It’s the start of a brand new year, and like clockwork, another Awesome Games Done Quick marathon is set to begin soon. For seven days straight, starting on January 9, the Games Done Quick charity organization will be putting on a marathon of speedruns, streamed live on Twitch for everyone to watch. We’ll get to watch in awe as masterful speedrunners complete their favorite games in record times, all in an effort to raise money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Last year, AGDQ raised over $2.7 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, so the sky’s the limit. Now that the AGDQ 2022 schedule is live, we’ve whipped up this casual viewing guide with a selection of speedruns to check out each day. We’ve had a wonderful time covering the SGDQ and AGDQ speedrun marathons in previous years and we’re certain that AGDQ 2022 will provide even more excellent gaming entertainment!
AGDQ 2022 Schedule – What to Watch
The full AGDQ 2022 schedule is massive, with dozens of awesome speedruns that we can’t wait to watch. However, it’s impossible to watch them all, unless you plan on staying awake for a week straight (don’t do that). To make your viewing experience as optimal as possible, we’ve compiled our most anticipated speedruns from every day of the AGDQ 2022 schedule, so you won’t miss a beat. With that said, there are tons of gems in the AGDQ 2022 schedule, so we suggest you check out the full list of showcased games. This is just our subjective list of speedruns from the AGDQ 2022 schedule that we can’t wait to check out, as there will be many more that we didn’t have room to mention.
All of the times listed below will be in Eastern Standard Time. As expected with live events, times are subject to change, so always double-check the official AGDQ 2022 schedule if you’re looking forward to a particular speedrun. If you miss a speedrun, don’t worry, as full replays are uploaded to the Games Done Quick YouTube channel, as well as the GDQ Twitch channel. With all that out of the way, let’s dig into the AGDQ 2022 schedule and find out what speedruns you should check out when the marathon starts on January 9! As always, we’ll be chatting about the marathon all week long on our Twitter, so be sure to stop by and chime in.
Sunday, January 9
AGDQ 2022 starts at 11:30AM with the traditional pre-show, which is sure to be full of interviews, skits, and a peek at what the week has in store. Afterward, things will get appropriately speedy with the first speedrun of the day, Nioh 2 at 12PM. A four-runner speedrun race of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest offers a bit of Nintendo fun at 3:40PM, followed by any “Any%” run of DEATHLOOP at 4:40PM. With an estimated time of 25 minutes, we’re excited to see just how ridiculous this speedrun will get. The indie sequel Axiom Verge 2 will have a brief “Major Glitches” speedrun at 5:15PM, followed by the classic NES action-platformer, Mega Man 2 at 5:40PM. The first “bonus game” of the AGDQ 2022 schedule brings us some bite-sized blindfolded fun, with Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance bringing us into the evening hours starting at 6:25PM.
There’s a satisfying mixture of big-budget and indie titles during Sunday evening at AGDQ 2022, with the challenging top-down action game Death’s Door appearing at 6:50PM. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered offers some web-slinging fun at 8:20, followed by a 1 hour and 45 minute speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons at 9:10PM. That leaves time for just one more game, and Dead Space 2 takes that honor starting at 11:20PM.
Monday, January 10
Monday at AGDQ 2022 marks the first full 24 hours of speedrunning, offering an eclectic grab-bag of speedruns. There are lots of runs we’re eager to see, but this is another great time to remind you to check out the full AGDQ 2022 schedule, as what we mention here is just a small selection of what is planned. The early morning hours of Monday hold plenty of interesting speedruns, starting with the first speedrun of the day, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time at 12:50AM. We’re interested to see some classic SNES action with titles like Judge Dredd at 4:20AM and ActRaiser at 5:50AM. The rest of the morning is jam-packed with exciting speedruns, including Spyro: Attack of the Rhynocs at 9AM and Kena: Bridge of Spirits at 11:35AM. We’re also hyped to see some speedy kart-racing action with the “No Major Glitches” speedrun of Crash Team Racing at 1:05PM.
The AGDQ 2022 schedule continues to get crazier as Monday progresses, starting with a 100% speedrun of Mega Man X4 at 2:55PM. This is followed by a breezy “Any%” speedrun of Psychonauts 2 at 3:55PM, which was one of our favorite games of 2021. If you’re a fan of speedrun races, be sure to stop by the stream on Monday night to catch the “All Worlds” race of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania at 5:55PM. You’ll want to stick around for a few hours too, as there will also be a four-runner race of Super Mario Galaxy at 8:10PM, with the runners playing as the green-capped hero, Luigi! A spooky 3D platformer called Pumpkin Jack wraps up Monday night starting at 11:10PM.
Tuesday, January 11
Tuesday looks just as packed as Monday on the AGDQ 2022 schedule, starting with the stealthy third-person action game Hitman: Codename 47 at 12:30AM. We’re also looking forward to the “Kindergarten” difficulty speedrun of the FPS game Marathon Durandal at 2:50AM, which will likely be both entertaining and hilarious. Fans of 8-bit gaming won’t want to miss a fun Nintendo Entertainment System block, starting with Willow at 6AM and ending with The Krion Conquest at 9:20AM. A mammoth, 5-hour speedrun of Final Fantasy XIII takes up the rest of the morning and early afternoon, starting at 9:50AM. Afterward, you can enjoy a back-to-back showing of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, with the original PlayStation 2 game at 4:45PM, followed by the brand new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart at 5:15PM.
If you thought that the Final Fantasy shenanigans were done on the AGDQ 2022 schedule, think again! Tuesday night plays host to an “Any%” speedrun of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade at 7:10PM. PlayStation 5 fans can enjoy a “Fresh File Any%” speedrun of Returnal at 8:10PM, but we’ll be holding out for the “TimeSkip New Game” run of Dead Rising at 9:40PM. The weird and creepy pixel-horror game FAITH: Chapter II closes out Tuesday night at 11:50PM.
Wednesday, January 12
The horror genre gets more love in the early-morning hours of Wednesday, with PAON-ぱおん- BEYOND THE PIEN starting the fun at 12:30AM. Things get even weirder with a speedrun of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem at 1AM. The endlessly satisfying, ball-rolling adventure We Love Katamari lightens the mood at 4:50AM, before a fantastic speedrun of Typing of the Dead brings back the weird and spooky vibes at 6AM. Hopefully, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist will be a good palate cleanser when that beat ’em up speedrun starts at 6:50AM. Hedgehog fans should buckle in for a big ‘ol Sonic block starting at 7:25AM with SNOLF 0 (that’s Sonic golfing, baby) and ending with Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut at 10:30AM. The rest of the morning and afternoon is a wacky assortment of speedruns, including a three-runner race of Pokemon Crystal Key Item Randomizer at 11:15AM, along with some community map showcases in titles like ShootMania Storm (4:30PM), Trackmania (5:10PM), and Rocket League (6:30PM).
There are four speedruns that make up the evening offerings of Wednesday at AGDQ 2022, starting with an ultra-quick “Any%” run of Risk of Rain 2 at 7:40PM. You can also enjoy some futuristic FPS action with a solo speedrun of Halo 5: Guardians on Legendary difficulty at 8PM. Then, it’s a three-runner race of the best racing game on the Nintendo 64, Diddy Kong Racing at 10:05PM. Finally, the colorful, paint-based shooter Splatoon 2 closes out Wednesday night and will begin at 10:40PM.
Thursday, January 13
Thursday at AGDQ 2022 is absolutely loaded with awesome speedrunning content, starting with a bid-war between The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D or The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D at 12AM. Afterward, the AGDQ 2022 schedule for Thursday morning will be dominated by the “Awful Games” block, which highlights a selection of weird, glitchy, and woefully designed games to enjoy. The fan-favorite block kicks off with the notorious Zelda’s Adventure at 12:50AM and will end with Cranked Up at 7AM. We’re pleased as punch to see the point ‘n click adventure game Discworld at 7:25AM, which will be followed by a four-game block of Castlevania games, starting with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence at 8AM. After a morning full of vampire slaying, the iconic FPS Half-Life 2 leads us into the afternoon with an “Any% No Voidclip” speedrun starting at 11:05AM.
There are some longer speedruns to dive into during the evening hours of Thursday at AGDQ 2022, including a 3-hour, “Any%” showing of Lost Judgment that starts at 1:40PM. Fans of Disney movies and anime haircuts will want to tune in for the four-runner, co-op randomizer speedrun of Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix HD at 5PM, which is sure to provide some laughs. Things get creepy again with a speedrun of Resident Evil Village on the super-tough “Village of Shadows” difficulty, which starts at 8:25PM. Afterward, we’ll get an exciting showcase of the rhythm game crossbeats REV. Sunrise at 11PM, which will likely end the night in a flurry of fast movement, vivid colors, and cheery music.
Friday, January 14
As always, the weekend days of AGDQ 2022 are bound to draw in the most viewers, with many of the most anticipated speedruns of the week on display. The Friday selections from the AGDQ 2022 schedule start with a speedrun of the side-scrolling platformer Ynglet at 12:25AM, followed by a co-op speedrun of the amazing 3D platformer, It Takes Two, at 1AM. Things show no sign of slowing down, as we’ll see speedruns of the epic RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion at 4AM as well as a glitchy-heavy speedrun of the calm and beautiful Stardew Valley at 4:45AM. The rest of the morning is home to an odd mix of speedruns, including the peaceful Journey at 8:10AM, a mind-bending Portal Reloaded run at 12:10PM, and an “All Bosses” race of Dark Souls at 12:45PM.
Like the previous two days on the AGDQ 2022 schedule, Friday night will showcase some longer, more popular speedruns, starting with Super Mario Land 3D at 2:20PM. Pokemon fans can dig in for a 3-hour “Any%” race of Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire at 3:50PM, with a showcase of the rhythm game Stepmania at 7:15PM to keep the energy high. A two-runner, “All Weapons” race of the mythological rogue-like Hades will be a treat for fans at 9:35PM, with the epic third-person action game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves capping off the night at 11:55PM.
Saturday, January 15
The AGDQ 2022 schedule goes all out on Saturday, with another 24 hours of immensely entertaining speedrun content. Things kick off with the motion-controlled micro-game compilation, Wario Land: Shake It! at 1:35AM. Get some Marvel superhero nostalgia with Spider-Man 2 at 3:15AM, followed by the irreverent indie game Donut County at 4:25AM. We also can’t wait to watch the four-runner co-op speedrun of TMNT: Out of the Shadows at 7:10AM, as well as the deceptively difficult Casio Mario World ROM-hack speedrun at 9AM. Things get aquatic with SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom at 9:50AM, followed by the oceanic survival game Subnautica at 10:55AM. The AGDQ 2022 schedule shows no signs of slowing down afterward, with the classic SNES RPG Earthbound bringing us into the afternoon at 12:05PM.
Saturday afternoon and evening are absolutely stacked with speedruns, so we’ll likely be glued to the screen for the rest of the night. We’re super excited for the “All Unique Weapons” speedrun of Fallout New Vegas at 1:20PM, as well as the original Halo: Combat Evolved on Legendary difficulty at 2:30PM. Our love for the Zelda franchise will be further satisfied with a speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past at 4PM, followed by a four-way race to Grand Master rank in Tetris: The Grand Master starting at 5:30PM. If you want to have your mind absolutely blown, be sure to tune in for a blindfolded speedrun of the insanely hard Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice at 6PM. To end the marathon with grit and determination, we’ll have an “All Bosses” speedrun of Metal Gear Solid on Extreme difficulty starting at 10:40PM.
Those are the speedruns on the AGDQ 2022 schedule that we can’t wait to check out, but don’t forget, there are many more speedruns to watch. As a final reminder, be sure to check out the full AGDQ 2022 schedule so you don’t miss any speedruns we might’ve missed. We’ll be covering the marathon throughout the week with daily recap articles as well as live, moment-by-moment coverage on our Twitter, so drop by and chat with us about your favorite speedruns! We can’t wait to dive into AGDQ 2022 and be blown away by the display of both immense gaming skill and generosity, which is always a good way to start the year!