Doom episodes and levels

The computer game Doom consists of 36 levels in four nine-level episodes: Knee-Deep in the Dead, The Shores of Hell, Inferno and Thy Flesh Consumed (Thy Flesh Consumed was added in the upgrade Ultimate Doom). Levels 1-7 in each episode are regular levels, while number 8 is a boss battle; the ninth is a secret level that can be accessed from within the first seven. The levels are referred to as ExMx (episode x, mission x), but also have individual titles.

For information AbOUT the levels in Doom II and Final Doom, refer to those articles. For differences between the PC version and its various ports, refer to Doom versions and ports.

Knee-Deep in the Dead

Trivia

These images show how the level designs evolved. The controversial swastika room is the second large room from the left at the top of the 1.0 version of the map. In version 1.4 its shape has changed.

The version of E1M4 in Doom 1.0 contained a structure that formed a swastika (visible in the upper-left center of the 1.0 map to the right), inserted as homage to Wolfenstein 3D (which was set in a [...] base and had several swastika-shaped levels). The symbol was changed to a shape that only loosely resembles a swastika for version 1.4:

"Yes,[in Commander Keen 5]there is a swastika in one of the levels, one of my levels to be exact, but I removed it shortly after the game was released because people were upset that an evil symbol was in a cute kid's game (the changed version is in the screenshot). It was a premonition of things to come, namely, Wolfenstein 3D. I also put a swastika inDoom's E1M4 as a Wolf3D reference, but I changed it later for the exact same reason."

– John Romero 1

The only level in the original three episodes that was changed for The Ultimate Doom is E1M1. The change consists of the addition of a hidden switch near the start of the level that opens a door to the courtyard. The revised E1M1 contains exactly 666 sidedefs.

Name

Level design

Music

E1M1: Hangar

John Romero

At Doom's Gate

E1M2: Nuclear Plant

John Romero

The Imp's Song

E1M3: Toxin Refinery

John Romero

Dark Halls

E1M4: Command Control

John Romero/Tom Hall

Kitchen Ace (and Taking Names)

E1M5: Phobos Lab

John Romero

Suspense

E1M6: Central Processing

John Romero

On the Hunt

E1M7: Computer Station

John Romero

Demons on the Prey

E1M8: Phobos Anomaly

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

Sign of Evil

E1M9: Military Base

John Romero

Hiding the Secrets

The Shores of Hell

Name

Level design

Music

E2M1: Deimos Anomaly

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

I Sawed the Demons

E2M2: Containment Area

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

The Demons from Adrian's Pen

E2M3: Refinery

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

Intermission from DOOM

E2M4: Deimos Lab

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

They're Going to Get You

E2M5: Command Center

Sandy Petersen

Demons on the Prey

E2M6: Halls of the [...]

Sandy Petersen

Sinister

E2M7: Spawning Vats

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

Waltz of the Demons

E2M8: Tower of Babel

Sandy Petersen

Nobody Told Me About Id

E2M9: Fortress of Mystery

Sandy Petersen

(untitled)

Trivia:

E2M9: After 26 seconds playtime the song is almost exactly as Panteras song "Mouth for War" in the "Vulgar Display of Power" album which was released in 1992. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:euamqjkboj6a

Inferno

Name

Level design

Music

E3M1: Hell Keep

Sandy Petersen

(untitled)

E3M2: Slough of Despair

Sandy Petersen

Donna to the Rescue

E3M3: Pandemonium

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

Deep Into the Code

E3M4: House of Pain

Sandy Petersen

Sign of Evil

E3M5: Unholy Cathedral

Sandy Petersen

Demons on the Prey

E3M6: Mount Erebus

Sandy Petersen

On the Hunt

E3M7: Limbo

Sandy Petersen/Tom Hall

Waltz of the Demons

E3M8: Dis

Sandy Petersen

Facing the Spider

E3M9: Warrens

Sandy Petersen

Hiding the Secrets

Thy Flesh Consumed

Trivia

  • E4M1 contains a representation of the Nine Inch Nails logo.
  • All the level names, and the episode title, are phrases taken directly from the Bible. The list was compiled by Kevin Cloud, and John Romero assigned names to the individual levels.
  • E4M2 is the level of all those John Romero contributed to DOOM and DOOM II that took him the shortest time to finish; he started working on it at midnight and was done 6 AM.

Name

Level design

Music

E4M1: Hell Beneath

American McGee

Sign of Evil

E4M2: Perfect Hatred

John Romero

Donna to the Rescue

E4M3: Sever the Wicked

Shawn Green

Deep Into the Code

E4M4: Unruly Evil

American McGee

Suspense

E4M5: They Will Repent

Tim Willits

Waltz of the Demons

E4M6: Against Thee Wickedly

Sandy Petersen

They're Going to Get You

E4M7: And Hell Followed

John Anderson

Sinister

E4M8: Unto The Cruel

Shawn Green

Demons on the Prey

E4M9: Fear

Tim Willits

Hiding the Secrets

References

  • Level credits: "Doom Credits" (last updated 7 January, 1998, retrieved 27 October, 2004) by John Romero, available as part of the archived copy of Lee Killough's Doom pages on Romero's website. This list is slightly different from the "Who designed which levels?" FAQ (last updated 22 August, 1997, retrieved 27 October, 2004) by Frans P. de Vries, maintainer of the rec.games.computer.doom newsgroup FAQ, based on a list from Sandy Petersen. The main difference is that Romero's list acknowledges Tom Hall as co-author of several maps.
  • Trivia: 1998 interview with John Romero by Doomworld