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Show HN: I made a Doom-like game fit inside a QR code

(github.com)
531 points kuberwastaken | 7 comments | 18 Apr 25 16:40 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom

I sometimes pick up random projects just because I can, this was one of those times. I made it as a week long project a while back this year but never shared here, so thought to go for it haha.

I created a game inspired by Doom and the backrooms called The Backdooms under 2.4kb in minified html. (for reference, this entire post would be around 1.8kB haha) I had to use a not popular way of using GZip with Zlib headers (had to write my own script for compressing it, also in the repo) to eventually convert it a size 40 QR code that works right in your browser using Decompressionstream API.

This is of course a very oversimplified description of it, using a lot of the same technologies that DOOM had but combining it with infinite seed based map generation in 2.4kb (QR codes can only store 3kb, which includes changing formats) was pretty hard.

Here are some links about it if you want to nerd out and read more:

Repository Link (MIT License): https://github.com/Kuberwastaken/backdooms

A Hosted (slightly improved) version of The Backdooms: https://kuberwastaken.github.io/backdooms/

Game Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QWPr10cAuGc

My Linkedin post about it: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7295667...

(PS: You'd need something like https://qrscanner.org/ or something that can scan bigger QR codes and put the text data onto your browser to play it)

My Blogs documenting the process and development in detail:

https://kuberwastaken.github.io/blog/Projects/How-I-Managed-... https://kuberwastaken.github.io/blog/Projects/How-I-Managed-...

1. bananaboy ◴[18 Apr 25 22:51 UTC] No.43732577[source]▶
Very cool! Minor nitpick though: DOOM didn’t use raycasting. This is really a Wolfenstein 3D-like, since Wolf3D did use ray casting.
replies(3): >>43734330 #>>43734589 #>>43739656 #
2. Max-q ◴[19 Apr 25 05:02 UTC] No.43734330[source]▶
This is the obligatory comment on every ray casting game calling itself Doom like. I was scrolling down the page, checking if I had to add it, but luckily it was already done :-D
replies(1): >>43736094 #
3. kuberwastaken ◴[19 Apr 25 06:12 UTC] No.43734589[source]▶
I KNOW haha! I wanted to include the backrooms concept with the infinite map and such and Wolfenstein 3D seemed fitting for the theme haha
4. bananaboy ◴[19 Apr 25 12:57 UTC] No.43736094[source]▶
I have been doing the same since the 90s reading people on usenet calling DOOM raycasting hahaha
5. Narishma ◴[19 Apr 25 21:37 UTC] No.43739656[source]▶
Given the lack of textured walls, it's more like a Hovertank 3D-like.
replies(2): >>43740851 #>>43742099 #
6. bananaboy ◴[20 Apr 25 01:26 UTC] No.43740851[source]▶
Absolutely! I figured people are more familiar with wolf3d though.
7. kuberwastaken ◴[20 Apr 25 07:12 UTC] No.43742099[source]▶
I mean- I wanted textures but that's borderline impossible with the size