PC Which source port of Doom should I use to play the game?

[Gafek Urslef]

I use DSDADoom for vanilla and custom maps and GZDoom for the crazy gameplay mods. (Eternity for the rare Eternity exclusive WAD)

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

I've replayed through Heretic in VR a few years ago, it translated really well, and I've got to check the voxel mods with GZDoomVR. Maybe play Strife in full like that...

 

[LeoTCK]

Ugh, we use modified PRBoom for more vanilla experience/fixes experience and playing boom-compatible wads and because that's about the only thing to reliably use outside of windows.

On windows I used several ports for several reasons. choc doom/prboom for compat testing as i want to support for my wads with the old stuff too, the ones I was making I mean. Then I used Crispy Doom, which can be seen as a bit hacky but it provides a solid vanilla-like experience.

Crispy Doom

Crispy Doom is a source port developed by Fabian Greffrath forked from Chocolate Doom which provides a higher display resolution, removes the static limits of the Doom engine, and offers further optional visual, tactical and physical enhancements while remaining fully compatible with the...

doomwiki.org

I didn't try DSDA or similar, too new.

GZDoom/LZDoom I used for mods that require it, such as the great DoomReal and DoomTournament. I recommend playing those.

As for the wads I mentioned.
I didn't finish/release much wads sadly, most of my better stuff was unfinished, the only wads I released are here.

the crappiest one is the first one

Abandonment addon - Doom II

A very short map that was intended to be a part of a megawad project. I'll be releasing more or less finished maps from there and try to finish up what was done. Some of the work dates back all the way to 2008 or so and some is more recent. The more...

www.moddb.com

this one is solid though very short

Nuke'em ALL! addon - Doom II

Another day another map.. This one is a little crazier and features a parody story. Also includes story forTACQUIF, an unreleased as of yet map.

www.moddb.com

and this is basically an edit of doom 2 beta map combined with features of the released doom2 map and some original stuff on top

Entry bay addon - Doom II

Entry Bay, a map based on Entry Way from beta Doom2 plus mixed with new rooms and the balcony from the released Doom2. Also intended to be part of megawad.

www.moddb.com

I made all these vanilla compatible so they run even on ms-dos doom.

The reason I didn't finish these projects is when my life got turned upside down yet again. I was on a solid streak really before 2021, trying to finish up old projects and everything. Then once again things settled down and I had to leave everything behind in 2024.

Post automatically merged: Apr 21, 2025

Lol there was a time when I played online on the novelty Doomsday engine around 2005 or so. nobody plays that anymore lol.
Like it was one of the first things that supported a model pack and such weirdness for the time.

 

[Mini_Man.XW]

I like GZDoom

 

[Johnathan Smikey Johnathan Smikey]

Vanilla ports (for the classic gameplay/strictly DOOM as it was released):

• Chocolate DOOM
• Crispy DOOM
• Pure DOS-Box

Enhanced ports (Extends mod support, but stays true to the original vision with fixes)

• DSDA-DOOM
• PRBoom+
• Boom (if you want to use DOSBox for some fucking reason)
• Nugget DOOM
• Rum & Raisin DOOM (It was used to help develop Nightdive's "ID24" standard, so count this also as DOOM+DOOM II, even if there are differences)
• DOOM Retro

Modern ports (Mod support, but adds modern affects to DOOM)

• ZDoom
• EDGE-Classic
• K8Vavoom (Awesome lighting affects similar to DOOM 3, choose this one for lighting)
• Eternity Engine

GZDoom (explains everything)

• GZDoom (Can run whole ass games, but can't run Lilith lol)

Multiplayer engines (Expands on DOOM's multiplayer

• ZDaemon
• Odamex
• Zandronum (I prefer Q-Zandronum, as it adds elements of Quake into it)

And thus, that is a list I have made for recommendations... no, there is no easier way to recommend engines other than "just play DOOM".

 

[Deleted member 420614]

GZDoom is nice. Im not much of a Doom enjoyer im more fan of Blood and Duke 3D and Shadow warrior.


But when I play DOOM I play this one.

 

[Nidstang]

Vanilla ports (for the classic gameplay/strictly DOOM as it was released):

• Chocolate DOOM
• Crispy DOOM
• Pure DOS-Box

Enhanced ports (Extends mod support, but stays true to the original vision with fixes)

• DSDA-DOOM
• PRBoom+
• Boom (if you want to use DOSBox for some fucking reason)
• Nugget DOOM
• Rum & Raisin DOOM (It was used to help develop Nightdive's "ID24" standard, so count this also as DOOM+DOOM II, even if there are differences)
• DOOM Retro

Modern ports (Mod support, but adds modern affects to DOOM)

• ZDoom
• EDGE-Classic
• K8Vavoom (Awesome lighting affects similar to DOOM 3, choose this one for lighting)
• Eternity Engine

GZDoom (explains everything)

• GZDoom (Can run whole ass games, but can't run Lilith lol)

Multiplayer engines (Expands on DOOM's multiplayer

• ZDaemon
• Odamex
• Zandronum (I prefer Q-Zandronum, as it adds elements of Quake into it)

And thus, that is a list I have made for recommendations... no, there is no easier way to recommend engines other than "just play DOOM".

Nightdive's Kex has been growing on me, but I'll always favor GZ DOOM despite the modern feel.

I need to dedicate some time to prboom+ or dsdadoom though.

Good comprehensive list.

 

[Burzuru]

i'd use crispy doom or prboom+

 

[Varyag]

It's funny coming to such thread a couple months after the OP made it, and surely already has gotten their answer and made their choice. But, in the interest of helping future people with this similar question, and because I just really love DOOM and have a whole ass setup for it I want to share, here goes:

So, just like Johnathan's post up there, I'll split them into categories, but I'll only mention the ones I actually use. There are so many source ports that you can become lost in the sauce very easily. And first of all, I have to mention the Doom *launcher* that I use: Doom Explorer. It allows me to not have to mess with ports individually and just set up the experience I want to have and launch it.

You save presets of port+wad+mods very easily on this one.

Now, for the actual ports.
Vanilla:
-Crispy Doom: It has all the crunch of the original game, but plays and looks nice on modern resolutions. I like putting an external CRT filter over this one. Good for vanilla or limit-removing wads.

Enhanced vanilla:
-DSDA-Doom: The "official" Doom port used by speedrunners, from the Doom Speed Demos Archive. It's a direct evolution of PrBoom+ with many added features that bring compatibility to modern mapping standards, and enhanced demo recordings. Can run any Doom format from limit-removing, to Boom, MBF21 or the latest ID24 standard.
-Woof! : it's an evolution of the old Doom port for Windows. Actually my favorite! I just like the way it feels, it's slightly different to DSDA. Has many nice modern features too, runs all the same mapping standards as DSDA. Whenever I'm randomly in the mood for playing custom WADs, this is the one I launch.
Both of these actually also support some mods, MBF21 particularly is a very feature rich standard that expands a lot on the old Doom formula.

Modern:
-Eternity Engine: This is like the previous two that it plays all the old formats in a vanilla-like manner, but it also has it's own advanced feature set that allows for specific mapping tricks, like horizontally moving walls. But let's be fair here, this one isn't very popular. If you're here, you're here to play Heartland. Which is an excellent WAD that only runs here.

ZDoom derivatives:
-GZDoom: here we are. The one port 99% of the internet will tell you to play. It does NOT play AT ALL like vanilla Doom. In fact, this really is a game engine that happened to be based on playing Doom at first. 3D aiming, jumping, rounded models, it's own completely separate mapping standard and modding language. You can do amazing things in GZDoom, create wholly different games and experiences, even publish commercial games like Selaco or Hedon. Now, I do really like playing mods on GZ, you can see many presets for it on my list. But when I want to play DOOM, this is not the port I launch. This is the port I launch when I wanna play a synthwave-drenched, high lethality, high movement shooter with custom monsters. Or when I wanna have a slow, trudging survival horror experience with creepy music. Or Sonic racing. Or Mega Man deathmatch. Not actually Doom.
Oh, and it runs complex or monster-dense maps pretty badly. I think it's impossible to complete Okuplok with this port, all the previous ones run much better.
-LZDoom: has most of the features of GZDoom up to certain updates, runs better on lower end machines. Can be helpful sometimes.

Multiplayer engines:
-ZDaemon: vanilla-like Doom deathmatch. Often very empty and deserted. Has it's own server browser.
-Zandronum: multiplayer focused fork of GZDoom. Supports many mods. Everything I said about GZ also applies here.
-Q-Zandronum: altered Zandronum that adds a Quake feel to the movement and shooting. Used as base for the excellent Quake Champions Doom Edition mod.
-Odamex: now we're talking. Vaguely based of ZDoom, but still somehow plays very vanilla-like if you want that deathmatch or coop experience. Host of the OdaHorde mod, which is really fun if you can get into a session of that. Pick up public games can be found often.
-Choco/Crispy/Woof all also have multiplayer implementations that are just like vanilla deathmatch too.

Android ports:
-DeltaTouch: it has several ports within the app, all very configurable and playable with touch and motion controls. Just put the wads on your phone memory and enjoy.

And lastly, if you don't wanna have allllllll the trouble to go after any of those, and just wanna play some Doom. You can always go play the latest Doom+DoomII port by Nightdive Studios. It's actually running in a port that is a "cousin" to DSDA-Doom, with support for custom WADs through it's internal mod browser. It just doesn't have any of that GZDoom nonsense, but you don't really need that to enjoy Doom. Also the multiplayer is pretty good, especially now that it supports map packs too!

 

[Spyrone]

I typically use GZDoom, and occasionally Zandronum for certain mods like Brutal Doom 64.

It seems like it's been since forever where you could use the console to load mods and maps for Quake. I don't know why that hasn't been implemented in every Doom port yet since they all implemented consoles ages ago. Maybe I just don't know the commands. People kept telling me to drag and drop.

A bit off topic, but that is exactly how I got the new version of Quake Alkaline to run on quakespasm.

 

[AkiraSO4]

I would say the Nightdive version on Steam, if it weren't for the crashes. Hoping they fix it soon.

They did it. It's much more stable now, so I'd definitely recommend. They even added Sigil II.

 

[KenShjIN]

GZDoom is the way

 

[Segadude113]

I still have the discs for Ultimate Doom and Doom II for the Macintosh that i bought in Half Priced Books years ago for like 4 bucks each. They still work too! :D

 

[RageBurner]

It's funny coming to such thread a couple months after the OP made it, and surely already has gotten their answer and made their choice. But, in the interest of helping future people with this similar question, and because I just really love DOOM and have a whole ass setup for it I want to share, here goes:

So, just like Johnathan's post up there, I'll split them into categories, but I'll only mention the ones I actually use. There are so many source ports that you can become lost in the sauce very easily. And first of all, I have to mention the Doom *launcher* that I use: Doom Explorer. It allows me to not have to mess with ports individually and just set up the experience I want to have and launch it.
View attachment 69432
You save presets of port+wad+mods very easily on this one.

Now, for the actual ports.
Vanilla:
-Crispy Doom: It has all the crunch of the original game, but plays and looks nice on modern resolutions. I like putting an external CRT filter over this one. Good for vanilla or limit-removing wads.

Enhanced vanilla:
-DSDA-Doom: The "official" Doom port used by speedrunners, from the Doom Speed Demos Archive. It's a direct evolution of PrBoom+ with many added features that bring compatibility to modern mapping standards, and enhanced demo recordings. Can run any Doom format from limit-removing, to Boom, MBF21 or the latest ID24 standard.
-Woof! : it's an evolution of the old Doom port for Windows. Actually my favorite! I just like the way it feels, it's slightly different to DSDA. Has many nice modern features too, runs all the same mapping standards as DSDA. Whenever I'm randomly in the mood for playing custom WADs, this is the one I launch.
Both of these actually also support some mods, MBF21 particularly is a very feature rich standard that expands a lot on the old Doom formula.

Modern:
-Eternity Engine: This is like the previous two that it plays all the old formats in a vanilla-like manner, but it also has it's own advanced feature set that allows for specific mapping tricks, like horizontally moving walls. But let's be fair here, this one isn't very popular. If you're here, you're here to play Heartland. Which is an excellent WAD that only runs here.

ZDoom derivatives:
-GZDoom: here we are. The one port 99% of the internet will tell you to play. It does NOT play AT ALL like vanilla Doom. In fact, this really is a game engine that happened to be based on playing Doom at first. 3D aiming, jumping, rounded models, it's own completely separate mapping standard and modding language. You can do amazing things in GZDoom, create wholly different games and experiences, even publish commercial games like Selaco or Hedon. Now, I do really like playing mods on GZ, you can see many presets for it on my list. But when I want to play DOOM, this is not the port I launch. This is the port I launch when I wanna play a synthwave-drenched, high lethality, high movement shooter with custom monsters. Or when I wanna have a slow, trudging survival horror experience with creepy music. Or Sonic racing. Or Mega Man deathmatch. Not actually Doom.
Oh, and it runs complex or monster-dense maps pretty badly. I think it's impossible to complete Okuplok with this port, all the previous ones run much better.
-LZDoom: has most of the features of GZDoom up to certain updates, runs better on lower end machines. Can be helpful sometimes.

Multiplayer engines:
-ZDaemon: vanilla-like Doom deathmatch. Often very empty and deserted. Has it's own server browser.
-Zandronum: multiplayer focused fork of GZDoom. Supports many mods. Everything I said about GZ also applies here.
-Q-Zandronum: altered Zandronum that adds a Quake feel to the movement and shooting. Used as base for the excellent Quake Champions Doom Edition mod.
-Odamex: now we're talking. Vaguely based of ZDoom, but still somehow plays very vanilla-like if you want that deathmatch or coop experience. Host of the OdaHorde mod, which is really fun if you can get into a session of that. Pick up public games can be found often.
-Choco/Crispy/Woof all also have multiplayer implementations that are just like vanilla deathmatch too.

Android ports:
-DeltaTouch: it has several ports within the app, all very configurable and playable with touch and motion controls. Just put the wads on your phone memory and enjoy.

And lastly, if you don't wanna have allllllll the trouble to go after any of those, and just wanna play some Doom. You can always go play the latest Doom+DoomII port by Nightdive Studios. It's actually running in a port that is a "cousin" to DSDA-Doom, with support for custom WADs through it's internal mod browser. It just doesn't have any of that GZDoom nonsense, but you don't really need that to enjoy Doom. Also the multiplayer is pretty good, especially now that it supports map packs too!

Excellent catch all post. I believe I will sticky it, thanks @Varyag.

 

[Nidstang]

Been playing Legacy Of Rust a lot, and I have to say, after spending substantial time, with the right settings tweaks... I like the Kex Engine/Nightdive port MORE than GZDoom at this point.