DOOM runs inside Paint on Windows, built by a Microsoft executive: “The spreadsheet-tier framerate is part of the charm.”
Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich has created an unconventional port of id Software’s classic 1993 shooter DOOM that runs playable inside Windows Paint. The project, documented on GitHub as DoomPaint, transforms Paint from a drawing application into an unusual gaming display.
Rather than traditional emulation or porting approaches, DoomPaint operates by capturing each game frame and placing it on the Windows clipboard, which Paint then pastes directly into its canvas as a document edit. This creative workaround effectively converts Paint into a display monitor for the game, demonstrating an ingenious repurposing of the application’s core functionality.
Performance is intentionally unconventional, ranging from occasional smoothness to what Russinovich humorously describes as “spreadsheet-tier framerate.” Rather than treating this as a limitation, the developer embraces it as integral to the project’s appeal, suggesting the technical constraints add charm to the experience.
The achievement exemplifies the enduring appeal of DOOM as a platform for creative technical experiments. The iconic 1993 release has become famous for running on virtually any device with a screen and input method—from calculators to refrigerators. DoomPaint joins this long tradition while showcasing unusual possibilities within the Windows ecosystem and Paint’s architecture, particularly how clipboard operations and the canvas can be repurposed for creative demonstrations.
While impractical for serious gameplay, the project demonstrates both technical ingenuity and the playful approach some software engineers take to exploring their tools’ capabilities, ensuring DOOM’s status as one of gaming’s most ported titles remains relevant three decades after its original release.