Developer ports Doom to run entirely inside a SQL database

Developer Lukas Vogel has successfully ported the classic game Doom to run entirely within a SQL database. The project, dubbed SQLDoom, utilizes CedarDB to handle both game logic and rendering through complex SQL queries, achieving 35 to 60 frames per second. Unlike previous attempts that relied on simple character-based raycasting, this version recreates Doom's rendering process using database operations, including custom logic for level geometry and surface rendering. While Vogel describes the project as a technical demonstration, it supports full-color graphics and even online deathmatch multiplayer. The port functions by storing game state and geometry in database tables, with a lightweight Python script managing input and display. This unconventional project highlights the capabilities of CedarDB, which compiles queries into machine code, and demonstrates that even complex real-time applications can be executed through database operations, despite the inherent challenges of such an architecture.