The first Doom was launched in Microsoft Word

Experiments with running the first version of Doom on the most unexpected devices have long become a popular activity among programmers. Previously, the game was launched on calculators, printers and even in a PDF file. Now enthusiasts have raised the bar even higher by launching Doom through Microsoft Word.

The developer managed to package the game in a docm format file, which allows you to fully play it directly through a text editor. Although this is a color version of Doom, it does not support sound, which, however, does not detract from the impression of the project.

The Word document contains the doomgeneric.dll library and the doom1.wad game data. A specially written VBA macro gets these files to disk and loads them for execution. The doomgeneric.dll library processes the gameplay, creating a bmp image for each frame. The VBA macro is responsible for updating data, displaying frames in the document and polling the keyboard state via the GetAsyncKeyState function.

The project is fully functional in the latest version of Microsoft Word. However, the developer warns that Windows Defender will block attempts to run the document because it contains a library and macros that the system perceives as a potential threat.

For those who want to try this unusual version of Doom, the author has posted the document and source code on his GitHub page. The experiment demonstrates how familiar programs can be used in unexpected ways, revealing their hidden capabilities.