Custom IWAD

A custom IWAD contains all the data required to have a playable stand-alone game on the GZDoom engine, in the same way that an IWAD contains the data required to play one of the supported games.

A custom IWAD must use the .iwad or .ipk3 extension, and must contain an IWADINFO lump. It can also contain DEFBINDS, DEFCVARS, and KEYCONF lumps.

If GZDoom is distributed without its game_support.pk3 file, it will be unable to detect the regular IWADs and limited to the custom IWAD in the same directory. This can be desirable for distributing stand-alone games without them automatically detecting games installed through GOG.com or Steam. This file also contains non-free assets derived from game data (such as fonts) which are unsuitable to commercial distribution, should you wish to sell a custom IWAD you have created. Such a commercial distribution should also omit brightmaps.pk3 and lights.pk3.

Forum threads

• Nash's Standalone Game Template provides a minimal base on which to build a functional game.