ORIGINAL GAME PREVIEW / GAME OPENS ON CREATOR'S SITE
SHOOTER / SINGLE PLAYER; INVITE-LINK MULTIPLAYER IN BETA
webduke (Duke Nukem 3D)
Duke Nukem 3D's shareware episode in a browser tab: the EDuke32 engine compiled to WebAssembly, starting on the Hollywood Holocaust rooftop.
OUR TAKE / EDITORIAL
Why it's on the wall
The Build engine's levels still feel ahead of their time: you can flip the light switches and shoot out the screens. Twelve megabytes for all of that is a bargain.
Written by Neon Gamewall. An opinion, not a player rating.
GAME BRIEF
What's the game?
Gawen Arab compiled EDuke32, the community's long-running Duke Nukem 3D engine, to WebAssembly, so the 1996 Build-engine shooter runs right in the page with the free shareware episode, L.A. Meltdown. Click to play, choose New Game and you are on the first level's rooftop with a pistol. About 12 MB in all, most of it the game data.
BEFORE YOU PLAY
What to expect
Unofficial: Duke Nukem 3D was made by 3D Realms and now belongs to Gearbox; the shareware episode was released for free distribution, and EDuke32 is open source. Its own title screen warns of adult content, and it means it: gore, and strip-club scenes with dancers in the shareware episode. A multiplayer mode by invite link is in beta (we did not test it). No ads or account. Desktop keyboard and mouse; the page also ships touch controls we have not checked on a phone. No AI build claim.
Controls: Click to capture the mouse, then mouse to look, W A S D or the arrows to move, Ctrl to fire, Space to jump, Esc to release the mouse.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Common questions
Is this the whole Duke Nukem 3D?
Out of the box it runs the free shareware episode, L.A. Meltdown. If you own the full game, the page's Load .GRP option (behind the gear icon) takes your own DUKE3D.GRP file and stores it in your browser.
How do I start playing?
Press PLAY above, click "click to play" (in our check it took two clicks, the second captures the mouse), press Enter for the episode and Enter again for the skill level, and you are on the Hollywood Holocaust rooftop. Esc lets go of the mouse.
Do the cheat codes work?
Yes. The classic codes work when you type them during a level, not while it loads; we used DNSCOTTY to warp between levels. The console, on the backquote key (`), takes god and noclip.
Is there multiplayer?
The page has a Host game option for multiplayer by invite link, marked beta; we have not tested it. Multiplayer sessions switch on the page's diagnostics, which send technical traces to its server; the page says no personal data or gameplay content is collected.
Does it work on a phone?
The page ships on-screen touch controls (a move stick, a look area, and fire, jump, crouch, use and weapon buttons) and asks you to turn the phone sideways. We have not tested them on a phone.
Is it OK for kids?
No. The game's own title screen warns of adult content, and it means it: gore, and strip-club scenes with dancers in the shareware episode.
How big is the download?
About 12 MB in all, most of it the shareware game data.
SOURCE & CREDIT
Meet the maker
The game's AI build is not independently verified. Visit the creator's game page for current details.
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