In an impressive display of technical ingenuity, developer Kuber Mehta has created The Backdooms, a fully playable game inspired by DOOM and The Backrooms that fits entirely within a single QR code. This project pushes the boundaries of data compression and demonstrates a novel approach to game distribution that requires no installation or internet connection after the initial scan.
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| This image displays the GitHub repository for "The Backdooms," highlighting the project's files and structure, and demonstrating the innovative approach to game distribution |
Extreme Compression Techniques Make QR Game Possible
The project utilizes a sophisticated compression workflow that combines Zlib compression with Gzip decompression streams and Base64 encoding to fit an entire playable game within the 3KB limit of a QR code. The compressed data is embedded in a self-extracting HTML wrapper that uses the DecompressionStream API to automatically decompress the content when opened in a browser. This approach allows the game to run completely offline after scanning the QR code, as the entire codebase is contained within the data URI.
I created a game inspired by Doom and the backrooms called The Backdooms under 2.4kb in minified html. (for reference, this entire post would be around 1.8kB haha)
Cross-Platform Compatibility Challenges
While the technical achievement is remarkable, community feedback reveals significant platform compatibility issues. Many iOS users reported that native QR scanners display no usable data found when attempting to scan the code. This limitation stems from iOS's handling of data URI URLs rather than the size of the QR code itself. Android users had mixed results, with some reporting success using Chromium-based browsers while Firefox mobile users encountered errors.
The developer has been actively responding to community feedback, recently adding touch controls for mobile users thanks to code optimization contributions from the community. This improvement allows the game to be playable on mobile devices using Chromium-based browsers, though users still need to use alternative QR scanning methods that can handle larger codes and data URIs.
Security Implications of Self-Contained QR Applications
The project has sparked discussion about the security implications of embedding executable code in QR codes. While The Backdooms is a harmless demonstration, community members pointed out that similar techniques could potentially be used maliciously. This serves as a reminder of the risks associated with scanning unknown QR codes, as they could contain or link to harmful content.
Despite these concerns, the project stands as an impressive technical achievement that demonstrates the possibilities of extreme code compression and alternative distribution methods. The developer has released the project under the MIT License, encouraging others to build upon the concept and create their own QR code games.
For those interested in trying The Backdooms without dealing with QR code compatibility issues, a slightly less compressed version is available to play directly in a web browser at the developer's GitHub page.
Reference: The Backdooms: Running DOOM on a QR Code