Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 starts this weekend and you won’t want to miss these runs

Move over, whatever plans you had for the new year — it’s time for another Awesome Games Done Quick! We can never get too much of Games Done Quick here, but if you’ve never watched or just need a refresher: AGDQ is a week-long charity event that raises money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation via video game speedruns.

It’s wholesome, fun, nerdy as heck, and supports an amazing cause. And when we say “week-long,” we mean it.

Awesome Games Done Quick will be running nonstop from Sunday to Sunday, which is why we’re here to help break down some of the runs we’re most excited about. Don’t worry if you can’t watch your favorite run live, though — you can watch anything you missed on YouTube, with runs usually posted during the marathon, a day or two after finishing.

Runs below are shared in central time, but the schedule is regularly updated with up-to-date timing adjustments, so be sure to check the Games Done Quick website for all the latest updates to the schedule. Games Done Quick’s schedule page will reflect your local time.

Sunday, January 4

dlroW oiraM repuS — tixE 69 by authorblues (5:25 p.m.)

Look, I have only the vaguest idea of what this is — presumably it involves a backward version of Super Mario World — but that’s exactly why it’s getting a special shout-out. Frankly, sometimes the runs with the most unrecognizable names are the best ones.

Split Fiction — Side Story Showcase by blackheartwings and ProfessorBurtch (7:40 p.m.)

There’s always something extra fun about runs that involve more than one runner, which makes Split Fiction a perfect Day 1 tune-in. Plus, the game itself is a marvel of co-op gaming, with Hazelight Games once again delivering a wholly unique, must-play experience.

Or, in this case, a must-watch one.

Monday, January 5

Sonic Adventure — Sonic’s Story by WitherMin (12:42 p.m.)

I don’t have a great reason here except that it’s Sonic. Which, really, do you need another reason? Though Sonic Adventure is far from the worst offender, every Sonic game has a little bit of jankiness that makes speedruns oh-so-satisfying to watch.

Tuesday, January 6

Lylat Wars — Single Life Score Attack by Argick (9:25 a.m.)

I hadn’t realized Lylat Wars was another name for Starfox 64 until now, but you better believe I instantly recognized Lylat.

Also instantly recognized? Argick, the runner, who is always delightful and will likely finish both the run and its commentary in one breath.

Borderlands 2 — Co-Op All Quests by zzrules21, Deceptix_, and UnjustAction (11:34 a.m.)

Like I said, co-op runs are hard not to love, and Borderlands 2 means an extra layer of chaos on top of the usual. If you have any interest in the series, definitely check this one out.

Tuesday Night Horror Block (begins 9:45 p.m.)

What would a Tuesday night be without the Horror Block? Starting late in the evening and running through the night is a cavalcade of horror games getting beaten incredibly quickly, starting with Silent Hill f.

Wednesday, January 7

Mario Kart 64 (BONUS GAME) — 4 Player Vs. Match by Hattok, Pokermon151, Cheech_DK, and WahMaster (7:49 p.m.)

Am I over-indexing on multi-runner games? No. Impossible.

Mario Kart 64 is one of the bonus games this year, and bonus games are almost always guaranteed to deliver an entertaining time.

Wednesday Night Awful Block (begins just after midnight)

You know how Tuesday night has Horror Block? Well, Wednesday night gets Awful Block. Also starting late and running through the night, Awful Block features speedruns of some truly, erm, less-than-great video games. Just take a look at some of the games that’ll feel right at home with 4 a.m. fever dreams:

• The Land Before Time: Return to the Great Valley
• Egg
• The Running Man
• Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum
• That’s A Cow

Thursday, January 8

Splatoon — Any% Race by DG and LonTr0 (4:33 p.m.)

Yeah, this is my bias showing. But it’s Splatoon and a runner race, so what did you expect? The squid-kid platformer that started it all will be blasting onto the GDQ floor Thursday evening.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Any% (Glitchless, Expert) Race by Bdud5 and Z3R01337 (10:14 p.m.)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was, for many — including The Game Awards — Game of the Year. And while I have yet to play it myself, a glitchless run on Expert difficulty is exactly the kind of thing that shows off wild combos and perfectly-legit-but-totally-broken ways of downing bosses in seconds.

Friday, January 9

Donkey Kong Bananza (BONUS GAME) — Any% by V0oid (7:02 p.m.)

Another GOTY contender, and Nintendo’s flagship title for the Switch 2’s launch, Donkey Kong Bananza takes the Friday-night bonus game slot.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vs. Majora’s Mask — Any% Blindfolded Game Choice by Bubzia (8:26 p.m.)

If you’ve never watched a blindfold speedrun, let this be the event that changes that. Bubzia regularly looks like a superhuman when doing these runs, but apparently that wasn’t enough. Memorizing one run is a remnant of the past — we memorize two blindfold runs now, and we let the audience decide which one, up until the last second.

Saturday, January 10

Super Mario 64 — 70 Star, 70 Person Relay coordinated/led by KingJO444 (10:49 a.m.)

I’m about to cheat with the next pick, but I mean this very sincerely for my first pick: This run is unlike anything Games Done Quick has ever done before. No, seriously.

Saturday morning, 70 different people will be speedrunning 70 different stars in Mario 64 in one absolutely bonkers relay run. And no, they’re not all speedrunners — this event was open to anyone attending in person, and KingJO444 has a video showcasing just who all will be running each star.

Suffice it to say, though, you want to watch this one.

Actually, watch all of it

I said it last year. I said it the year before. I’ll say it again: Saturday is just too stacked with good games to even have a Top 3.

But more than just that, the energy — both in-person and at-home — is unreal. Donations fly in faster than the tracker can keep up with, Bonus Incentives get added and crushed in equal measure, and, of course, wholesomeness levels skyrocket well over 9,000.

That said, I get if you cannot watch all day long. If that’s the boat you’re in, then at least try to tune in for these life rafts runs:

• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (All CrossWorlds | Super Sonic Speed, No Wisps) by Peas
• Hades 2 (All Weapons | Alternating Routes) by BehemothSteve
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (BONUS GAME | Any% NMG) by Ceen
• Pokémon Emerald (Pick-My-Main), AKA the final run of the event, by adef

As always, though, these are just some of the runs to watch out for. The best moments are rarely predictable, and it’s hard to ever find a block that doesn’t have something fun to watch.

Want to see more from AGDQ? This year’s speedruns can be found on GDQ’s YouTube page for your enjoyment!