DOOM + DOOM II: Complete Guide

Everything you need for the 2024 DOOM + DOOM II package on the KEX engine: what's included, weapons and monsters, difficulty choices, secrets, co-op and deathmatch, mods, and settings.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 3 (April 2025, which added SIGIL II). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

One launcher, many games. DOOM + DOOM II (released 8 August 2024) bundles DOOM (The Ultimate Doom), DOOM II, TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment, Master Levels for DOOM II, No Rest for the Living, SIGIL, SIGIL II (added in Update 3) and the new episode Legacy of Rust. Pick from the game select menu at startup.
Play order for newcomers: DOOM Episode 1, then the rest of DOOM, then DOOM II, then Legacy of Rust. TNT and Plutonia are harder; Plutonia is famous for it.
Pick "Hurt Me Plenty" first. It's the standard difficulty. "Ultra-Violence" is where most veterans play.
Save often. Quick save and quick load are built in. Use them before every big fight.
Circle-strafe. Moving sideways while turning keeps you out of the path of projectiles. It's the most important skill in classic Doom.
Monsters fight each other. If one demon hits another, they'll often turn on each other (infighting). Use it to thin crowds.
Hunt secrets. Odd wall textures, recessed walls and suspicious alcoves often open. Secrets hold armor, ammo, powerups and secret exits.
Use the automap. The Tab key map is your best friend in the maze-like levels.
The original versions are still there. Steam users can use the Beta Participation option to launch the original DOS versions or the 2019 re-release (labelled "previous-re-release").

What's Included

Game	Maps	Notes
DOOM (The Ultimate Doom)	4 episodes	Knee-Deep in the Dead, The Shores of Hell, Inferno, Thy Flesh Consumed
SIGIL	1 episode (9 maps)	John Romero's unofficial fifth episode, 2019
SIGIL II	1 episode	Added officially in Update 3 (April 2025)
DOOM II	32 maps	Includes 2 secret levels reached from MAP15
Master Levels for DOOM II	20 maps	Commissioned from various authors (1995)
No Rest for the Living	9 maps	8 regular plus 1 secret, originally from Xbox Live Arcade (2010)
TNT: Evilution	32 maps	Final Doom
The Plutonia Experiment	32 maps	Final Doom; very difficult
Legacy of Rust	16 maps	New 2024 episode by id Software, Nightdive Studios and MachineGames, split into two chapters: The Vulcan Abyss and Counterfeit Eden
Deathmatch maps	43 total	Includes a new 26-map deathmatch pack

In total the package has 187 mission maps and 43 deathmatch maps.

Controls and Settings

Action	Default (PC)	Tip
Move / strafe	WASD	Modern mouselook controls are on by default
Fire	Left mouse
Use (doors, switches)	E	Press on walls you suspect are secret doors
Weapon carousel	Mouse wheel / number keys	Carousel speeds up switching
Automap	Tab
Quick save / load	F6 / F9	Save before every fight

Settings worth changing:

Soundtrack: choose the original MIDI or Andrew Hulshult's IDKFA soundtrack (with new DOOM II recordings).
Resolution and frame rate: multithreaded rendering supports up to 4K, and up to 120 Hz on supported displays. 21:9 support was added in Update 1.
Keyboard-only tank controls: Update 1 added left turn, right turn and strafe keybinds if you want the 1993 feel.
Accessibility: a modern font, high contrast mode, text-to-speech and speech-to-text chat.
3D sound option: added in Update 1 for setups with more than two speakers.
Cheats: Update 1 lets you activate cheats from the pause menu. Typing an original cheat code unlocks it for future use, and you can unlock all cheats from Gameplay Settings.

Weapons

Weapon	Game	Best use
Fist / Berserk fist	Both	With a Berserk pack, punches are brutally strong
Chainsaw	Both	Melee; good against Pinkies (Demons)
Pistol	Both	Backup only
Shotgun	Both	Reliable all-rounder, accurate at medium range
Super Shotgun	DOOM II onward	Huge close-range damage; your main weapon in DOOM II
Chaingun	Both	Hitscan; stun-locks weaker enemies
Rocket Launcher	Both	Big damage, splash can hurt you; don't fire point-blank
Plasma Rifle	Both	Fast, strong projectile stream
BFG 9000	Both	Room-clearing; the tracer damage depends on where you aim after firing

Legacy of Rust adds new weapons and demons, the first official episode since DOOM II to do so (per the official release notes). The new arsenal and enemy types show up as you progress; the in-game tooltips and your first encounter are the best introduction, so treat any unfamiliar demon as a priority target until you've seen its attacks, and try each new weapon on a mid-sized crowd to learn its range and ammo cost.

Monsters and How to Fight Them

Monster	Threat	How to handle
Zombieman / Shotgun Guy	Hitscan chip damage	Kill quickly; Shotgun Guys drop shotguns
Heavy Weapon Dude (DOOM II)	Hitscan chaingun, very dangerous in groups	Priority target; use cover
Imp	Fireballs	Strafe sideways; shotgun them
Demon / Spectre	Melee rush	Back-pedal and shotgun, or chainsaw
Lost Soul	Charging flying skull	Hit them as they come in
Cacodemon	Floating tank with ball projectiles	Super Shotgun or plasma; the chaingun stuns them
Hell Knight / Baron of Hell	Tanky projectile throwers	Rockets or plasma from range
Pain Elemental (DOOM II)	Spits Lost Souls	Kill it fast before it floods the room
Revenant (DOOM II)	Homing rockets	Break line of sight around corners to shake the homing
Mancubus (DOOM II)	Twin fireball spreads	Strafe between the shots; rockets
Arachnotron (DOOM II)	Plasma stream	Get behind cover, then plasma or rockets
Arch-vile (DOOM II)	Resurrects monsters, and its fire attack hits hard	Top priority; break line of sight when you see the flames start
Cyberdemon	Rocket boss	Circle-strafe and use your strongest weapon, or let infighting help
Spider Mastermind	Hitscan boss	Stay in cover, peek and shoot; it's deadly at range

Infighting tricks: get a Cyberdemon's rockets to hit other monsters, or lure hitscan enemies into shooting each other. It saves huge amounts of ammo on harder difficulties.

Difficulty Levels

Difficulty	Notes
I'm Too Young to Die	Reduced damage taken, extra ammo
Hey, Not Too Rough	Fewer monsters
Hurt Me Plenty	Standard
Ultra-Violence	More monsters; the veteran standard
Nightmare!	Monsters respawn and move and attack faster; not for a first run

Walkthrough Outline

DOOM

Knee-Deep in the Dead (E1): tech bases on Phobos. Learn secrets and ammo management. Ends with two Barons of Hell.
The Shores of Hell (E2): Deimos. Bigger, stranger maps. Ends with the Cyberdemon.
Inferno (E3): Hell itself. Ends with the Spider Mastermind.
Thy Flesh Consumed (E4): the hardest official DOOM episode; tight ammo and tough fights from the start.
SIGIL and SIGIL II: Romero's later episodes; expect demanding, stylish design.

DOOM II

Hell on Earth: 32 maps across three sections (Outpost, City and Hell). The two secret levels branch from MAP15. The final map is the Icon of Sin, which requires rockets fired into its exposed brain.

Legacy of Rust

16 maps across The Vulcan Abyss and Counterfeit Eden. Learn the new enemies as they appear; treat any unfamiliar demon as a priority target until you know its attack.

Secrets and Completion

Kill, item and secret percentages show on the intermission screen at the end of each map.
Look for misaligned textures, light flickers, and walls that look slightly different.
Listen for doors opening elsewhere when you cross a trigger.
Automap clues: gaps in walls on the map can mark hidden rooms.

Multiplayer

Online cross-platform deathmatch and co-op for up to 16 players (a Bethesda.net account is required for online).
Local split-screen for up to 4 players.
Co-op respawning: Update 2 added a spectator mode while waiting to respawn in co-op, and fixed losing weapons on respawn with modern rules.
Offline play: single-player, split-screen and LAN work without an internet connection.

Mods

The in-game mod browser offers community mods (examples featured by the developers include REKKR, Revolution!, Syringe, Double Impact and Arrival).
Compatibility: mods must use Vanilla DOOM, DeHackEd, MBF21 or BOOM formats.
Multiplayer mods: since Update 2 the host activates the mod before entering multiplayer, and everyone must subscribe to the same mod. Room codes are recommended.
Your own WADs: Update 1 added a menu option that opens the folder where you can drop WAD files, plus a wad console command to load one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Firing rockets point-blank. The splash will kill you.
Standing still. Almost every projectile can be dodged by strafing.
Ignoring the Arch-vile. It revives everything you've killed.
Fighting in the open against hitscanners. Use doorways and corners.
Saving in a bad spot. Don't quick-save with low health in the middle of a fight.
Skipping the Super Shotgun. In DOOM II it's your main tool.
Starting on Nightmare! Respawning monsters make it a specialist challenge.

Advanced Tips

Straferunning (moving forward and sideways at once) is faster than moving straight.
Chaingun stun-lock: constant fire interrupts many monsters' attacks.
Berserk plus fist can save ammo in long levels.
Use infighting on Ultra-Violence. Lead enemies into each other's fire.
BFG technique: the damage comes partly from invisible tracers after the ball hits, based on where you're facing. Keep enemies in front of you.
Pistol-start challenge: once you've finished a game, try starting each map with just the pistol for a classic challenge.

FAQ

Is DOOM + DOOM II a free upgrade? Owners of DOOM (1993) and/or DOOM II on the supported platforms received the combined release as a free upgrade.

Can I still play the original DOS versions? Yes, via Steam's Beta Participation option (original versions or "previous-re-release").

Do I need to be online? Only for online multiplayer. Campaigns, split-screen and LAN work offline.

Where is SIGIL II? Added as an official part of the package in Update 3 (April 2025); choose it from the game select menu.

Do Steam Controllers work? The official FAQ says the Steam Controller isn't supported. Standard controllers, keyboard and mouse are.

How many players for co-op? Up to 16 online, 4 in local split-screen.