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    Show HN: I made a Doom-like game fit inside a QR code

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    Show HN: I made a Doom-like game fit inside a QR code

    Show HN: I made a Doom-like game fit inside a QR code

    The Backdooms: Running DOOM on a QR Code

    Yes, this is literally the entire game. You can scan it to play.



    🚀 Project Overview

    The Backdooms is a compressed, self-extracting and infinitely generating HTML game inspired by DOOM 1993 and The Backrooms that can be launched and played in a web browser directly from a QR code.

    This project was a week-long study I performed (now slightly longer) designed to push the limits of QR code storage and compression, to demonstrate an innovative method of hosting lightweight web applications entirely within a QR code.

    Play a slightly less compressed version of this game here

    Yes, it’s 8bit Undertale Music There

    📜 Features

    ✅ Fully Offline: No internet connection is required to play the game after scanning the QR code. The URL basically has the ENTIRE code to the game

    ✅ Extreme Compression: Utilizes a combination of Zlib compression with Gzip Decompression stream along with base64 encoding to make the final result extremely compressed.

    ✅ Self-Extracting Webpage: Uses the DecompressionStream API to dynamically decompress and execute the game within the browser.

    📦 Installation & Dependencies

    Well, technically speaking, just a modern web browser.

    But if we do get into the nitty gritty of generating a QR code of a ≈ 2.5kb game:

    Prerequisites

    • Python 3.7+
    • qrcode library (for generating QR codes)
    • pillow (for QR code image handling)

    Install Dependencies

    🛠️ Usage

    1️⃣ Convert Your Game to a QR Code

    Run the script with the following command:

    Example:

    python3 QRGEN.py EVEN-SMALLER-SLAMMER-BACKROOMS.html qrcode.png

    2️⃣ Scan the QR Code

    Use a smartphone or QR scanner to open the game directly in a web browser.

    3️⃣ Play Instantly 🎮

    Enjoy The Backdooms without needing to download or install anything!

    🔍 Technical Breakdown

    Compression Workflow

    flowchart TD A[Read Input HTML] --> B[Compress with Zlib] B -->|wbits=15| C[Base64 Encode] C --> D[Embed in HTML Wrapper] subgraph browser[Browser Processing] D --> E[DecompressionStream 'gzip'] E --> F{Format Mismatch} end F --> G[Convert to Data URI] G --> H{Fits QR Code?} H -->|Yes| I[Generate QR] H -->|No| J[Reduce HTML Size] J --> A



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    Read Input HTML: The process starts by reading the given HTML content from a file or input source.

    Zlib Compression + GZip decompression: The HTML is compressed using Zlib and uses Decompressionstream from GZip for best compression

    Base64 Encoding: The compressed data is encoded in Base64, ensuring that it remains text-based and can be embedded in an HTML file safely.

    Embedding in HTML Wrapper: A JavaScript-based self-extracting HTML wrapper is created. This wrapper includes a DecompressionStream API function that automatically decompresses the content when opened in a browser.

    Data URI Conversion: The entire HTML is converted into a data:text/html;base64,… format, allowing it to be stored and shared easily without a physical file.

    QR Code Generation Logic

    The system first tries to generate the smallest possible QR version using qr.make(fit=True), which dynamically adjusts the QR size based on content length.

    If the required version exceeds 40 (the QR code standard limit), it forces version 40 with fit=False.

    The lowest error correction level L (which allows the maximum data capacity) is used to fit as much data as possible.

    If the data is still too large for QR v40 with level L, the process fails, and an error is returned.

    Outcome

    If successful, a QR code is generated and displayed.

    If not, the process terminates with an error message indicating that the data is too large to be encoded in a QR code.

    Understand the Frustration and Trial and Error

    Read about the development journey on my blog MindDump

    📜 License

    This project is released under the MIT License—free to use, modify, and share.
    It would make me EXTREMELY happy to see other QR games or even seeing better versions of DOOM in a QR code, given there’s so little resources related to this

    🙌 Credits

    • id Software for Developing DOOM
    • matttkc for putting this idea in my head 5 years ago
    • Toby Fox for the amazing music in Undertale, this game’s GitHub hosted version uses an 8 bit version of Bonetrousle

    Developed by Kuber Mehta 🙂

    Share.

    Jonathan is a tech enthusiast and the mind behind Tech AI Verse. With a passion for artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and emerging innovations, he deliver clear, insightful content to keep readers informed. From cutting-edge gadgets to AI advancements and cryptocurrency trends, Jonathan breaks down complex topics to make technology accessible to all.

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