Eight years ago, Games Done Quick started as a handful of sleep-deprived speedrunners unexpectedly crammed into owner Mike Uyama's mum's basement. Networking issues had forced them to abandon their planned location at MAGFest's hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, so they improvised.

At the Summer Games Done Quick, two tricky games were demolished. The runs of Cuphead and Celeste stole the show, giving us all an opportunity to ask, "There's no way it's that easy, is it?"

Summer Games Done Quick returns for its eighth year today with speedrunning performances across a number of classics, starting with Banjo-Tooie.

By the time it was Final Fantasy 7's turn on the Summer Games Done Quick schedule, the trio of runners were already tired. A mixture of nerves and anxious excitement had kept them from getting a full night's sleep, and starting at 1:00AM, they were about to steer the graveyard shift through eight solid hours of Final Fantasy.

A lot of people played video games very quickly last week, raising $US1.7 million ($2.2 million) for charity in the process. All of the speedruns at Summer Games Done Quick 2017 were entertaining, but if you don't have time to catch up on them all, here were some of my favourites.

This year's Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon finished with Earthbound. In part a charity event raising funds for Doctors Without Borders, viewers were allowed to bid on naming stuff at the beginning of the game. Ness's favourite thing, for instance, was almost Bepis, beat out just barely by R.N.G. instead thanks to $US25.12 ($33).

Seven days later, this year's Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon has come to an end, but not before raising $2.236 million for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

The first week of July means it's time to get ready for the annual Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon. The event is now in its fifth year, and SGDQ 2017 has an especially stellar line-up of games.

Six years ago, Awesome Games Done Quick started as a small outfit of speedrunners who played games to raise money for cancer prevention. Since then, AGDQ has ballooned into a big event: this year alone, viewers donated $US2.2 ($3) million dollars for a good cause. The added visibility has brought new challenges, as runners and organisers butt heads over rules that dictate what is banned from the event.

Last week, a lot of people played through a lot of video games very, very quickly. Here are some of the best.

Yesterday's tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) block at Summer Games Done Quick ended with a Super Mario Bros. 3 run that lasted barely longer than a blink.

The latest Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon for charity has been another massive success, with the event raising a staggering total of $1,714,711 ($US1.298 million).

Video: Using mist to leap off an enemy and reach a higher ledge would be tough enough on its own in Symphony of the Night, but doing so blindfolded? Let's leave that to the experts, like amazing Castlevania speedrunner romscout.

Video: Eeveespiritt's Summer Games Done Quick speedrun of New Super Mario Bros. 2 had almost reached the final boss, when everything went black.

It's time again for the very best reason to stay inside with your eyes glued to a screen in the middle of summer. The best speedrunners in the world gather for Summer Games Done Quick, a nonstop seven-day speedrun marathon benefiting Doctors Without Borders.

You may have missed the Chrono Trigger speedrun at Summer Games Done Quick, mostly because it took place on a late Saturday night and we all have better things to do on late Saturday nights, like play Chrono Trigger.

The weeklong speedrun event Summer Games Done Quick has come to an end, inspiring the games community to give a whole lot of their money to Doctors Without Borders.

On the left we have aspiring voice actor Patrick "Patty" Cullens, aka PCULL, whose mother may or may not have been murdered by a windmill. On the right is MrWeables, who possibly lives in a rustic castle with Will Ferrell. They're playing a game you've probably never heard of, and they're hilarious.

Forget the sun. Forget the beach. The only island you need concern yourself is Yoshi's Island, the first of more than 140 video games being speedrun to benefit Doctors Without Borders during the 2015 Summer Games Done Quick Marathon.