Doom Guy: Life in First Person

John Romero

Jul 2023 · Abrams

About this eBook

The inspiring, long-awaited autobiography of video-game designer and DOOM cocreator John Romero.

“DOOM Guy: Life in First Person is…arguably the best non-fiction gaming book of all time, giving a unique insight into one of the industry’s most transformative eras through the eyes of one of its groundbreaking pioneers.”—Forbes

John Romero, gaming’s original rock star, is the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3-D, some of the biggest video games of all time. Considered the godfather of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he holds a unique place in gaming history. In DOOM Guy: Life in First Person, Romero chronicles, for the first time, his difficult childhood and storied career, beginning with his early days submitting Apple II game code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out the back door of his day job to write code at night.

Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during Romero’s time at id Software made DOOM and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal–fueled days spent crafting the industry’s most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack. After years in the gaming spotlight, Romero is now telling his story—the whole story—shedding new light on the development of his games and his business partnerships, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, sharing insights about design, code, the industry, and his career right up to today. Sharing gratitude for a lifetime in games, Romero reveals the twists and turns that led him, ultimately, to be called DOOM Guy.

Ratings and reviews

As a fan of id Software, you will love this book. As someone who loves games, you will definitely enjoy this chronicle in the history of gaming. And as a fan of John Romero himself, reading this book is a must. I am all of these, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Being able to read through a book based on Romero's life experience, and within his career as a game dev is really inspiring, at times it even left me feeling regret for not jumping into game dev at a young age. I love any piece of media that talks about the gold rush of the early days of gaming, especially when it's about the founding of FPS. Insight into Ion Storm and how Romero reflects on his life is fantastic as well. It is both a valuable lesson, and perspective for anyone to identify with, but especially game devs. I love and I am a fan of everyone responsible for making my favorite games ever, in this case however, thanks for being you, Romero.

Loved it. A decent amount of technical discussion (nothing crazy) explaining the advances id made over the years and the struggles of starting a business.

About the author

Computer and video game legend John Romero has designed and published more than 130 games since his first sale at the age of 16. A teenage programming prodigy, his major achievements include coinventing a series of revolutionary computer games—DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3-D, and Commander Keen—that launched the industry’s most popular genre, the first-person shooter. He lives in Galway, Ireland.