Abusing SQL to Play DOOM
A group at CedarDB has successfully ported the original DOOM game to the SQL programming language to demonstrate its general-purpose capabilities. The project utilizes complex SQL queries to handle data storage, timing, and image rendering, with only a small amount of Python used for input and display. This implementation highlights how DOOM's original data-heavy rendering techniques align well with SQL's strengths in data transformation.
- ▪The CedarDB team ported the original DOOM game to SQL to showcase the language's versatility beyond simple data management.
- ▪The rendering process for the game consists of 1300 lines of SQL code spread across 89 common table expressions.
- ▪A small portion of Python is used to manage keyboard inputs, timing, and the display of the generated bitmap.
- ▪The project's source code is available on GitHub for those interested in exploring this unique implementation.
- ▪DOOM is considered a suitable candidate for SQL because its pre-graphics-card era rendering relies heavily on data transformations.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/09/25/abusing-sql-to-play-doom/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:00:05 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-26T05:01:00.000Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-26T05:01:00.000Z |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Abusing SQL To Play DOOM No comments by: Bryan Cockfield September 25, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy Most laypeople who encounter SQL think of it purely as a tool for managing large datasets. While that is certainly what it was designed for, SQL is still a programming language at its core. It includes many of the features found in general-purpose languages like C or Python, and although it wasn’t built for general-purpose work, it can handle a surprising range of tasks that programmers might not expect to use it for. To demonstrate its capabilities, and perhaps to show off their skills with SQL, a group at CedarDB ported the original DOOM to this language.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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