5 Games From id Software You Forgot Were Awesome

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Today, id Software is famous for its groundbreaking first-person shooter games like Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake. The studio consistently sets new standards in the genre, and it’s unusual for them to not only maintain a talented team but also continue releasing excellent games that honor their classics. Although id Software is best known for FPS titles, they’ve also surprised fans with other great games over the years.

Here are five id Software games that you might’ve forgotten were awesome.

5) Doom RPG

Many mobile games are simple knock-offs, but when id Software created Doom RPG in 2005, they aimed for something truly exceptional. While retaining the look and feel of the original Doom, Doom RPG dramatically changed the gameplay. Instead of fast-paced action, players now experience turn-based combat against the forces of hell, all from a first-person perspective.

Despite the new additions, this game is still very much a Doom experience, featuring the same hero as the classic trilogy. You’ll find many familiar enemies and elements, but the developers also introduced some fresh ideas. For example, the dogs from Wolfenstein 3D are now hellhounds, and surprisingly, you can even control them with a special collar. It’s an unusual direction for the series, but it remains one of the best mobile games from that time.

4) Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons

This collection includes the first three Commander Keen games. It was originally created by a team that soon became known as id Software, making it one of their earliest projects. Programmed by John Carmack and John Romero, Commander Keen quickly became popular and earned Apogee Software a substantial amount of money – hundreds of thousands of dollars, in fact.

This success persuaded Apogee to keep collaborating with id Software, ultimately leading to the creation of Wolfenstein 3D. The platformer also proved incredibly popular with gamers, spawning multiple sequels – one of which you’ll find further down this list. What began as an attempt to recreate Super Mario Bros. 3 on PC evolved into one of the most iconic studios in gaming history.

3) Wolfenstein RPG

Wolftenstein RPG plays a lot like Doom RPG. The developers took the fast-paced, first-person action of the original Wolfenstein game and adapted it for a turn-based style of play. They also included some fun extras, like a card game version of War and a silly game called Chicken Kicking – where players literally kick chickens!

While Wolfenstein RPG isn’t quite as gritty as other games in the series, it works really well on mobile devices. The developers did a great job of bringing the classic Wolfenstein look and feel—including its humor—to the mobile format. I’d put it a little ahead of Doom RPG (and Orcs & Elves), as it feels like a more polished experience, but both are definitely worth checking out.

2) Catacombs 3-D

So, in Catacomb 3-D, I play as this powerful wizard, Petton Everhail. Basically, I’m heading down into these catacombs to save my buddy Grelminar from this evil lich, Nemesis, and all his monsters. It looked way different than Commander Keen – a total graphical overhaul – but honestly, it was a huge step forward for the developers, getting them into full 3D for the first time.

With Catacomb 3-D, id Software experimented with a first-person perspective. While not as polished as their future shooting games, it was an important step forward for the genre. The developers improved the engine they initially created for Catacomb 3-D and then used it to build Wolfenstein 3D. Hovertank 3D is also notable, but Catacomb 3-D is more directly connected to Wolfenstein 3D and remains an enjoyable, unique game to experience.

1) Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy

Goodbye, Galaxy features episodes five and six of the Commander Keen series. As the incredibly smart, eight-year-old Commander Keen, players jump and climb through colorful new levels in a quest to save the galaxy. It builds on the gameplay that made the original game a hit, but with a key addition: you can now save your game at any time.

I remember when Goodbye, Galaxy first came out – it didn’t sell nearly as well as the first three Commander Keen games. But honestly, it was so good, word of mouth spread and it eventually became a huge hit! It’s a shame though, because it turned out to be the last Commander Keen game id Software ever made. Wolfenstein and Doom became so popular so quickly, they just overshadowed everything else, even Keen!

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2025-12-26 00:11