and more, forcing some very interesting strategies. As is tradition with several GDQ events by now, the marathon wrapped up with a 4-way randomizer race of the SNES classic, Super Metroid, pushing brilliantly over the finish line.
Speedrun Showcases and More
While there were tons of traditional speedruns throughout AGDQ 2025, there were also ample skill showcases, glitch exhibitions, and other fun displays of gaming skill that shocked and wowed. For example, if you want to watch people connect blocks faster and more accurately than seems humanly possible, check out the Tetris: The Grandmaster showcase. For some wild, rocket-powered aerial finesse, look no further than the Rocket League Workshop Maps showcase, displaying some unbelievable. That said, one of the most hype showcases of them all was of the rhythm game, CHUNITHM LUMINOUS PLUS, showcasing gameplay so incredibly fast, you’d swear it was in fast forward.
I would also be remiss not to mention two of my all-time favorite parts of every AGDQ: the horror and awful blocks. Essentially mini-marathons of several speedruns all fitting the same theme, these blocks are perfect for sitting back for several hours and getting cozy. This year’s horror games block was full of spooky fun, including speedruns of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Condemned: Criminal Origins, the new Silent Hill 2 remake, and many more. On the other hand, the “Awful Games Done Quick” block showcased some truly weird and borderline unplayable games, like Superman 64, Rex Ronan: Experimental Surgeon, Meegah Mem, and many more.
Overall, AGDQ 2025 was a stellar marathon, and after so many events, it’s impressive to see Games Done Quick continue to keep things interesting, varied, and fun. It’s one thing to spend a week straight entertaining thousands of viewers around the world, but it’s another thing to do it while raising millions of dollars for cancer research. If you missed this marathon live, but you want to catch the next one, Summer Games Done Quick 2025 will likely pop up in July. Congratulations to all the organizers, volunteers, and runners at Games Done Quick for another successful marathon!
