The Abstract Architecture of Doom: A 27-Year Legacy

An in-depth analysis of the architectural design of the video game Doom (1993) and its sequels, exploring how its abstract, non-realistic spaces were created by id Software and have influenced game design and modding communities for decades. The article traces the evolution from the original Doom's techbase and infernal levels, through Doom 2's suburban settings, to modern iterations like Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. Key figures include John Romero, John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, Bobby Prince, Tom Hall, Sandy Petersen, American McGee, Dario and Milo Casali, Tim Heydelaar, and Sukru Gilman. The piece highlights the tension between Hall's realistic layouts and Petersen's chaotic, demonic designs, and discusses the impact of modding, with examples like Scythe 2, Back to Saturn X, Sunder, and Doom: The Golden Souls 2. The article also covers the vertical arenas of Quake 3: Arena, the horror atmosphere of Doom 64, and the linear arena-corridor structure of Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal.