Non-playable alpha versions

doom0_2.zip alpha version of DOOM released on Feb 4, 1993
The very first hint of the game. Looks very different and handles much like Wolfenstein 3D. It's simply a small maze with a few demons that you can walk around in. The game is only two months old at this point!

doompix1.exe pre-release screenshots released on Mar 1, 1993
DOS slide show program. You can see jpegs of these on my Alpha Screenshots page.

doom0_4.zip alpha version of DOOM released on Apr 2, 1993
Now it's starting to look and feel a little more like Doom, but just barely. The official name is Doom: Evil Unleashed! There are two weapons now: 1) a bayonet, and 2) a rifle. You can look around in any of the thirteen levels in the game. To see levels 10-13, you have to launch from DOS (or a DOS window) like this: DOOM E1Mx (where x is 10 to 13.) Controls: Q,W,& E— select screen detail level (including a hi-res mode that was taken out later on!) M— toggle between normal and "floor view." Z, X, & C— toggles floor and ceiling textures. The best way to enjoy the tour is to use the up-arrow key and shift to run.

doom0_5.zip alpha version of DOOM released on May 22, 1993
Hey, it's almost playable now! Well, you shoot at a demon with your rifle and it disappears. This is still a very different game, and you can see indicators for time, lives, and score. The familiar menu is here: the first skill level is "I just want to kill" heh heh heh. Many things are recognizable now, but still very different. Once again, it's best toured with the arrow/shift key combination. Q,W,E,&M work the same as above. A is automap and [TAB] goes back to regular view. The bracket keys change the screen size. Still a bayonet and rifle, but I found a "rocket launcher" that looks like the shotgun. A single right-click opens doors and throws switches, and there's a very curious map after each level.

doomscn5.zip pre-release screenshots released on Oct 5, 1993
A collection of screen shots from the above game; it still looks very different from the finished product. These are in pcx format inside a zip file. I converted them to jpegs for my Beta Screenshots page.

doom1_0.zip v0.99 shareware version of DOOM released on Dec 10, 1993
Stay away from this one: the controls don't work right. (Well, they don't for me.) I can't see any significant difference between this and the next version. Does not work in a DOS window!

doom1_1.zip v1.1 shareware version of DOOM released on Dec 16, 1993
altdoom1.zip v1.1 alternate DOS extenders
First fully-functional game as long as you're not trying to use a DOS window! Also, you have to download the altdoom zip and use the '95 DOS extender and its batch file. It alters the Doom.exe file so it works properly. (If you don't use it, you can't get back to windows!) This is much like the finished Doom, except that the sound effects shift around in pitch, there's no AWE32 soundcard support for music, there's no Nightmare skill level, the gamma correction is either on or off (use the [F11] key) and the wad file is slightly different: I noticed that one secret room is missing.

doom1_2.zip v1.2 shareware version of DOOM released on Feb 17, 1994
The sounds are still off-kilter, but otherwise this game is pretty much the same as the modern DOS game. This is where the nightmare skill level made its debut, and it's also the first finished game that works in a DOS window. One unusual note about these old versions of the game: your health only goes up to 199, but you can have over 200 in armor!