Doom Becomes the Ultimate Playground for Tech Innovators

Doom on Unusual Platforms: A Long-Running Meme

For years, fans of the classic video game Doom have turned it into a challenge to see how many devices and platforms can run the iconic shooter. From Bitcoin and Dogecoin to gut bacteria, enthusiasts have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. Crypto users have even made Doom playable using NFT-like protocols, Ordinals and Doginals, showing the game’s versatility.

A new twist on this trend comes from a GitHub user named Ading2210, who claims to be a high school student. They’ve managed to make Doom playable inside a PDF document. Players can open the game in any Chromium-based browser, such as Google Chrome or Brave, and use in-document buttons or keyboard controls to play.

Source: X

The experience isn’t perfect. The game appears in heavily pixelated monochrome and has no sound. However, the project is more about the technical achievement of running Doom in a PDF than creating a seamless gaming experience. It’s a fun proof of concept that highlights the creative lengths fans will go to for this decades-old game.

Doom has been a favorite for creative experiments ever since its developer, id Software, made it open-source in 1997. This decision allowed fans and hobbyists to modify the game’s code, leading to countless unique adaptations. Over the years, Doom has been played on cash ATMs, lawn mowers, pregnancy tests, and even artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. Its enduring appeal lies in its adaptability and simplicity, making it an ideal playground for coding enthusiasts.

The "It Runs Doom" Community

The subreddit r/ItRunsDoom celebrates these quirky projects, with over 100,000 members sharing their achievements. Ading2210 posted their PDF creation on the subreddit, detailing how they made it work. They discovered that PDF documents support Javascript and used an older version of the code compiler Emscripten to convert Doom’s code into a format compatible with PDFs. To make it feasible, they used a simplified version of the game.

Source: X

The community appreciated the innovation, but the post hasn’t yet become the subreddit’s favorite. The top-ranked post features Doom running in Minecraft, a project that combines two beloved games. Other high-ranking creations include Doom on an iPod, a ticket validator, and even a vape. The sheer variety of platforms showcases the creativity of the Doom community.

While these projects often appear as memes or jokes, they also highlight the game’s unique cultural status. Doom represents a blend of nostalgia, technical ingenuity, and gaming history. It inspires hobbyists and developers to test their limits, turning technical challenges into fun experiments.

Source: X

Final Thoughts 

Doom’s enduring adaptability continues to make it a playground for creativity. Whether running on cutting-edge technology or unexpected platforms, these experiments ensure that the 1993 classic remains a touchstone in gaming culture. The PDF version may not be the smoothest way to play, but it stands as another testament to the game’s legacy.