🎮SQLDoom Runs Doom With 1,300 Lines of SQL
Doom, but with SQL queries
TL;DR
SQLDoom runs the classic game Doom using 1,300 lines of SQL queries, generating full-color frames at 60 fps. It's a major leap from the previous ASCII graphics version, DoomQL.
SQLDoom, a project that runs Doom using 1,300 lines of SQL queries, is making waves in the tech community. This project generates full-color 640×480 frames at 60 fps, a significant improvement over the previous ASCII graphics version, DoomQL. If you're into retro gaming or curious about SQL's capabilities, this is a must-watch. The project uses CedarDB tables to track game geometry and state, and it can run at 60 fps on a Ryzen 7 laptop, with occasional dips to 35 fps for busy scenes.
Key Points
SQLDoom uses 1,300 lines of SQL queries and 89 common table expressions to generate 35 bitmap framebuffers per second.
The project converts Doom's classic WAD files to a relational database, using a sort_key for objects pre-computed at load time.
A simple 'ORDER BY' statement determines which parts of walls to display, improving performance.
SQLDoom can run at about 60 fps on a Ryzen 7-powered laptop, with occasional dips to 35 fps for busy scenes.
The project was released on October 2, 2026, and offers a free online hosted demo match.
Why It Matters
If you're into retro gaming or curious about SQL's capabilities, SQLDoom is a fascinating project. It uses 1,300 lines of SQL queries to generate full-color frames at 60 fps, a significant improvement over the previous ASCII graphics version. The project's use of CedarDB tables for game geometry and state tracking offers potential benefits for multiplayer server setups.
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