It's MEGATHREAD time, celebrating Doom's 30th anniversary.
A timeless game, now more relevant than ever as it becomes an indie dev platform.
Here, we're going to list and share a few thoughts on every standalone game using the Doom engine. There's a lot. Many free. Buckle up.
Doom - id Software
The shareware version released when I was just ten years old. I never would have imagined that I'd still be playing it at forty. Scary, dark, fast, and now well-maintained by Bethesda, with a fresh port that showcases many classic mods
store.steampowered.com/app/2280/DOOM_…
Doom 2 - id Software
By modern standards, a very slight sequel. One new gun, a handful of new enemies, and yet it became the foundation for one of the world's greatest mod scene. If you own the Doom2.WAD file, it opens up a million doors and growing.
store.steampowered.com/app/2300/DOOM_…
Heretic - Raven Software
Doom in fantasy pajamas. A fundamentally similar game with some extra gimmicks, and one of the first big engine licensees. Still fun, with its own small, active mod scene. I still prefer it over its overly fiddly sequel, Hexen.
store.steampowered.com/app/2390/Heret…
Hexen - Raven Software
A game that does so much right, and so much wrong. Great art, atmosphere, environments, enemies and weapons. And then it has some of the most convoluted switch-hunting level design of all time, and only four weapons per character.
store.steampowered.com/app/2360/Hexen…
Strife - Rogue Entertainment
The most ambitious of the OG Doom engine games. Arguably, a Deus Ex ahead of its time, with light RPG elements, multiple quest solutions, radio chatter to guide you between missions and fully voice acted multi-choice dialogue
store.steampowered.com/app/317040/Str…
Doom 64 - Midway Games
Finally freed from its N64 oubliette. Running on a custom variant of the Doom engine, this is arguably the true Doom 3. Darker, moodier and more trap-laden than the originals. Great fun, and now it has its own small mod scene too.
store.steampowered.com/app/1148590/DO…
Chex Quest - Chuck Jacobi
Corporate advergame or indie passion project? Both! The first two episodes of this kid-friendly Doom variant were bundled with cereal. A finished 3-episode version came later from the original dev, and now a 3D remake's on steam
chucktropolis.com/gamers.htm
Hacx - Banjo Software
The swansong of the OG Doomers, largely forgotten. A middling total conversion, produced when Quake was already the new kid on the block. Updated by the community to play nice with GZDoom, and freed from its commercial shackles.
drnostromo.com/hacx/index.php
After Hacx, Doom's upkeep mostly fell to its community, constantly cranking out mods, maps and ambitious total conversions. After John Carmack open-sourced the engine, a new generation began
There are SO many of these. We're off on a long, wild ride. Join me on this Doomed trail
The Forestale - Yorzh Aleksey
Let's start with an oddball. A 2.5d platformer, sold on Steam! About as far from Doom as you can get, and admittedly a little clunky for it, but under its cutesy run-and-jump facade beats the versatile GZDoom engine's heart.
store.steampowered.com/app/817220/The…
Shadow Of The Wool Ball - MSPaintR0cks - FREE
What better game to recreate in Doom than Wolfenstein 3D? Chunky, blocky Wolf3D style maps, but more modern, solid combat in this silly cartoon shooter. A coffee-fuelled hedgehog overthrows tyrannical cats.
moddb.com/mods/shadow-of…
Rise Of The Wool Ball - MSPaintR0cks - FREE
And what better followup to a Wolfenstein 3D parody than a Rise Of The Triad tribute? Now with floating platforms, bouncy vertical manoeuvring, much more varied combat and some fun bosses. A great sequel.
moddb.com/mods/rise-of-t…
Return Of The Triad - Indefatigable - FREE
Continuing into Triad territory, before they made the rad Amid Evil, Indefatigable started with a Doom-based tribute to Rise Of The Triad, now officially included in the recent ROTT: Ludicrous Edition on Steam.
moddb.com/mods/return-of…
Rough Waves - Khodoque - DEMO
Getting off track (and off-shore) here, Rough Waves is a promising third-person Hovertank shooter that looks like a long-lost PS1 game. Last update was this Summer but I hope we'll see this one evolve further in the 2024.
khodoque.itch.io/rough-waves
Ashes 2063 - Ashes Dev Group - FREE
Not just a great GZDoom showcase, but legit one of the best post-apocalyptic shooters around, and somehow FREE. A huge, explorable 80s pulp post-nuclear world. Amazing music, and at least two expansion episodes planned
moddb.com/mods/ashes-206…
Hands Of Necromancy - HON Team - Retail + Demo
A throwback to the glory days of Heretic, with a few fun new twists. Transform into monster forms to access areas Metroidvania-style, and resurrect monsters using the titular Hands to act as meat-shields.
store.steampowered.com/app/1898610/Ha…
Hands Of Necromancy 2 - HON Team - Upcoming
And while we're here, best to mention the upcoming sequel! Very recently announced. No demo yet, but the screenshots look promising. Now with a second playable character with her own set of transformation magic
store.steampowered.com/app/2706450/Ha…
Snap The Sentinel - Doghouse Games - Upcoming + Demo
What happens when the Sonic fangame scene takes a stab at Doom? This gem, which looks like a Saturn game, sounds like a Mega Drive one, and plays like a dream. In dev still, with a beefy demo out now.
store.steampowered.com/app/1739960/Sn…
I Am Sakuya - Sigyaad Team - Retail + VR(!)
Speaking of feral fanbases, here's a commercial Touhou game. Play as the time-freezing maid Sakuya, or surly shrine maiden Reimu in the DLC. Also has a full VR mode with low-poly Fumos. You know you want them.
store.steampowered.com/app/1960590/I_…
Scoot Hard DX - Waffle Iron Studios - FREE
And now the MOST feral fanbase: My Little Pony. A Rise Of The Triad-inspired shooter with very vertical movement, chunky cartoon art and a lot of pony gore.
It served as a short prototype for the next game up.
waffleironstudios.com/legacy-project…
Project Absentia - Waffle Iron Studios - Retail + Demo
In early access, plus a demo. A more refined successor to Scoot Hard, now with winged people instead of ponies, but still plenty of MLP references. A funky look, but solid combat. Also very violent.
store.steampowered.com/app/1662010/Pr…
Harmony - Rabotik - FREE
An early ZDoom showcase, recently updated, featured in the Bethesda Doom port, and then re-ported to GZDoom. A claymation post-apocalypse world where cyber-amazons battle the mutated menfolk. Vanilla-ish combat, WILD visual style
doomworld.com/forum/topic/14…
Castlevania: Simon's Destiny - Batandy - FREE
A fantastic Casltevania fangame from the developer of the Mario-themed Golden Souls mods. A first-person recreation of Castlevania 1, with a beefy NG+ loop adding extra monster variety from across the series.
batandy.itch.io/simonsdestiny
Vomitoreum - Scumhead - Retail
A weird, fleshy and nightmarish FPS metroidvania, somehow all taking place on a single map. No load times, no breaks. Why? Because Scumhead is weird and can, I guess. Short and sweet, with a dark, uncomfortable story.
store.steampowered.com/app/1549750/Vo…
Dismantled - Pluie De Sang - Retail
Speaking of fleshy and uncomfortable, this survival horror game has a real Video Nasty vibe. Escape from the lab of a mad vivisector who sews together unsettling manimal hybrids. Features a lot of naked/mangled bodies.
store.steampowered.com/app/1943240/Di…
Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch - CutmanMike - FREE
Changing gears, 8-Bit Deathmatch is a COLOSSAL arcade arena shooter fangame. Great online (with its own mod scene) but has a massive solo campaign with some genuinely impressive boss fight setpieces & twists.
cutstuff.net/mm8bdm/
A Fool's Art Gallery - Reflection Frequency - Retail + Demo
Not everything made with the Doom engine has to be about shooting. This here is an avant garde interactive art gallery. Walk through the works of obscure Canadian artist Stephen Levi Guptill.
store.steampowered.com/app/2596460/A_…
Action Doom 2: Urban Brawl - Scuba Steve - FREE
Art too much? Punch things! A heavily Sin City/Streets Of Rage inspired brawler. This one's an oldie, recently polished up and ported to GZDoom. Some poorly aged story beats, but a rad early engine showcase
doomworld.com/forum/topic/12…
Mala Petaka - Sanditio Bayu - Upcoming + Demo
A very promising high-speed arcade shooter, if the demo is any indication. Bloodless, kid-friendly Dooming. Breakneck pace as you warp through worlds and shoot thousands of alien robot slimes with chunky guns
store.steampowered.com/app/2104460/Ma…
Beer Drinkin' Terrorist Hunter - Brain Touch Games - FREE
Let's just kill the vibe. Included purely for completion's sake. Dumb as a sack of hammers, obviously tacky, and notable for being one of the earliest commerical ZDoom games, now free. If you want
bdthstaff.itch.io/beer-drinkin-t…
Fury's Sky - Proud Cipher - FREE
Let's jet FAR away with this experimental 3D air combat game. An interesting if flawed experiment into what the GZDoom engine can do. Never made it out of prototyping/early access due to its codebase being a mess, but...
store.steampowered.com/app/1118550/Fu…
Fury's Sky: Vagabond - Proud Cypher - Upcoming
Sometimes a concept deserves a second shot. Recently announced, the developer is going back for another shot at the concept, running on a refreshed, less cursed codebase. Nothing playable yet, but curious!
doomworld.com/forum/topic/14…
GZ PT - Batandy - FREE
Speaking of cursed, how about a full remake of Hideo Kojima’s ill-fated Silent Hill playable teaser in the GZDoom engine? Because if nobody tells you to stop, then you’ve just got to do it anyway. Seriously impressive though.
batandy.itch.io/gz-pt
Hedon - Zan - Retail + Demo
Back to hurting your wallet with this gem. This is to fantasy as Ashes 2063 is to post-apocalypse. HUGE shooter with light RPG elements where you play as a giant buff lesbian orc. A goblin-themed expansion's in the works too.
store.steampowered.com/app/1072150/He…
Operation ECHO - Greenlegacy - Upcoming + Demo
A great showcase of how flexible GZDoom is. A sprite-based Metal Slug style platform shooter. Feels surprisingly good, too. Development is slow but steady. Hopefully we'll see the full game sometime in 2024!
greenlegacy.itch.io/opecho
Relentless Frontier - Fission Ogre - Upcoming + Demo
Need another bug hunt? Here you go. A very promising high-speed shooter where you fight against massive swarms of scuttling alien insects with some very overkill sci-fi weapons to match. Solid demo!
store.steampowered.com/app/1677900/Re…
Total Chaos - Wadaholic - FREE
How is this free? Still one of the most stunning things made in GZDoom. A moody, hyper-detailed survival horror fusion of Silent Hill and STALKER. The dev went on to make Turbo Overkill and is remaking this in Unreal next.
moddb.com/mods/total-cha…
Zombies Ate My Neighbors TC - Dude27th - FREE
Sometimes a fangame is so good it should be official. An incredibly authentic first-person reimagining of the 16-bit cult hit. In development with a demo. Usually updated on Halloween, but nothing this year.
moddb.com/mods/zombies-d…
Supplice - Mekworx - Retail + Demo
Huge recommendation. Some of the best mappers & musicians in the Doom scene are making some of the tightest combat around. Great vibes, fun Marathon-inspired story. 2 of 6 episodes out in early access, but they're great
store.steampowered.com/app/1693280/Su…
Memoirs Of Magic - Strawberry Octopus - FREE
A very PSX-core FPS RPG. Surprisingly non-linear, very charming and with a whole bunch of characters that play very differently. Tough as nails though, and best played in co-op if you can rope in a friend.
strawberryoctii.itch.io/memoirs-of-mag…
Sonic Robo Blast 2 - Sonic Team Jr - FREE
A truly classic fangame. Once maligned and janky, years upon years of refinement and updates has made this into a legit great Sonic game, now with its own active modding scene that's now making spinoff games.
srb2.org
Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart - Kart Krew - FREE
Speaking of, SRB2 Kart is one of the best kart-racers available on PC. Less Sonic, more a massive SEGA crossover mashup, with a large active online multiplayer scene and countless user-made tracks and characters
mb.srb2.org/addons/srb2kar…
The Age Of Hell - Hellforge Studios - Upcoming + Demo
Back to Doom's heart. Now with a beefy demo, The Age Of Hell is a very promising upcoming shooter inspired by Doom 'slaughter' maps where you're up trying to keep on top of enormous enemy swarms.
store.steampowered.com/app/1779060/Th…
Dynamite Duchess - Mike's Toybox - FREE
A cute cartoon gothic shooter spread across three lengthy episodes. After a falling out on the Doomworld forums the dev seemingly fell off the internet, removing many downloads. All three episodes are mirrored here
mediafire.com/file/80s16yfhf…
Brutal Doom 64 - Marcos Abenante - FREE
Before there was an official PC port, the developer of Brutal Doom produced this unofficial adaptation/pseudo-remake of Doom 64. It has a different, twitchier feel than the 'real' game, but it's not without merit.
moddb.com/mods/brutal-do…
Brutal Fate - Marcos Abenante - Upcoming
Speaking of, there's a commercial, standalone take on Brutal Doom on the horizon. No demo yet, but looks to have some very COD-inspired tactical weapon feel, paired with demons that explode like overripe tomatoes.
store.steampowered.com/app/1409460/Br…
Selaco - Altered Orbit Studios - Upcoming + Demo
Another upcoming heavyweight is the FEAR-inspired Selaco. A great demo gives a taste of its hyperkinetic gunfights, smart AI and juicy environmental destruction. Early access launch is early-ish 2024.
store.steampowered.com/app/1592280/Se…
Retroninjacyberassassin - An00bus - FREE
Quality whiplash! This one looks and feels like an interactive MSpaint shitpost, but there's some interesting combat here. Also DLC that adds the option to stab bosses in the dick. Videogames are a perfect artform
store.steampowered.com/app/1566570/Re…
Adventures Of Square - BigBrik Games - FREE
On the brighter side of MSPaint, we've got this free classic. Bouncy, fun and satisfying, about a wisecracking purple square fighting vicious circles on the cheesy moon. The third episode is in perpetual limbo.
bigbrikgames.itch.io/square
Lycanthorn 1 & 2 - Scumhead - FREE
A pair of NES Castlevania-inspired games from Vomitoreum's developer. The first is linear and more arcadey while the sequel (both included in the Steam release) is a more open Castlevania 3 style multi-character deal.
store.steampowered.com/app/1546440/Ly…
Twilight Town: Cyberpunk FPS - Sigyaad Team - Retail
A recent sci-fi shooter from the developer of that Touhou fangame. A little more structured and technical but features swarms of enemies that pop like balloons at the slightest hint of bullet impacts.
store.steampowered.com/app/2477140/Tw…
Wolfenstein: Blade Of Agony - Realm667 - FREE
An absolutely massive, ambitious Wolfenstein fangame that pushes the GZDoom engine hard. Plays like a tighter, faster take on RTCW with plenty of opportunities for stealth and sniping in-between nazi-grinding
boa.realm667.com
Project Osiris - ArcturusDeluxe - FREE
A very impressive remake of Alien Breed 3D, an Amiga shooter that bit off way more than it could chew. This feels like an alternate universe version that doesn't have to run in a postage-stamp sized window to work.
arcturusdeluxe.itch.io/project-osiris
Rekkr: Sunken Land
An expanded, commercial version of a popular pseudo-viking themed total conversion mod. The original can be found in standalone form, or as part of Bethesda's new Doom port, but this version has more levels & nicer graphics. Your pick!
store.steampowered.com/app/1715690/RE…
Beyond Sunset - Metacorp - Retail + Demo
It's like Strife, but neon! Or at least that's what my overly reductive store quote says. An excellent cyberpunk shooter with light RPG bits, recently launched into early access for less than it should really cost
store.steampowered.com/app/1665260/Be…
Shrine - Scumhead - FREE
Yet more slimy, squishy FPS goodness from Scumhead. Fast-paced & arcadey, this was originally a regular Doom mod that went standalone, after a nice round of polish & tuning. Honestly, it should be free. Neither should the sequel.
store.steampowered.com/app/1271050/Sh…
Shrine 2 - Scumhead - FREE
And here's that sequel. Bigger, bolder and more coherent than the first, with a genuinely great final boss fight. Feels like a major step up from the first in every respect, including atmosphere. This one's weird and oppressive
store.steampowered.com/app/1417010/Sh…
Hellslinger - Hellworks Team - Upcoming + Demo
A solid demon-grinding shooter (if the demo is any indication) that still feels like a platform for the developer to share his horny/angry (horngry?) tactical furry OCs with the world.
I approve. Carry on.
store.steampowered.com/app/2140540/He…
Nocturne In Yellow - TerminusEst13 - FREE
A short but sweet gothic fantasy shooter that was meant to be a showcase for a GZDoom branch designed for easy, licence-free indie game development. The engine never really caught on, but the game's good fun!
contest.gamedevfort.com/submission/657
Project Crypt - Skullazon Interactive - FREE
A big action-horror game heavily inspired by Cry Of Fear. Slowly make your way across a monster-infested city, carefully spending ammo as the situation steadily escalates. Strains against stock GZDoom limits.
store.steampowered.com/app/1988750/Pr…
Captain Wayne - Ciaran Games - Upcoming + Demo
A really fun cartoon shooter about a wacky pirate with a multifunctional robot gun arm, rampaging through a gangster-infested vacation resort. Drink, punch, shoot, jump. The demo's a great time already.
store.steampowered.com/app/2319790/Ca…
Box Party - catoidi - Upcoming + Demo
More silly cartoon fun. The food's gone bad at a party, so you've got to fight all of it and collect some hats. The full game is set to be pretty short meal, but there's a demo if you want an early snack, as a treat.
store.steampowered.com/app/1727350/Bo…
Daytime Drama - Waffle Iron Studios - FREE
Continuing the impromptu cartoon block. Here's the one that kicked off Waffle Iron's career. Blow up lots of weird off-brand cartoon characters, plus a bunch of Dontrel The Dolphins, for a real kusoge deep-cut.
waffleironstudios.com/legacy-project…
Saccharine - Waffle Iron Studios - FREE
Let's make it a double, and festive too! Just recently released, it's more of the above, but Christmas-themed. Lay siege to the North Pole and save the holidays. Or burn them all to the ground. Either's fine really
waffleironstudioscoop.itch.io/saccharine
SharpShooter3D - HeadHunters Games - Retail
Enough cartoons. Let's get punk. A weird, raw, photo-sourced game set on Russia's streets. Beat up cops, ultranationalists, gangsters and weirder. Apparently built on Action Doom 2's codebase, too, which fits.
store.steampowered.com/app/2435900/Sh…
Apocalyptic Vibes - Amanito Computing - Retail + Demo
More Russian photo-sourced strangeness, but this time more STALKER inspired. Tough tactical combat, lots of inventory management, and a 'romantic shoegaze' soundtrack. Pack your warmest Ushanka.
store.steampowered.com/app/1840610/Ap…
Divine Frequency - Good Karma - Retail + Demo
One of the most conceptually interesting Doom-based games on the horizon. A surreal action-horror RPG about being an extradimensional demon slayer and trashcan hobo. Even has a bit of Souls-like vibes to it.
store.steampowered.com/app/2548880/Di…
Quake Champions: Doom Edition - QCDE Devs - FREE
Doom must (and will) subsume all over games. A great, twitchy interpretation of Quake Champions' combat. Playable as a standalone, but you can play it single-player if you have a proper Doom 2 WAD as well.
moddb.com/mods/quake-cha…
Disdain - Nash Muhandes - Retail + Demo
People keep getting Quake in their Doom. In this case, it's a dedicated effort to recreate the look and feel of classic Quake in an engine that really shouldn't be able to. But it does. Just try the demo and see.
store.steampowered.com/app/2113270/DI…
Darkadia - Nash Muhandes - Upcoming
This Nash guy really can't just let Doom be Doom. His other big upcoming project appears to turn it into Silent Hill, familiar audio, grimy textures and 3D models abound. Looks legit! Demo coming 'When its ready'.
forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?…
Solace Dreams - Ermin - FREE
Not that Nash is the first one to do Silent Hill in Doom. This one is a horror boss rush with SH vibes & funky voxel art. The dev fell off the internet and took his work with him - this is one of the few remaining mirrors.
gamepressure.com/download.asp?I…
Solace Dreams Remake - Ermin - Unfinished/Demo
Another casualty of Ermin falling off the face of the internet is this promising remake of Solace Dreams. Set to be a faster, more action-oriented take on the formula. A prototype demo can be found here.
gamepressure.com/download.asp?I…
Stellar Valkyrie - In The Keep - Upcoming
Looking to the future once more, Stellar Valkyrie is yet another Scumhead joint, this time about a bird-guy bounty hunter on a space adventure, battling an evil cult led by his villainous ex-girlfriend. As you do
store.steampowered.com/app/1693350/St…
Mayhem Mansion - Logic Obscure Productions - FREE
The Doom engine is a rich medium for remakes. Mayhem Mansion is a loose adaptation/reimagining of ultra-niche cult FPS Exploding Lips. Nonsensical enemies and weird level design all doubled down on here.
darsycho.itch.io/mayhem-mansion
Enigmatic Worlds - Logic Obscure Productions - Upcoming
One more from Logic Obscure, this time a dreamlike trip through a series of worlds inspired by various DOS and Amiga-era cult shooters. Love the aesthetic, but no gameplay to be seen (or tried) yet.
store.steampowered.com/app/2558730/En…
With that, I think I'm out of steam. Both personally and in terms of games on the store.
But IT'S NOT OVER YET! I'll be resuming this thread tomorrow for a bonus round of the really obscure, raw, unfinished and abandoned. Got another couple dozen yet to feature.
Happy Doomsmas!
In the meantime, let's make this a bit more readable, and free it from Musk's Wild Ride while we're at it, so y'all can share it with your Twitter refugee friends.
@threadreaderapp - unroll me, please.
Back at it again in the Doom 30th Anniversary Megathread afterparty!
From here, we're getting off the beaten track. Everything now is mostly small game jam stuff, abandoned or stalled projects and really fringe stuff. You may need to provide your own GZDoom EXE or Freedoom WAD.
Hollowlands - Llewellyn M - Upcoming
A very promising upcoming game that doesn't even have a site yet, just youtube dev updates. An ambitious, open-world-ish southern gothic RPG, set in a haunted parallel world populated by hillbillies and oddballs.
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
Brulo's Ballble Teafense - [c]ness - FREE
A charming little arcade tower defense serving game. Balance serving bubble tea and setting up turrets to splat cartoon rodents that want to raid your delicious drink supplies. Based on indie platformer Antonball
cness4290.itch.io/brulotdf
Deluge - Floodgate Arts - Upcoming
A potentially dead project. There's plenty of gameplay footage of this promising fleshy horror FPS, but a schism in the dev team seems to have put the project on a back-burner. I hope I'm wrong, as it looks excellent.
moddb.com/mods/deluge-on…
Slooter - BuxomDev - Retail/Abandoned + Demo
NSFW! I had to blur SO much in these screenshots. A horny FPS about humping horny monsters into submission. Still sold, but the dev has said it'll never be leaving early access as interest in it was low.
buxomdev.itch.io/slooter
Dark Legacy - Mark Kaminari - Retail
An Italian-made sci-fi FPS about an American trucker abducted by aliens and trying to escape their world. Seems to have a bunch of stock other assets still floating around, but it looks solid enough. Not tried it yet.
mark-kaminari-software.itch.io/dark-legacy
Mark Clayton - Mark Kaminari - Upcoming
The next project from the developer of Dark Legacy. This time, a gritty cyberpunk theme. Nothing playable yet, but the screenshots remind me a lot of Hacx, the ill-fated final Doom licensed game/total conversion.
mark-kaminari-software.itch.io/mark-clayton
Blood: The Curse Hunter - Bifurcator Studio - Dead + Demo
An incredibly promising Blood fangame. Production fizzled out a while after the demo was released, but what we got was interesting. Adds a bunch of RPG elements to the familiar formula.
moddb.com/mods/blood-the…
Murk - Bifurcator Studio - Dead + Patreon Prototype
And another abandoned project by Bifurcator. Another take on grim n' gothic horror-shootyness, this time without a borrowed license. A prototype was available to Patreon backers, but not much else.
patreon.com/bifurcator
Bloodwar - Audom MOY - FREE
A short but interesting little game jam project. A scientist is abducted by aliens and fights his way to freedom using a blood-fueled gun. Ammo costs health, so kick the aliens when you can. Death comes quick.
audom-moy.itch.io/bloodwar
Arger: Death Machine - Brain Melting Games - Upcoming
Formerly Zerstörer: Dead Zone, this one's a grim and grungy looking shooter from a small Ukrainian team. Understandably, their country being invaded slowed down development. Hoping they're all safe!
brain-melting-games.itch.io/arger-death-ma…
Qyaria - zeeberpal - Upcoming/On Hold
Currently on hold, but if this game ever gets released, it might be the wildest thing made with the GZDoom engine yet. A genre-blending sci-fi tactical RPG shooter played vertical. Check out the mindblowing trailer.
doomworld.com/forum/topic/13…
Re-Powerslave - Maxiclouds - Dead/Demo
Another project that appears to have fizzled out. An ambitious GZDoom reimagining of the original PC version of Powerslave. The demo's good though! Interest seemed to dry up after the Night Dive remaster release.
forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?…
A Janitor's Nightmare - Nash Muhandes - FREE
Proof that even the most talented of creators sometimes just want to be silly. A short game jam shooter about a janitor battling sapient poop and unclogging toilets. Nash is currently working on Disdain.
v3.globalgamejam.org/2020/games/jan…
Plunge - Jakub Majewski - FREE
A short one-shot FPS adventure about an expedition into a cyclops's cavern lair. Light on combat, and you'll have to put your lantern down to fight critters using your knife or (very sparingly) a gun.
jakub-majewski.itch.io/plunge
Membrane - Shred18 - Dead + Demo
Another promising project that fizzled out. This time a pulpy retro sci-fi adventure that was going hard on GZDoom's 3D model tech earlier than most. The demo's solid, and even has co-op and deathmatch modes.
indiedb.com/games/membrane
1956 Budapest - Gelle Szebastian - Upcoming + Demo
A bit raw yet, but an interesting setting. Military shooter set around the Hungarian rebellion against the Soviet Union. Currently buying it is just providing support - the demo is identical to paid.
gelle-szebasztian.itch.io/1956-budapest-…
The Cenote - Zero One Productions - FREE
Rough, but one of the first standalone Doom projects of the 2000s. A cartoony take on Mayan myth. Two playable characters descend into an underwater cavern and battle monsters with magical and ancient weaponry.
zero1productions.com/billy/vbb/down…
Outreside: Gravebourne - Inki Crow - FREE
Another short game jam project. A three-level proof of concept with simple one-weapon combat, a regenerating ammo pool, and a whole lot of furry zombies to zap. Very simple level design, but some nice sprites.
inkicrow.itch.io/outreside-grav…
Into Oblivion - Aerial301 - FREE
An even more itty bitty game jam project. This one's a cute proof of concept. Fight endless waves of monsters, but you can only leave a floor once you vacuum up all the mess you've made. A concept I can see being built on
aerial301.itch.io/into-oblivion
He Came From Beyond - Soma's Haul - Upcoming
Promising lovecraftian horror FPS with a fantastic art-style. Everything in the game is pencil-sketches on post-it notes, then scanned in, giving it a consistent hazy sepia aesthetic. Hope we'll see it in 2024
moddb.com/mods/he-came-f…
Decadence: A Tarnished World - Alekksandar - FREE
A charming fantasy shooter. Development kinda fizzled out in 2021, but the creator considers it finished well enough, rather than abandoned. All the critter sprites are so adorable it's hard to shoot em'.
forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?…
Trauma Affect - Crypt Voice - Upcoming + Demo
PS1-styled horror game, and somehow achieves that aesthetic really well with the Doom engine. Only a short proof-of-concept demo that highlights the vibe it's going for, but hopefully we'll see more later.
crypt-voice.itch.io/trauma-affect
Combat Train - Zrrion - Dead?
A standalone game first unveiled a couple years ago by Zrrion, developer of one of my favourite old Doom mods (The Void Of Hell) - there's been no updates in a couple years, so perhaps this is yet another that didn't pan out
combat-train-devblog.tumblr.com
Kid 4 $29.99 - TerminusEst13 - FREE
A game jam vaporwave trip that would be bright and cheery were it not for the dark subject matter. A troubled child seeks solace in a mall at night and ends up finding more than a distraction. Fascinating and brief.
terminusest13.itch.io/kid-4-2999
Sorrow - Redead-ITA - FREE
A short, strange little shooter with a tasty pseudo-CGA palette and a surreal soundscape. A lone guardian faces cosmic monsters in a seemingly unwinnable fight. Reminds me of Amon26's All of Our Friends Are Dead.
redead-ita.itch.io/sorrow
Tyko's Dying Together - walkedoutneimans - FREE
A hallucinatory walking sim/fever-dream. Explore a cheerful corporate afterlife. Embrace failure. Take photos of weird horses. A fascinating and abrasive sardonic un-world to get lost in for a while.
walkedoutneimans.itch.io/tykos-dying-to…
Suburban Basketball - walkedoutneimans - FREE
Doubling doubling down on the weirdness from the same developer as Tyko's. Become John Basketball, and be ballin' around town. Annoy strange people, emote using your hands. Marvel at borrowed Tekwar sprites.
walkedoutneimans.itch.io/suburban-baske…
Delaweare - space is green - FREE
Another early ZDoom project, this one was a student showcase trying to do something weirder and more abstract with the engine. Combat is relatively 'normal' (insofar as Doom goes), but the visuals are a fun trip.
spaceisgreen.nl/delaweare.htm
The Exorfist - TerminusEst13 - FREE
Yet another bite-sized game jam project from Terminus - somebody stop this man! This time, a Punch Out inspired first-person brawler. Fight three spirits in a sumo ring, and win either by ring out or exorcism.
terminusest13.itch.io/the-exorfist
Nu//void - BigBrik Games - FREE
A short, monochrome puzzle-platformer adventure from the Adventures Of Square team. Turn the lights on and off to find new paths, while avoiding painful static and a malicious ghost. A short, interesting experiment.
bigbrikgames.itch.io/nullvoid
The Foreverhood - Skadoomer - FREE
A bit rough and unfinished (it exists as a public beta), but another early showcase of open-source standalone Doom development from 2006. Surreal and dreamlike wandering through a pencil-sketched world.
moddb.com/mods/foreverho…
Magical Mary - Xane Myers - FREE/Dead?
An offbeat high-speed first-person platformer starring a magical girl. Very raw and janky in its current incarnation, and may not see further development as the creator seems to have pivoted to Roblox of all things.
thex.site/pages/games/ma…
Nido Force - SmashBroPlusB - FREE
Another little game jam project. This time an third-person-view Zelda-like, highlighting that even small games can do funky things with the engine. Some adorable ultra-low-res sprites in here.
contest.gamedevfort.com/submission/411
Horryefieing - KandleMagick - Upcoming
A whole trilogy of Doom-based horror shooters, all in development still (apparently) and none released yet. Perhaps the developer is biting off more than they can chew, but I still want to see these released.
horryefieing.website2.me
Lenny! - An00bus - FREE
And one last game jam project, this time from the Retrocyberninjaassassin guy. This time, a weird MSpaint slice of school life. Almost peak fringe Doom development.
We're almost at the end here. Just two mystery projects to go.
an00bus666.itch.io/lenny
Ylfe: Miasmawalker - Unknown Dev - Upcoming
A mystery game in development. All we know is the name, and that the developer has a Twitter account. Nice aesthetic, though! But as for whether it'll turn into anything, who knows? Bring on 2024!
twitter.com/YlfeM/
Untitled Project - RunoDev - Upcoming + Demo
And lastly, a game so mysterious that it doesn't even have a title. But what it does have is a great Silent Hill-adjacent aesthetic, and a demo. Give it a try and I'll keep an eye on it.
It's... over?
ruuuno.itch.io/adlm-build
With that, we've ALMOST every standalone game I know of to use the Doom engine. There's a couple that I didn't include because there's no working download mirrors I could find yet. Here's my spreadsheet of all of them, which I used to make this thread:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
If there's any I've missed, message or DM me! But for now, I think this thread is done.
Thanks to @QuakedoomNukem for helping with some research and hunting down some really obscure ones, plus mirroring Dynamite Duchess.
And now... @threadreaderapp - unroll us and play us out.
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