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A CedarDB developer has ported the original 1993 Doom’s game logic and renderer to SQL and runs them inside a database. The project reports a 35-tick-per-second game loop, rendering at up to 60 frames per second on a laptop, and a playable four-slot deathmatch service.
A CedarDB developer has ported the original 1993 Doom so its game logic and renderer run as SQL queries inside a database, rather than in the conventional game engine. The project, called SQLDoom, reports running the game loop at its original 35 ticks per second and rendering frames at up to 60 Hz on the developer’s laptop; the developer also says multiplayer deathmatch works.
The project’s September 22, 2026 report says the database holds the game state and runs both the simulation and rendering. A small Python client handles keyboard input, timing and bitmap display, then requests a game tick 35 times a second. Rendering is separate: the client can request a frame as often as it can display one. The report says the renderer returns a complete 320-by-200 RGB frame.
The developer describes the goal as porting the game itself, not merely producing an image that resembles it. The SQL implementation covers player movement and attacks, enemy behavior, pickups, projectiles and explosions, animations, view movement and the heads-up display. The report also says the game’s WAD data is loaded into relational tables; importing all of Doom 1 reportedly takes about 18 seconds on the developer’s laptop, using roughly 1,000 lines of Python for the import process.
SQLDoom is offered as the shareware version of Doom’s first episode, with four deathmatch slots advertised across EU and US servers. The developer says users can queue when all slots are occupied and can query live game state through SQL while waiting. Those descriptions come from the project report; the source does not provide independent testing or server-uptime information.
A Database Runs the Game
SQLDoom is a technical demonstration of how far database queries can be pushed beyond storing and retrieving records. In this project, SQL is used for both a stateful simulation and a graphics renderer, while the external client is deliberately limited to input, clocking and display. That makes the project relevant to database developers and game programmers interested in unusual uses for relational systems.
The report’s performance figures suggest that this implementation is responsive enough for a playable demonstration on the developer’s laptop, but they do not establish that a database is a practical replacement for a purpose-built game engine. The work is best understood as a port and engineering experiment: its significance lies in the implementation and what it demonstrates, not a claim that SQL is a better way to build commercial games.
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From DOOMQL to SQLDoom
The developer says an earlier project, DOOMQL, rendered a rough ASCII-style approximation at 30 frames per second using raycasting. Readers pointed out that this approach was closer to Wolfenstein 3D than to Doom’s rendering method. The new project was developed to address that distinction and to reproduce more of Doom’s actual behavior, according to the report.
The source explains that Doom’s maps contain connected structures such as vertices, linedefs, sidedefs and sectors, which the developer says translated naturally into relational data. SQLDoom’s report describes using the game’s map data and implementing its logic and renderer in the database. It does not provide a full independent audit of how every part compares with the original game binary.
“The original Doom’s game logic and renderer, both implemented as SQL queries.”
— SQLDoom developer, in the CedarDB project report
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Performance and Port Fidelity
The figures in the report are developer-reported results; no independent benchmark, source-code review or comparison against the original game is included in the supplied material. It is not clear what database configuration, resolution-specific workload or test conditions produced the stated frame rates, or how performance changes with different hardware and player counts.
The report says deathmatch works, but does not detail networking, latency, synchronization or how many simultaneous games the listed servers can support. It also does not explain whether every behavior in the original game has been reproduced or identify known differences. The live server status and availability may change after publication.
relational database management systems
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Try the Live Deathmatch
The project report points readers to EU and US servers for the shareware first episode, with four deathmatch places and a queue when a server is full. The developer also says queued users can query live game state through SQL. Availability depends on current server capacity, and the source does not give a schedule for future releases or further performance testing.
For readers following the project, the next useful evidence would be public code and reproducible tests that explain the database setup, verify the reported rates and document differences from the original game. The supplied report does not state when such material or additional updates will be published.
Python programming for game development
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Key Questions
What is SQLDoom?
SQLDoom is a project that runs the original Doom’s game logic and renderer as SQL queries inside a database. A Python client handles keyboard input, timing and displaying the resulting image.
Does the project run the original Doom game?
The developer describes it as a port of the original 1993 game, including its game logic and renderer. The report does not include an independent audit establishing that every behavior matches the original binary.
How fast does SQLDoom run?
The project report says the game loop runs at 35 ticks per second, while rendering reaches up to 60 Hz on the developer’s laptop. These are developer-reported figures, not independently verified benchmark results.
Can people play it online?
The report lists EU and US deathmatch servers for the shareware first episode, with four player slots. It says users can queue when slots are full, but server availability and capacity may vary.
Why is the project notable?
It uses a database query language for both game simulation and rendering—tasks normally handled by a game engine—while leaving only input, timing and display to the client. It is a technical demonstration, not evidence that SQL is a practical replacement for conventional game engines.
Source: hn
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