Ambitious developer showcases slick triple-level Quake-like game stored in tiny 64KB executable — every game asset tucked inside what could be a ‘rounding error’ in modern app payload terms
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Developer Daivuk has released QUOD, a 64 KB “boomer shooter” that closely mirrors id Software’s classic FPS Quake. The entire game—including textures, sounds, music, levels, models, animations, and code—is packed into a single 64 KB executable with no external resources.
Gameplay
- 3 levels, 1 boss fight
- 4 unique enemies and 4 weapons
- A handful of power‑ups
Development background
The QUOD project has been in gestation for about a decade, but most of the work happened in the last year. Daivuk chose the 64 KB size as a “sweet spot” that is tiny yet still leaves room for creativity.
Optimization techniques
- Action‑based textures: Instead of storing raw image files, Daivuk saved Photoshop‑action‑like recipes that generate the textures at runtime.
- Custom virtual machine & language: A bespoke VM and programming language were created to minimize code size.
Image credit: Daivuk
System requirements
Despite its 1980s‑era file size, QUOD.exe needs a relatively modern CPU and GPU to run smoothly:
- CPU: Intel i5 or equivalent
- GPU: GTX 770 or equivalent (or any comparable modern graphics card)
- RAM: 8 GB
- Disk space: 64 KB (self‑contained, no installation required)
Future plans
In the video outro, Daivuk hints at possible optimizations and refinements for a potential QUOD v2 or other upcoming projects.
Related small‑size demos
- A colorful ray‑tracing animation squashed into 483 bytes – see the Tom’s Hardware article.
- A Quake‑like JavaScript game that fits in 13 KB – read more here.
Historical context
Id Software’s Qtest multiplayer‑only demo of Quake was released exactly 30 years ago today. The original shareware version of Quake launched on June 22 1996 (MS‑DOS), with the full version arriving a month later.
