Spoiler alert: When you plan to play the Doom 2 mod MyHouse.wad, cease studying proper now and go dive down the rabbit gap that’s this wholly standalone sport. Whereas I will keep away from main spoilers and puzzle solutions, even minor spoilers will have an effect on and doubtlessly damage the expertise of this creation. So learn on solely you probably have no intention of taking part in.
Describing MyHouse.wad (or simply MyHouse for brief) is troublesome. The Doom 2 mod is so weird and surreal that experiencing it’s the solely approach to do it justice. That stated, I will do my finest to provide you an thought of what it’s and a normal overview of the gameplay with out revealing too many secrets and techniques.
So far as anyone is aware of, MyHouse was created by a Doomworld discussion board person who goes by the deal with Veddge, whose actual identify is likely to be Steven Nelson – or is that simply the identify of a personality in MyHouse who might or is probably not useless? Wait. It will get weirder.
He opened his account in 2004 and was lively, posting occasional banal Doom-related commentary earlier than disappearing in 2006. Veddge reappeared final yr, discussing finishing a Doom 2 map that his lately deceased buddy Thomas had labored on earlier than he died.
“I have not logged into the boards in over a decade, however an in depth childhood buddy of mine handed away lately, and I made a decision to undergo a number of the Doom stuff we have been making once we have been children. The toughest half was recovering the wads from my outdated 3.5” floppy disks! It took me a couple of hours, however I managed to recuperate some information from the late 90s once we have been making maps … apparently, my buddy was making a “my home” map round 1999. In his honor, I have been cleansing up his map for launch and including some ZDoom/UDMF options for the sake of comfort.”
He claims that he rediscovered the .wad file (mod file extension) on an outdated floppy disc from round 1999 and that the map was modeled after his buddy’s home. He wished to scrub it up and add newer options since modding has modified a lot since then.
For a number of months, Veddge continued posting screenshots and progress stories. Nonetheless, a number of cryptic entries peppered all through his discourse present that not all was right with the mod. Veddge begins having hassle sleeping and says the map has fairly actually taken on a lifetime of its personal.
“I have been having hassle sleeping these days. For many of my life, I may simply put my head on my pillow and go to sleep, however these days, I discover myself mendacity in mattress staring into the darkness,” he stated in a November 2022 submit, and including within the MyHouse readme, “I attempted to delete this map, however it continues to vary and evolve with none enter from me.”
The posts continued till he seemingly shared the finished mod on March 2, 2023, after which disappeared, not having been heard from since. Nonetheless, the group surrounding the mod created a complete 58-page thread as gamers unraveled the rabbit gap of probably the most weird and creepy Doom 2 ranges ever made.
MyHouse is described as having 10 minutes of playable content material, however whoever made that assertion seems to not have performed the sport totally. Undoubtedly, fixing the puzzles inside the home and getting all three endings takes for much longer than that on the primary playthrough.
At first, the home featured within the mod is a reasonably regular reproduction of a late 90s or early 2000s two-story house, however therein lies the very first thing that set individuals off concerning the mod. Doom 2 maps can’t have stacked ranges. An upstairs and downstairs would usually require two separate maps linked by a stairway.
Nonetheless, MyHouse seems to be one map – an impossibility. So gamers who know the way Doom maps work instantly felt uneasy about it. It’s simply one of many many Doom legal guidelines that the mod breaks to create a liminal house that places the participant on edge. There’s simply one thing not proper about it – doorways that open right into a room that overlaps one other room, objects that seem and disappear relying on the place and course the participant faces, and different “unnatural” facets that simply shouldn’t be capable of occur contribute to the eerie feeling that one thing is just not proper.
Progressing by way of the home is comparatively simple – kill baddies, accumulate objects and keys till you’ll be able to unlock the entrance gate, and escape. Upon exiting the extent, gamers discover themselves in Doom 2’s second mission, “Underhalls,” the MyHouse mini-game apparently over. After finishing Underhalls, gamers transfer to the following stage – The Gauntlet – proper?
Improper. The mod thrusts gamers again into the home like a digital model of Groundhog’s Day. This time round, issues are even stranger than they have been beforehand. Nonetheless, it turns into obvious that your complete purpose for returning is that the participant failed to unravel all of the puzzles. You possibly can repeatedly exit the home and replay the Underhalls stage, however till you discover all of the clues and items to get to the top, you are caught in an countless loop of preventing demons and exploring the home.
If this sounds drab and repetitive, it is not – or at the least it does not should be. As soon as gamers understand there’s far more to the home than there seems to be, they start to grasp that the exit is just not the way in which out. It is only a crimson herring to maintain them operating in circles.
Nonetheless, if some key parts required to get by way of MyHouse are hidden, how may Veddge count on anyone to finish it? Effectively, there’s the 58-page dialogue on the Doomworld discussion board the place gamers shared their data as they found secrets and techniques, for one. Though, gamers who need clues with out options ought to learn the “Journal” accompanying the mod file in its Google Drive folder.
Not solely does the journal comprise veiled options of particular parts of the sport revealed within the author’s desires, however it’s how Veddge meant gamers to work by way of the mod. It is also way more immersive because it relates info that makes a number of sequences and parts of the MyHouse expertise make sense. There are additionally photographs that present clues to progress. Nonetheless, this journal file is hidden within the Google Drive folder, so you need to determine the best way to unlock it. Good luck.
To shut, I wish to current Veddge’s warning to gamers. Within the doc myhouse.txt (its readme) is the next disclaimer:
DO NOT COPY AND REDISTRIBUTE THE MATERIAL IN ANY MEDIUM OR FORMAT!
I attempted to delete this map, however it continues to vary and evolve with none enter from me. What started as a tribute to a misplaced buddy has consumed my complete life. As this map grew past what I created, I suffered paranoia and insomnia. It consumed me. Do not let it devour you as nicely.
Delete it. Don’t credit score me. Don’t try to contact me. Don’t try to make use of the fabric for business functions. Don’t remix, rework, or construct upon the fabric. Above all, don’t distribute this file, modified
or in any other case. I attempted to maintain it from the web, however it discovered its approach on-line. It is nonetheless altering. It needs you to really feel unhappy. Alone. Determined.
Do not let it win. Do not play it.
When you play it, do not forget that MyHouse is like an onion. It has many layers, every revealing extra lore whereas elevating questions concerning the subsequent layer. Be persistent, and you’ll be rewarded. For these extra fascinated by seeing the sport in motion and studying all of the options, Bobby Prince (aka Energy Pak) created an in-depth walkthrough/exposé that’s definitely worth the hour forty-five-minute runtime (above).
