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Introduction: When a 1993 Game Meets the Future of Computing
For decades, DOOM has been more than just a video game. It has become a symbol of creativity, experimentation, and the endless curiosity of programmers who ask one simple question: “Can this run DOOM?”
From calculators and printers to smart watches and even unusual embedded devices, developers have repeatedly pushed technology beyond its intended purpose just to make the legendary first-person shooter run somewhere unexpected.
Now, Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich has taken that tradition to an entirely different level by creating DoomPaint, a project that places the classic game inside Microsoft Paint on Windows 11.
At first glance, the headline sounds impossible: “DOOM runs inside Paint.” However, the reality is even more fascinating. Microsoft Paint is not actually calculating the game, rendering the graphics, or processing the engine. Instead, Paint is being transformed into a display surface where every frame of DOOM is delivered through one of Windows’ oldest technologies: the clipboard.
The project is both a technical joke and a serious engineering achievement. Behind the humor lies a complex system involving Windows APIs, clipboard synchronization, keyboard interception, audio handling, AI-assisted development, and clever software architecture.
DoomPaint proves that even a silly experiment can expose important ideas about the future of programming, where AI tools increasingly help engineers build complex systems faster than ever before.
The Original Idea: Making DOOM “Run” in Paint
The internet has seen countless versions of the “DOOM everywhere” challenge. Developers have successfully launched DOOM on devices that were never designed for gaming, creating a long-running tradition of technical creativity.
However, DoomPaint is different.
Many previous “DOOM in Paint” projects simply captured the game window and displayed the image inside Paint. In those cases, the actual game was still running somewhere else. Paint was only showing a copy.
DoomPaint changes the concept completely.
There is no visible DOOM window behind the scenes. Microsoft Paint becomes the only place where the player sees the game.
Russinovich explained the joke behind the project clearly:
“Paint renders the game but does not compute it. Paint computes nothing. Paint has never computed anything.”
The humor comes from the fact that Paint is technically displaying DOOM without becoming a game engine itself.
How DoomPaint Actually Works
The secret behind the project is a combination of the ViZDoom engine, Windows clipboard technology, and carefully designed automation.
ViZDoom is a modified version of the ZDoom engine originally created for artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning research. Unlike traditional game engines, ViZDoom can render frames without requiring a visible game window.
DoomPaint uses this ability.
The process works like this:
ViZDoom runs DOOM in the background.
The engine creates each video frame.
DoomPaint captures the rendered image.
The image is provided through the Windows clipboard system.
Microsoft Paint receives the image and displays it.
Keyboard input controls the hidden game engine.
The result is a playable version of DOOM where Paint acts as the final display layer.
Running DOOM Inside Microsoft Paint
The project is surprisingly accessible for anyone who wants to experiment.
Requirements
Users need:
Windows PC
Python installed
DoomPaint GitHub project files
Microsoft Paint
The project automatically creates its own Python environment and installs required dependencies during the first launch.
Installation Process
The basic process:
Download or clone the DoomPaint repository.
Extract the files.
Run:
run.bat
Wait for the environment setup.
Microsoft Paint opens automatically.
Keep Paint focused and start playing.
DoomPaint Controls
The controls are designed to avoid conflicts with Paint itself.
Movement
W / S ↑ / ↓
Move forward and backward.
Turning
A / D
← / →
Rotate the player.
Strafing
Q / E
Move sideways.
Combat
CTRL or F
Fire weapons.
Actions
SPACE
Open doors and activate objects.
Running
SHIFT
Move faster.
Exit
F12
Close the game.
The Technical Challenge: Making Clipboard Gaming Possible
At first, sending images through the clipboard sounds simple.
However, doing this dozens of times every second creates major problems.
Microsoft Paint does not immediately read clipboard data. It processes clipboard operations asynchronously based on its own timing.
A basic implementation would repeatedly:
Clear clipboard contents.
Insert a new image.
Tell Paint to paste.
But this creates a dangerous race condition.
Deep Analysis: The Windows Clipboard Engineering Behind DoomPaint
The Clipboard Race Condition Problem
Imagine Paint is still reading the previous frame while DoomPaint deletes that clipboard data.
The result:
Paint loses access to the image.
The paste operation fails.
Windows displays an error.
The game freezes.
A normal clipboard approach would collapse under real-time gameplay.
The Solution: Custom IDataObject Handling
Russinovich avoided constantly rewriting the clipboard.
Instead, DoomPaint uses Windows OLE clipboard technology.
The project creates a custom data object using:
C++
OleSetClipboard()
Instead of replacing clipboard content every frame, DoomPaint keeps one persistent clipboard object.
When Paint requests an image:
Paint → GetData()
The object provides the latest frame.
This approach prevents the clipboard data from disappearing during reading.
Frame Synchronization
Another clever technique is using clipboard requests as timing signals.
The system does not blindly push frames.
Instead:
Render Frame
|
↓
Publish Clipboard Data
|
↓
Paint Requests Image
|
↓
Next Frame Generated
This creates natural synchronization between the game engine and Paint.
How DoomPaint Controls Keyboard Input
Playing inside Paint creates another problem.
Normally, keyboard input belongs to Paint.
Pressing arrow keys might move Paint menus instead of controlling DOOM.
To solve this, DoomPaint uses:
WH_KEYBOARD_LL
a Windows low-level keyboard hook.
This allows the program to:
Capture gameplay keys.
Block them from reaching Paint.
Send them directly to the game engine.
Without this system, gameplay would constantly interfere with Paint’s interface.
The Strange Reality of Undo Becoming a Time Machine
One of the funniest discoveries in DoomPaint is that Paint’s undo system accidentally becomes a rewind mechanism.
Every pasted frame becomes a new action in Paint’s history.
Therefore:
CTRL + Z
can literally move backward through previous frames.
If the player dies, pressing undo several times can return to an earlier moment.
Microsoft Paint accidentally becomes a primitive game-saving system.
Saving DOOM as a Painting
Because Paint has no idea it is displaying a game, saving the file produces exactly what Paint believes it sees:
An image.
The saved result is simply:
PNG screenshot of the current DOOM frame
Paint does not understand that the image came from a running 1993 shooter.
Audio: Making DOOM Sound Alive Inside Paint
Graphics were only part of the challenge.
DoomPaint also supports:
Weapon sounds.
Enemy sounds.
Original music.
Sound effects come from ViZDoom through OpenAL.
The project improves compatibility by using a newer OpenAL-Soft version.
This fixes problems where Windows changes audio devices, such as connecting headphones during gameplay.
The Hidden Complexity of DOOM Music
Modern systems do not naturally understand DOOM’s original music format.
The project extracts the original soundtrack from the WAD files.
It then converts:
DOOM MUS Format
↓
MIDI
↓
Windows MIDI System
The music is then played normally while the game runs inside Paint.
DoomPaint and the Rise of AI-Assisted Programming
Perhaps the most important part of the project is not DOOM or Paint.
It is how the project was created.
Russinovich revealed that he used AI coding assistance, specifically mentioning Claude Fable 5, while building DoomPaint.
The project became an example of how AI systems are changing software development.
This was not simply generating a toy script.
The project required solving:
Windows API problems.
Clipboard synchronization bugs.
Audio driver issues.
Game engine integration.
Input management.
AI helped accelerate experimentation and development.
What Undercode Say:
AI Is Becoming a Developer’s Engineering Partner
DoomPaint looks like a joke project, but it represents a major shift in software development.
For decades, programming required engineers to manually search documentation, experiment, debug, and slowly build solutions.
AI tools are changing that workflow.
The developer is increasingly becoming an architect who directs intelligent assistants.
Instead of spending hours writing every line, engineers can focus on:
Designing systems.
Testing ideas.
Reviewing solutions.
Improving creativity.
The Importance of Strange Experiments
Some of the most valuable technological discoveries begin as experiments that appear meaningless.
Running DOOM inside Paint has no practical business purpose.
Yet it demonstrates:
Better understanding of Windows internals.
Creative use of existing technology.
Faster prototyping with AI assistance.
Many important technologies started from curiosity rather than immediate commercial goals.
The Clipboard Was Never Designed for Gaming
One of the most impressive parts of DoomPaint is the abuse of ordinary technology.
The Windows clipboard was designed for copying text and images.
Nobody expected it to transport a real-time 3D shooter.
Yet with enough engineering creativity, a basic operating system feature becomes a communication channel between a game engine and a painting application.
AI Will Increase Experimental Software Development
Projects like DoomPaint show a future where developers can attempt more unusual ideas.
Previously, a project like this might require days of research.
With AI assistance:
Developers explore faster.
Bugs are solved quicker.
Complex prototypes become achievable.
The barrier between imagination and implementation is becoming smaller.
The Future of Programming Will Be Hybrid
AI will not replace engineers.
Instead, the strongest developers will combine:
Human creativity.
Technical judgment.
AI speed.
DoomPaint is not impressive because AI created a game.
It is impressive because a human engineer used AI to explore a strange technical challenge.
Microsoft’s Bigger Message
Microsoft has invested heavily in AI-assisted development.
DoomPaint fits perfectly into that vision.
The company is demonstrating that AI tools are not only for writing documents or answering questions.
They can participate in engineering tasks.
The future may include AI assistants that help create:
Operating systems.
Security tools.
Applications.
Research prototypes.
✅ DOOM Really Can Run Through Microsoft Paint
The project exists and was created by Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich.
However, Paint itself is not processing the game engine; it is displaying frames delivered through Windows clipboard mechanisms.
The headline is technically true but simplified for entertainment value.
✅ DoomPaint Uses ViZDoom Technology
The project relies on ViZDoom, a ZDoom-based engine designed for AI research.
This allows the game engine to render frames without requiring a normal visible window.
That capability is what makes the Paint experiment possible.
✅ AI Assisted the Development Process
Russinovich publicly discussed using AI coding tools during development.
The project demonstrates real-world AI-assisted engineering rather than simple code generation.
The final system still required human architecture and debugging.
Prediction
(+1) AI-Assisted Experimental Programming Will Become Normal
More developers will use AI systems to build unusual prototypes, test concepts, and explore ideas that previously required large amounts of time.
Future software engineers may spend less time writing repetitive code and more time designing innovative systems.
AI-powered development environments will likely become standard tools for advanced engineering teams.
(-1) Overconfidence in AI Coding Could Create Hidden Risks
As AI becomes more capable, developers may trust generated solutions without fully understanding them.
Complex systems involving security, operating systems, and infrastructure still require human expertise.
The future will depend on balancing AI speed with human verification.
Final Thoughts: A Joke That Reveals Tomorrow’s Technology
DoomPaint is funny because it is unnecessary.
Nobody needed DOOM inside Microsoft Paint.
But that is exactly why it matters.
The project represents the spirit of technology: curiosity, experimentation, and the desire to push boundaries.
A 1993 game running through a 1980s-style Windows feature inside a modern AI-powered development environment is more than a meme.
It is a snapshot of where computing is heading.
The future of software may belong to those who are willing to ask the strangest question:
“What happens if we try?”
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