Blue Prince Thrives as an Esport at Summer Games Done Quick

Okay, here goes nothing. Imagine this: thinking about esports, right? And your brain just screams FPS games, MOBAs, the crazy fast-paced stuff. You’d never picture a brain-melting, one-player puzzle game, taking the limelight as a spectator sport, yeah? Well, turns out I was waaay off. Enter Blue Prince, turning heads at this year’s Summer Games Done Quick. Speedrunners? They somehow morph this mental marathon into pure spectacle, trust me — it’s wild.

So, Monday night, right? Games Done Quick’s summer get-together was in full swing, raising dough for Doctors Without Borders (props to them). If you know the drill, you’d guess, maybe, Blue Prince’s big GDQ moment was about speed-dashing to Room 46. Nope! Curveball time. Speed demons Randringtail and BobbyBurm? They’re in a “B Quest Bingo” showdown. Confused? Yeah, me too. Let’s hash this out.

Both runners get a bingo board — think Blue Prince’s usual grid. Each tile? A task. Like, unlock the eastern gate or snatch up five room upgrades. Ninety minutes, countless tries, and their mission? Forge a line between the entrance and antechamber. First one to crack it wins. Easy peasy, right? (Not.)

The showdown? Insane brain gymnastics. Picture SGDQ’s crowd losing it. It’s electric. Gelly’s commentary? Top-tier, like sports commentary on fast-forward. Normally, Blue Prince’s a tough nut, with all its tactical drafting, secret-spilling rooms, and juggling resources. Toss in a sprinkle of randomness. Now, speed that up and aim for specific goals. It’s mastery over mayhem, and these runners are artists of adaptation. Think speed chess meets whirlwind.

Catch the recorded chaos on Games Done Quick’s YouTube. Heads-up: spoiler city. I stumbled on secrets galore I hadn’t uncovered after slogging through a hundred-ish hours of Blue Prince myself (wait, there’s what in the entrance hall!?). Take a peek if only to remember how deep down the rabbit hole this roguelike madness goes.