Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 starts this Sunday

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The week-long event will feature more than 150 runners.

The 2018 rendition of the speedrunning extravaganza Awesome Games Done Quick will begin with a preshow set to start at 11:30 am ET/8:30 am PT this Sunday. Following that, the action will move straight into a week-long, non-stop show featuring more than 150 speedrunners and the games they like to play. 

Speedrunning is the art of blowing through a game as fast as humanly possible, breaking the rules and taking advantage of glitches and bugs along the way. It's not everyone's kind of fun, but there is something undeniably impressive in being able to finish Divinity: Original Sin in 23 minutes (which is slightly less time than it takes me to roll up a single character), and the effort required to develop that ability speaks to an obvious dedication. These players clearly love their games. 

It's all for a good cause, too. AGDQ and its summertimer sister, Summer Games Done Quick, have raised more than $12 million for charities since the running began in 2010. 100 percent of donations made during AGDQ 2018 will go to support the Prevent Cancer Foundation. 

As always, the lineup of speedruns covers a tremendous range of games, from major triple-A releases to niche indie fare and old-time classics including Skyrim, Hollow Knight, Metal Gear Solid, Super Lovely Planet, Serious Sam 3, Dishonored, Diablo, Pop'n Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventure, Halo 5: Guardians, and my pick of the litter, the brilliant Enviro-Bear 2000. The full schedule is available at gamesdonequick.com, and you can get a taste of what's in store in this look at seven must-watch runs from last year's Summer Games Done Quick event.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.