The original Doom is now playable in a custom PDF file, further contributing to its legacy of being ported to just about every platform under the sun.
Developed by ading2210, a self-described “high school student with an interest in programming, web development, and cybersecurity,” the Doom PDF project utilizes the file format’s inherent Javascript support to recreate the iconic first-person shooter in text. It runs poorly and plays even worse, but it’s a marvel to see in action.
“Previous interactive PDF projects I’ve seen use individual text fields that are toggled on/off to make individual pixels,” ading2210 wrote on the game’s GitHub page. “However, Doom’s resolution is 320×200, which would mean thousands of text fields would have to be toggled every frame, which is infeasible. Instead, this port uses a separate text field for each row in the screen, then it sets their contents to various ASCII characters. I managed to get a 6 color monochrome output this way, which is enough for things to be legible in-game.”
Doom PDF only works in Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, etc.) and supports custom WADs (modded Doom files like the recent Gallery Experience), though you’ll need the original Doom WAD to get them working.
