The hidden “DOOM” game is Hall of Tortured Souls, an Easter egg reported in Excel 95. Its historical launch sequence is to select the second cell in row 95, then choose Help > Tech Support. It is not expected to work in current Excel or Microsoft 365.
How to open Hall of Tortured Souls in Excel 95
These are the commonly reported historical directions for the Excel 95 Easter egg; they have not been independently tested here.
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DOOM: The Dark Ages – Xbox Series X | $31.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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DOOM: The Dark Ages – PlayStation 5 | $65.45 | Buy on Amazon |
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Doom - Xbox One | $26.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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DOOM + DOOM II (Limited Run Games #144) - for Playstation 5 | $44.48 | Buy on Amazon |
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Open Excel 95 and go to row 95.
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Press Tab to select the second cell in that row.
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Open the Help menu and select Tech Support.
The resulting window is called Hall of Tortured Souls. The game is described as a first-person maze with DOOM-like visuals and scrolling developer credits. PC Gamer reported the sequence and its Excel 95 association on 20 December 2025: PC Gamer’s account of Excel 95’s hidden game.
Why the steps do not work in modern Excel
This Easter egg is associated with Excel 95, not current Microsoft 365. A Microsoft Community response dated 15 January 2025 says it was “removed decades ago,” but does not identify the last Excel version that included it. If you are using a modern release, the row-95 sequence is not a way to launch the game.
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Excel 97 is sometimes confused with Excel 95 because Excel 97 had a different flight-simulator Easter egg. The DOOM-style maze described here is the Excel 95 one.
How to reach the second area
Popular instructions say to face the rear wall in the game and type excelkfa to reach a second area. A community reverse-engineering repository reports that the shorter input XLKFA is sufficient in the game code it inspected. These are distinct claims—the first is the commonly circulated gameplay instruction, while the second is a code-level finding—and neither was hands-on tested here.
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Ways to explore it today
| Route | What it offers | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Original Excel 95 | The Easter egg integrated into the historical spreadsheet software. | Requires Excel 95-era software; compatibility with current computers is not established. |
| Community standalone reconstruction | A separate project with decompiled source and a build described for modern Windows. | It is not an official Microsoft release. Its README says the project adds a delay because the original loop would run too quickly on modern CPUs. |
The reconstruction’s source and build notes are available in the Excel95DOOM community repository. This is an alternative for exploring the game, not the original Excel-integrated Easter egg.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you cannot access the Easter egg
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Confirm that you have Excel 95, rather than a current Excel release or Excel 97.
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DOOM: The Dark Ages – PlayStation 5- Developed by id Software, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage.
- In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
- A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it’s the perfect entry point whether you’re new to the franchise or a long time fan.
- As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw.
- Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this epic, cinematic, and action-packed story.
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In Excel 95, follow the reported sequence precisely: row 95, Tab to the second cell, then Help > Tech Support.
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If you do not have the original software, consider the community reconstruction; do not assume vintage software or media will run on a modern system.
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