Okay, so here’s a wild thing I’ve been thinking about. Whenever someone says “esports,” I kinda immediately picture these intense shooters, right? Or those crazy complex MOBAs. But like, a puzzle game? Competing in that? Not where my mind usually wanders, but hey, you live and learn. Yeah, I was totally off. This year’s Summer Games Done Quick totally twisted that idea around with this game called Blue Prince. I mean, who knew a single-player brainy thing could be, like, adrenaline-pumping watchable?
So, picture this — it’s late Monday at Games Done Quick, which, by the way, is doing awesome stuff raising funds for Doctors Without Borders. You’d think they’d just see who zooms through Blue Prince to Room 46 fastest, right? Nope. They threw a curveball: this “B Quest Bingo” thing. What even is that? It’s a head-scratcher, to be honest.
Basically, these two speedrunners, Randringtail and BobbyBurm — yeah, those are names alright — they got these bingo boards, kind of mimicking the usual layout of Blue Prince. Each box on the board had its own quirky task, like busting open the eastern gate or snagging five room upgrades. They had, what, 90 minutes? And they could buzz through as many attempts as they wanted to tick those boxes. First one to make a path from the start to the end zone wins. Simple, right? Or not, who knows.
This whole thing was just brain vs. brain, and seriously, the crowd? They were losing it! Like a mix of a football stadium and a high-stakes poker game, jazzed up by Gelly’s commentary that was next-level energetic. Blue Prince itself is no cakewalk — it’s all about knowing these draft quirks, room tricks, secrets — basically enough to make your brain sweat. Pile on some random chaos, and boom, you’ve got yourself some nail-biting action. Imagine trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube on roller skates during a thunderstorm. It’s wild, but watching these folks tackle it, that’s the real thrill.
By the way, if you wanna see this spectacle, it’s all up on Games Done Quick’s YouTube. Be warned, though, spoiler alert! I picked up on stuff from just watching which blew past me in my own hundred hours with Blue Prince (seriously, some mind-blowing entrance hall shenanigans I missed). It’s just a testament to how deep this game dives.