Awesome Games Done Quick breaks another charity record with $3.4 million raised

Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 (AGDQ) has raised a record-breaking $3.4 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

The week-long charity speedrunning event remained online for its second year of the COVID-19 pandemic (its 2020 event was held before the United States reacted to the disease's arrival), and managed to beat the previous record set in 2020. 

During AGDQ, talented speedrunners blasted through games through a range of specialized "blocks" that showcased everything from recent titles like Psychonauts 2 to classics like Super Metroid. Some specialized blocks like the "Awful Games" block showcased niche titles that nevertheless remained as entertaining as the more well-known entries.

Tracking the trend of donations for AGDQ is interesting. The group previously peaked with $3.13 million in fundraising in 2020, but then dropped to $2.75 million for its first online event in 2021. Raising $3,416,729 in the pandemic's second year is no mean feat, and an impressive effort by organizers and runners alike.

While AGDQ is an incredible fundraising opportunity, developers also shouldn't miss the chance to dig through the event archives and see how runners are able to exploit different games to quickly navigate their environments. Some rely on memorization, some take advantage of bugs and tech that make areas more traversable. 

Being aware of speedrunners' wants and needs might just help you with your next game.