Oil up your chainsaw: It's hard to believe Doom is older than many of those playing it today. Fans have ported the game that just won't die to every conceivable platform – even some never meant for gaming. For its 32nd anniversary, a team of enthusiasts created a web app allowing players to browse and run thousands of fan-made levels with no installation.
Stop doomscrolling social media and start "DoomScrolling" Doom.
DoomScroll, a browser-based web app, lets players scroll through and play thousands of fan-made Doom WADs instantly – no installation required. The project, created by software engineer James Baicoianu and internet archivist Jason Scott, launched to celebrate 32 years of Doom and uses the XRDoom emulator to make decades of community creations more accessible.
The archive spans everything from beginner maps made by aspiring teen developers to full conversions complete with new music, textures, and sprites. The interface presents each level in a compact summary box featuring its name, author, and a spinning wireframe preview. Clicking the box brings up a virtual terminal with an interactive automap and a menu for launching the level directly in the browser using standard Doom keyboard and mouse controls.
I tested DoomScroll on Safari first, which loaded the page but triggered a strange 3D effect when clicking on a level. Moving the mouse changed the list's perspective, giving the illusion of looking into infinity. It was mildly cool, but obviously not the intended behavior. Switching to Chrome resolved the issue.
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The first map I tried was nearly unplayable because the cursor wasn't locked to the game frame – move the mouse too far, and the cursor leaves the browser window, relinquishing control of the Doom Guy. However, a second map loaded fine, behaving just like classic Doom. Frame rates sometimes dipped, and the app demanded noticeable resources, especially on my older MacBook, but otherwise it felt like the game I remembered.
DoomScroll isn't flawless. Some maps won't run due to emulator limitations, and redistribution permissions can be tricky, since not all authors permit sharing their WADs outside the original platform. Still, the site highlights hidden gems alongside well-known creations, making it easy to discover both obscure and celebrated maps.
The interface is clean and minimal, designed to keep attention on the maps themselves, and once you are in the game, it's just the well-known Doom interface. Filters for size, difficulty, and popularity let you find the perfect challenge. You can also save favorites for quick and easy access later.
Despite its minor glitches, DoomScroll is a fun romp that celebrates the enduring creativity of the Doom community. The seemingly endless scroll of levels is impressive, whether or not you play the game. Even without loading a single map, it'll take you well into next year to browse the thousands of WADs. Now that's a doomscroll.