Home News Move Over Toasters: Doom Is Now Playable Inside a PDF

Move Over Toasters: Doom Is Now Playable Inside a PDF

Author : Nathan Feb 26,2025

Doom's been ported to everything from toasters to refrigerators, seemingly leaving little room for truly novel ports. However, a high school student has achieved the seemingly impossible: running Doom within a PDF file viewable in a browser.

While features like text and sound are absent, the ability to play E1M1 while procrastinating on taxes is undeniably appealing.

Github user ading2210, inspired by the TetrisPDF project, leveraged Javascript within a browser's PDF reader to accomplish this feat. Browser security limitations restrict the full potential of PDF scripting, but it proved sufficient for a Doom port.

Doom in a PDF? Why not? Image credit: YouTube / vk6.

Using a six-color ASCII grid for visuals, ading2210 created a surprisingly playable, albeit slow (80ms per frame), version of Doom.

Although it won't replace your PS5 anytime soon, the accomplishment of running Doom inside a PDF file is remarkable, especially given its readability.

TetrisPDF's creator, Thomas Rinsma, acknowledged ading2210's superior "neater" implementation on Hacker News.

While not ideal for a first-time Doom experience, the continued trend of running Doom on unconventional platforms, files, and even living organisms remains endlessly entertaining.

Latest Articles More
  • Dune: Awakening Removes Vehicle Damage From PvP

    Remember Funcom's pledge to address those frustrating helicopter squishes ruining PvP matches? Well, they've delivered a solution. Sort of.Instead of tweaking the Ornithopters directly, developers implemented a simpler fix where "vehicles no longer d

    Dec 27,2025
  • Reverse: 1999 Debuts Chinatown Showdown Pt. 1

    Reverse: 1999 version 2.5 Part 1 is now live.Featuring the new limited character Liang Yue and the five-star Loggerhead.New events, garment series, and additional content are now available.If you've been anticipating the Hong Kong cinema-inspired "Sh

    Dec 27,2025
  • Avatar: Last Airbender Film Pushed to 2026

    Paramount Pictures has reshuffled its release schedule, pushing back two major Nickelodeon films: The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2. Both movies will now debut several months later than originall

    Dec 26,2025
  • "Haikyu!! Anime Inspires New Volleyball Game"

    Haikyu!! Fly High is the highly anticipated game based on the legendary anime series, now open for pre-registration.Garena will bring the game to North America, Europe, and other major global markets.Assemble your dream team with beloved characters a

    Dec 26,2025
  • Best Gaming OLED Monitors for 2025

    After nearly a decade, Clash Royale has finally introduced an evolutionary upgrade for the Inferno Dragon. Supercell marked this milestone with a special collaboration featuring Finnish comedian Ismo Leikola.A Fiery Negotiation Takes Center StageThe

    Dec 26,2025
  • The Outer Worlds 2 Physical Copies Are PS5-Exclusive, Priced at $80

    The Outer Worlds 2 marks Xbox's first $80 game, though physical copies will only be available on PS5. Continue reading to explore Xbox's updated pricing strategy and its shift toward an all-digital future for upcoming releases.Pricing and Physical Av

    Dec 26,2025