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
  • Honkai Star Rail Launches Repose Chapter Update

    Version 3.2 of Honkai: Star Rail introduces a wealth of new content for players.Two new five-star characters, Castorice (Remembrance) and Anaxa (Erudition), have arrived.Special events and activities are planned to celebrate the game's second anniver

    Jan 23,2026
  • Palworld's Switch Port Halted by Technical Hurdles, Not Pokemon

    While not completely dismissing the possibility of a Switch version, Palworld CEO Takuro Mizobe has highlighted the technical challenges involved in bringing the game to the Nintendo platform.Related VideoIs a Switch Version of Palworld Feasible?Tech

    Jan 23,2026
  • Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Ancient Giants Emerge

    Pokémon GO is paving the way for the global GO Fest 2025 celebration with a packed lineup. Three new themed events are arriving, alongside the return of legendary titans and some Gigantamax Pokémon.Pokémon Go Global Go Fest 2025: All Events DetailedF

    Jan 22,2026
  • Eterspire update adds maps, servers, progression

    Three brand-new maps expand the Arid Ridge regionMulti-server functionality arriving with this updateRevamped hunt system delivers more rewarding progressionEterspire's previous major update introduced expansive story content and a significant main q

    Jan 22,2026
  • Ragnarok X: Assassin Class Guide

    In Ragnarok X: Next Generation, Assassins strike fear into enemies as the game's ultimate precision killers. Rising through the Thief job lineage, these swift predators specialize in lightning-fast bursts, tactical repositioning, and devastating crit

    Jan 22,2026
  • Dune: Awakening Release Date Set, Free Updates Confirmed

    Funcom, developer of Dune: Awakening, has shared new details about the game's pricing structure and long-term roadmap, clarifying that the May 20 release marks the complete launch—not an Early Access phase.The multiplayer survival title draws inspira

    Jan 21,2026