DOOM asks, "Are you human?" after years of us asking "Will it play DOOM?"

How I feel when playing an 8-bit version of Doom placed inside a CAPTCHA (actual image is of Doom Eternal). (Image credit: Windows Central)

CAPTCHAs just got a lot more fun, though I doubt we'll see the latest innovation make its way to any popular websites. Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch created a CAPTCHA that's a playable version of DOOM within your browser. To pass the test, you'll have to defeat three enemies in Nightmare mode. In the game, you have 0% armor and 100% health. You'll have to move around a bit to get your kills, but you'll have 50 pieces of ammo to complete the task.

DOOM CAPTCHA, which was first reported on by Hackaday, is a WebAssembly app. It's a run-on joke to ask if something can run DOOM. DOOM has a question for you: "are you a human?"

In situation one, you want to get onto a website you use every day, but due to a security feature, you have to click a series of images to identify fire hydrants, crosswalks, and bicycles. Or better yet, you have to figure out what a series of squiggly letters with lines through them say. After clicking and typing what you believe to be accurate, you've been told you failed the CAPTCHA. You're not sure what you did wrong, but you know you must keep doing CAPTCHAs until the computer is happy. Finally, you pass the tests and can use the website.

Screenshot of DOOM captcha — Screenshot of what the new DOOM CAPTCHA looks like when accessed. (Image credit: Guillermo Rauch)

In situation two, you get to play DOOM to break up the monotony of your day. Your heart rate spikes as you see fireballs flying toward you and you have to figure out if you can strafe using just the arrow keys (the CAPTCHA does not support other controls). As you hear the eerie grunts and groans of your enemies, you fire one final shot to clear the CAPTCHA.

Which would you prefer? Honestly, I'd probably stick with the squiggly lines, but playing DOOM for a few seconds is pretty fun and comes with a hit of nostalgia. DOOM CAPTCHA also has a clear ending and removes the suspense of finding out if you missed a box with a couple pixels of a bicycle.

Of course, most CAPTCHAs serve a purpose. They're there to make sure you're a human (and train AI). DOOM CAPTCHA is just here for fun, though someone could implement it on a website if they'd like.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.