id Software Founders Reflect on Catacomb 3D, Precursor to Wolfenstein 3D

Nearly 35 years after its release, id Software co-founder John Romero convened the team to discuss Catacomb 3D, the foundational first-person title preceding Wolfenstein 3D. The game introduced key technical advancements like texture-mapped walls, an idea John Carmack implemented after external inspiration. Despite its importance, the game flirted with being an arcade-style dead end for the nascent PC gaming studio.