The games list for Awesome Games Done Quick 2024 has been released!

Speedrunners who submitted their runs have been patiently waiting with anticipation these last few days. Now that the list has been released, Discord and Twitter are absolutely chock full of people celebrating or congratulating others.

[https://twitter.com/starsmileyx/status/1712991662778065000](https://twitter.com/starsmileyx/status/1712991662778065000)

![](/static/blob/1n511ve3.png)

[https://x.com/Maxylobes/status/1712997224035324002?s=20](https://x.com/Maxylobes/status/1712997224035324002?s=20)
[https://x.com/bryonato/status/1712996089341882507?s=20](https://x.com/bryonato/status/1712996089341882507?s=20)
[https://x.com/MrGymnast86/status/1713002448586223805?s=20](https://x.com/MrGymnast86/status/1713002448586223805?s=20)
[https://x.com/FroobMcGuffin/status/1713006776285548700?s=20](https://x.com/FroobMcGuffin/status/1713006776285548700?s=20)

![](/static/blob/wzx88dnr.png)

Here are some of my personal favourites that were accepted:
(Screenshots taken from respective runners PB's in associated categories, order is alphabetical by game)

[Batman Arkham City Any%](https://www.speedrun.com/arkhamcity/runs/zn7nd97m) by @ShikenNuggets

![](/static/blob/rnqddmej.png)

[Dead Space Remake Any% Unrestricted](https://www.speedrun.com/dead_space_2023/runs/y2k5757y) by @sharkhat

![](/static/blob/7e9225z1.png)

[DOOM (2016) 100% Nightmare](https://www.speedrun.com/d2016/runs/zq9podxy) by @Raitro

![](/static/blob/3nvdd8nm.png)

[SPRAWL Any%](https://www.speedrun.com/sprawl/runs/m3k9g76y) by @BloodThunder

![](/static/blob/4zjpplzk.png)

...and many more! What runs are you looking forward to?

If you'd like to look through the games list yourself, [you can find it here!](https://gamesdonequick.com/submission/games-list) After that, we can all look forward to seeing the schedule when it's released October 20th.

Speedrunning marathon event Games Done Quick just released the games list!

The AGDQ 2024 Games List!

This Web game by indie creator David Tschacher is very simple from the outside but incredibly sophisticated when investigated. Territorial.io is a strategy/expansion game mostly known for it's multiplayer play. Released in August of 2021, the game has seen legends rise, the domination of clans such as [CORGI], [OG], and [ELITE], and, of course, it's entrance onto Speedrun.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKmsWPyPAY4

Even though the game is known for it's multiplayer, it's singleplayer speedrunning community still thrives. Players can choose one of sixteen maps; 6 of which are base on real world geography. There they can choose where to spawn. A good spawn should have distance from bots, a good distance from other players, and a large continent (For example, on a world map you wouldn't want to spawn in New Zealand.) Players then begin to take over empty, free territory. Any Territorial player must take 3 things into account: their interest in the top right, their troops on the top and their attack bar on the bottom. A players interest tells the player how many troops will be produced. (7% is max and 0% is the minimum, while the average player will spend most of the game at ~1.5% to around ~0.5%, depending on how aggressive they are.) Players must be mindful that there is a "Max Cap" at which players can no longer produce troops. The only way for your "Max Cap" to increase is to take over more territory. The troops in the top represents your strength: your power, ability to attack, and ability to defend your borders. The attack bar on the bottom tells you how many troops you are attacking with. This number will change frequently, however during mid-late game will hover around 8-12%. This bar is the only thing of the 3 mentioned that the player can control.

**Troop Count and Troop Cap**

![](/static/blob/1n5dppe3.jpg)

**Attack Bar**

One of the most important aspects of Territorial.io is your opening. The opening comes after your spawn, when expanding into free territory. DO NOT send out all your troops. The most common opening, renowned by the community, speedrunners, and new runners alike is the Greenbiscuit Opening. One of the most influential and important names in Territorial, and it's speedrunning community for that matter, [@Greenbiscuit](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Greenbiscuit?view=fullgame)'s opening was the first to become seriously intertwined with the player base. It goes like this:

1. cycle: 28.2%

2. cycle: 43.0%

3. cycle: 44.4%

4. cycle: 44.4%

5. cycle: 41.8%

For clarification, a cycle is when the bars on the outside of the troop counter hit the top. You want to time your attacks so that they finish when the bar on the outside hits the top of the box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD06REakQpA

Speedrunners play with 512 bots. There is a separate category for each map and difficulty. %RUNS require a 99% of the map and the victory screen. %TROOPS require runners to reach 200k, 500k, 1M, or 5M troops. 100%ONLY require runners to only full send, or lock the attack bar at 100%. Lastly is 2min%Run runs, trying to conquer as much land in 2 minutes.

Don't worry, the game is available for free at [https://territorial.io](https://territorial.io/). Join the Territorial.io speedrunning discord server at [https://discord.gg/uyV4hUHn](https://discord.gg/uyV4hUHn).

Happy Running!

We dissect a medium sized speedrunning community from the bottom up, increasing excitement and injecting a new passion for a game otherwise unexplored.

Wolfhowl's Game of The Week: Territorial.io

With so many demos to explore, it can feel like searching for hidden treasures in a sea of options. But fear not - I've taken on the challenge and handpicked six games from Next Fest that I believe have speedrunning potential.

So, without further delay (and in no particular order) let's dive into Next Fest and check out these promising speedgames.

(Also quick note, we aren’t sponsored by or currently in partnerships with any of these games as of the writing of this article)

***Viewfinder***

**Surreal Puzzle Platformer**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1382070/Viewfinder/)*

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vQfvMGWc3Uzt-SXUdTmpoqQ4Tc5V_x0BS30_1HnvL-gXkHkdIr6vpoyBNP99NQIgzqxX59_U6x1Ry_bDI9Z2jJ69Zmk_1bnYQvf_we-q10rAn2NwGbe3KElh4HRghjrcqYXJeHJhikP2HQ0GVHHqvTI)

I must admit, I'm fashionably late to the party on this one, as there’s already a speedrunning community that has popped up around this game! Picture this: a mind-bending journey through trippy puzzle designs reminiscent of Superliminal, wrapped in an atmosphere that balances relaxation and intrigue. The strategies and optimization that emerge in a speedrun when you know all the solutions to a puzzle game are always interesting. For instance, in the first level, you’re meant to fall when a bridge breaks at which point the game teaches you the rewind mechanic - but speedrunners discovered you can skip the tutorial by jumping over the bridge *before* it breaks. There’s lots of other cool stuff too, so I recommend you go [check out a run!]([https://www.speedrun.com/viewfinder](https://www.speedrun.com/viewfinder))

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/r1n8wnq4.gif)Whether you're a puzzle aficionado seeking a mind-bending experience or simply looking for a comfy game to kill a few hours, Viewfinder is an absolute must-play.

***En Garde***

**Cartoony Spectacle Fighter**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1654660/En_Garde/)*
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OuSWsMKgbT2cg6Kp88CTJdKYWnFVnxg8tThjmGRQGNgETSLKuZ9ckB7CN2qbxL8JPCm-kejOmLb5-Z6rp5D3HubtURAukvJqjxxivALORmgk4gKMqQyJqwf0zs6JhqpG_sPeh0l7lpeBiVaA11MgD6o)
“En Garde!” is a charming Spectacle Fighter/Action game focused on sword combat. The combat mechanics are super satisfying, allowing for fluid and precise swordplay that keeps you engaged and on your toes. Additionally, the platforming elements sprinkled throughout the demo added a layer of variety, although I personally hope the developers will increase the frequency of these sections in the full release.

[INSERT VIDEO]

As soon as I’m wrapped up with this article, this is definitely a speedgame I want to throw a few run attempts at.

***Echo Point Nova***

**Movement Shooter**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1836730/Echo_Point_Nova/)*
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gGkyZWr6H38pQwnknZC2U3iZ2cfembPSkGaPUBEijOcdT_rAn0jIfIcKEiezNVJRBpRCQqiW7rsCYJw8lpPQ-JIGvINHyqCVXK4zmiud9Ne0WEYlo2yqwhwIMG_VjYXu2ZMlLqICstD99Lg9SepqrH0)

Echo Point Nova’s demo feels like an open-world sandbox to explore the extremely satisfying movement and gunplay mechanics, which is by no means a bad thing. The movement starts off slow, introducing you first to the Double Jump Boots, then the Grappling Hook, and finally the *pièce de résistance* - the Hoverboard. The routes you can pull off by stringing these three systems together are gratifying as hell. The gunplay also feels like a massive improvement over developer MattWLA’s last title, Severed Steel with punchier effects and visuals.

[INSERT VIDEO]

It's worth noting Matt’s dedication to engaging with the community and actively seeking feedback, which further enhances the overall experience, fostering a collaborative environment where players' (including speedrunners) voices are valued and acknowledged.

***Valley Peaks***

**Amphibian 3D Platformer**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2107550/Valley_Peaks/)*

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9OAHNHffsc2uvT6lFawjfUrfOWO22DjgaZqT8c6vpkujft-yzv7kmdsQXh39wTgz9eEHajHadmnCt2FH6dgF8tSPe1oeNQeyX9z4esY-PVnyuEoU7B3ObQ4ul8hJDT9F2eAGXwiD_mk45nXOTZxlWpM)

You play as a frog and you climb tall things (optionally very fast) - need I say more? Valley Peaks has a gorgeous art style and great controls for climbing - simply left-click to climb with your left hand and the opposite for the right. Some sections will still challenge you though, and I’m excited to see the possibilities in a speedrun route. In trying to go fast myself during the demo, I noticed that it’s incredibly satisfying trying to scale large things fast - but one mistake and you fall to the bottom.

[INSERT VIDEO]

I can’t wait to see some high-risk strats in runs or especially in a live setting like a marathon, I’ll be on the edge of my seat.

***Skator Gator 3D***

**Reptile 3D Platformer**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1996470/Skator_Gator_3D/)*

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b0WLNBW2jMc726y6Gg9efIq6x9NiwYeFFF_YXKIaWYTuPFmmV7ND8kTmCbCT-4tmnVr0OWOEydfK7Mza17jieHEq3ElZDMICID40O9SGTGy8K3fi7eHxH1vaBop28XmkVWHPAbX7MQrXdJRPNMyOins)

On the topic of cute animal 3D platformers - Skator Gator 3D! First of all, thanks @shovelclaws for sponsoring the gameplay for this one as I was having some controller issues - and its gameplay is far superior to mine anyway! SG3D has some speedtech in which you jump after a dash with a certain rhythm - this is called a Super Jump and was actually put in place on purpose by the developer! You can see it in use at the start of @Shovelclaws gameplay below.

[INSERT VIDEO]

The developers have also gone through the game and listed baseline speedrun times on each level, as well as engaging with the speedrunning community by reacting to runs!

***Lies of P***

**Souls-Like**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1627720/Lies_of_P/)*

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JsXWpYkDgHxN8hPOqLFvRLuYqLFak7vonfM1L5n05pCyPFSdpdTlOwiSGzssFJOyYqGNT_MwDk5h5uRFy_yfIyH4-n7afzQvjl-dW0oBqB7sc6qDFy8LUVsJ6w-C2doZnDwB_vXmS4qbuewnKPssT1w)

In this Bloodborne-esque Souls-Like, you play as Pinnochio (yes, **that** Pinnochio) on a quest to become a real boy - a quest in which you slay thousands of gruesome (and very aggressive) puppets. Lies of P introduces some unique mechanics, including a weapon crafting system where you can take parts from different weapons and combine them together to create something completely new.

[INSERT VIDEO]

The demo for a lowly casual such as myself took several hours (of dying over and over), meanwhile legendary speedrunner @mitchriz [managed to pull off a run in a blazing 16:38]([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGASDuEz3Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGASDuEz3Y))

***ALMOST***

**IL-Rush Platformer**

*[Link to game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280150/ALMOST/)*

Neon White gamers, get ready to grind once again. ALMOST is a fast-paced IL-Rush with a unique Dimension Switch mechanic in which you can go between two different dimensions which each contain its own platforms that aren’t in the other dimension. This mechanic adds another layer that will give speedrunners lots to chew on during the routing process! This is definitely the gameplay that took me the longest to record because the skill ceiling is **ridiculously** high in this game.

[INSERT VIDEO]

For context, this clip took me about an hour to get, and I just barely scratched the top ten on the leaderboard, with the world record being a whole 9 seconds faster than my run.

And that’s a wrap! Although I played a TON of demos over the past few days, I barely scratched the surface of the vast array of those released—there are hundreds more waiting to be explored. Have you stumbled upon a demo that holds great potential for speedrunning but wasn't mentioned in this roundup? Join me in the forum thread I've created so we can discuss!![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/p4zjlnko.gif)

Steam Next Fest June '23 is here! It's that time of the year when game developers shower us with demos of their upcoming releases. It's like a buffet of gaming goodness. 