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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →DOOM Eternal takes the top spot for turning the series’ aggressive combat into its most demanding and fully developed system. This is an editorial ranking of eight major standalone DOOM campaign releases—not an official franchise catalog. TIME called DOOM: The Dark Ages the eighth overall entry in 2025, but there is no single established counting rule for what qualifies as a DOOM game. This list excludes ports, compilations, mobile games, and campaign expansions, and weighs combat, level and encounter design, arsenal, pacing, and how well each game delivers its own approach.
8. Final Doom
Final Doom is a substantial set of classic-style campaigns, but it is the least consistent experience in this ranking. Its strengths are the original games’ immediately readable combat and the satisfaction of working through large, demanding levels. Its weaker stretches lean heavily on escalating difficulty and maze-like layouts rather than adding a new combat idea or a stronger campaign arc.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Evercade The Doom Collection | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Doom Slayers Collection (Doom, Doom II, Doom III (DLC) + Doom 2016 | $156.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Trapped in a Video Game: The Complete Series | $26.01 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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PlayStation 5 – DOOM: The Dark Ages – Standard Edition | $89.97 | Buy on Amazon |
It ranks below the other releases here because its best qualities are variations on a formula that later entries either sharpened or reimagined. It is most appealing to players who already enjoy classic DOOM’s level-hunting and want more of it.
7. DOOM 3
DOOM 3 makes a deliberate turn toward horror. Dark corridors, limited visibility, and sudden attacks make space and anticipation matter more than the continuous forward rush associated with the classic games. That distinct identity is also its main trade-off: players looking for large, open combat arenas and sustained enemy pressure may find the campaign slower and more constrained.
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- Officially licensed Evercade version of DOOM
- Includes DOOM, DOOM II, six mission packs and a set of Deathmatch multiplayer levels
- Play solo or alongside friends in split-screen multiplayer on supported Evercade devices
- Includes original soundtracks plus Andrew Hulshult's "IDKFA" remixes
- Compatible with all Evercade and Super Pocket devices
The horror direction gives the game a personality of its own, but its combat and pacing are less consistently compelling across a full campaign than the entries above it. It is a worthwhile choice for someone curious about DOOM as a survival-horror shooter, rather than as a pure arena-action game.
6. DOOM 64
DOOM 64 retains the classic games’ fast movement and weapon-led combat while using darker visual design and more ominous spaces. Its atmosphere distinguishes it from the original games without abandoning their basic logic: read the room, choose a route, and use the right weapon for the threats in front of you.
It falls in the middle of the ranking because its mood is more distinctive than its overall development of the formula. Players who want a compact, atmospheric classic-style campaign may prefer it to the louder, more sprawling entries; those seeking a major change in combat will find less here.
5. DOOM (1993)
The original DOOM remains an exceptionally clear expression of the series’ core appeal: movement, spatial awareness, and choosing a weapon that suits the enemy and the moment. Its levels reward exploration, and its combat is easy to understand without being passive. The simple premise gives the action room to take priority.
Rank #2
- The DOOM Slayers Collectiontakes players through more than two decades of demon-slaying - from the classic games that popularised the first-person shooter to the fan favourite franchise reboot, wield an arsenal of powerful weapons as you battle demon hordes on Mars, on Earth, and across Hell in four critically acclaimed games: DOOM, DOOM II, DOOM 3, and DOOM (2016)
- Doom Slayers collection (PlayStation 4)
- Sony
- Doom Slayers Collection (Doom, Doom II, Doom III (DLC) + Doom 2016
- Sony
It sits below the later top-ranked games not because it has lost its importance, but because its smaller arsenal and simpler encounter vocabulary leave less room for tactical variation over a long run. For a first taste of classic DOOM, it is still a direct and satisfying starting point.
4. DOOM II
DOOM II builds on the original’s movement-and-weapons foundation with a broader roster of threats, including the imposing Mancubus and Arch-vile. Those enemies make target priority more consequential: a room can demand that you decide what to eliminate first while staying mobile and managing ammunition.
Its expanded combat possibilities lift it above the original, though the campaign does not sustain the same level of consistency as the strongest modern entries. It is the natural next step for anyone who has enjoyed the first game’s fundamentals and wants encounters that ask more of them.
3. DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the third installment in the modern DOOM series and a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, according to Bethesda’s official game page. It takes the modern games in a more grounded, power-focused direction. In id Software’s Developer_Direct feature, the studio contrasted that approach with Eternal’s acrobatic movement, describing combat in which strafing and enemy projectiles shape the player’s decisions.
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Rank #3
That shift is a design choice, not a universal improvement over Eternal. The emphasis on positioning and power makes The Dark Ages a better fit for players who want to hold ground, read incoming attacks, and answer them directly. It ranks third because the modern trilogy’s earlier entries offer more compelling overall blends of combat variety and campaign flow, while this game’s different priorities are still a meaningful part of the series’ range.
2. DOOM (2016)
DOOM (2016) re-established the series around fast, close-quarters aggression. Its combat loop rewards pushing into danger rather than staying at a distance, while its arenas and weapon roster encourage quick decisions about positioning and target choice. The campaign’s brisk pace gives the revival a strong sense of momentum.
It lands just below Eternal because its combat system is less demanding and less interconnected. That makes it an especially approachable modern entry: it delivers the series’ forward-driving action without asking players to manage as many simultaneous combat pressures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.1. DOOM Eternal
DOOM Eternal is the strongest game in this ranking because it makes aggression a sustained tactical challenge. Its acrobatic movement, enemy-specific demands, and resource decisions require players to stay active and adapt rather than rely on one weapon or tactic. The resulting combat has the greatest depth here, and its encounters most consistently make the player’s choices matter.
Rank #4
- Brand Name:Xbox
- Video game region: region free
- Display Platform: PS5
That intensity is also a matter of taste. Someone who prefers the more grounded, power-focused combat direction described for The Dark Ages may not want Eternal’s faster, more demanding style. But judged by how fully it develops its own combat system, Eternal is the series’ high point in this selection.
Which DOOM game should you play first?
- For a modern introduction: start with DOOM (2016). Its aggressive combat establishes the modern series’ approach without the extra demands of Eternal.
- For the deepest combat system in this ranking: choose DOOM Eternal, especially if you enjoy learning an interconnected set of movement, weapon, and resource-management demands.
- For a more grounded modern style: try DOOM: The Dark Ages, whose official preview material emphasizes positioning and power over Eternal’s acrobatics.
- For classic level-based action: begin with DOOM (1993), then move to DOOM II if you want a broader set of enemy and encounter demands.
- For horror rather than arena action: choose DOOM 3; its slower, darker approach is intentionally different from the other games here.
Where expansions fit
This ranking leaves out expansions because they extend a particular game rather than sit cleanly alongside the standalone campaigns. For example, id Software describes The Ancient Gods – Part Two as both the second DOOM Eternal campaign expansion and the conclusion of the Eternal Slayer saga; counting it as a separate game would change the scope of the list.
How many DOOM games are there?
There is no single count independent of what “game” means. A list of standalone console and PC campaigns differs from one that includes mobile releases, spin-offs, expansions, ports, and compilations. TIME’s 2025 year-end list calls DOOM: The Dark Ages the eighth overall franchise entry, while Bethesda calls it the third installment in the modern series. Those descriptions use different scopes; neither makes this ranking an official or exhaustive catalog of every release.
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