Just when it feels like Doom has finally exhausted every possible platform, someone finds a new one hiding in plain sight. This time, it’s your screensaver.
A new GitHub project called DoomScreenSaver, created by developer Zayno, packages the original Doom engine into a functioning screensaver. Leave your PC idle and, instead of abstract shapes or drifting logos, the game boots up and runs on its own in the background.
This isn’t a looping video or a fake animation. Doom is genuinely running, with enemies moving, shots firing, and levels progressing differently each time your screen goes inactive.
Screensavers and first-person shooters were never that far apart
I didn’t start playing Doom properly until 1998. By then, I was fully aware of how important it was, even if I quietly preferred Duke Nukem 3D at the time (history has been kinder to Doom, of course). What stands out from that period is how experimental PCs still felt.
Screensavers weren’t just static visuals. They often had maze-like motion, pseudo-3D environments, and a surprising sense of depth. Microsoft Excel 95 even hid a first-person environment of its own — no shooting, admittedly, but undeniably FPS-adjacent. Against that backdrop, the idea of Doom being wrapped up as a screensaver doesn’t feel especially outrageous.
It’s also worth noting this isn’t the first attempt to do something like this. Doom has flirted with screensaver-style implementations before, but DoomScreenSaver feels closer to the spirit of the original idea: the game simply running because it can.
How DoomScreenSaver works
DoomScreenSaver embeds the classic Doom executable inside a screensaver framework. When your system goes idle, the game launches full-screen and plays without user input. Because it’s the actual game logic running, rather than a recording, what you see isn’t entirely predictable.
You’ll still need to supply your own Doom WAD files, so this isn’t a shortcut to playing the game for free. Once configured, though, it behaves like any normal screensaver, selectable through your system settings.
(Sadly it’s Windows-only…)
Doom, still refusing to behave
More than thirty years on, Doom continues to blur the line between software, toy, and technical experiment. It’s been used to test hardware, prove concepts, and occasionally just make people laugh. Turning it into a screensaver feels less like a novelty and more like a callback to a time when PCs were Just when it feels like Doom has finally exhausted every possible platform, someone finds a new one hiding in plain sight. This time, it’s your screensaver.
For retro gamers who remember when screensavers were something you actually looked at, this is a neat crossover. It sits comfortably somewhere between nostalgia and mild absurdity — which, frankly, is where Doom has lived for most of its life.
Just when it feels like Doom has finally exhausted every possible platform, someone finds a new one hiding in plain sight. This time, it’s your screensaver.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
