About
A fork of Brutal Doom that grew into its own distinct project. Project Brutality expands significantly beyond its origins with a greatly enlarged weapon roster, multiple variants for nearly every monster type, randomized enemy loadouts that change each run, and deeper combat mechanics. Received a major 10-year anniversary update in June 2025 adding substantial new content. Separate from Brutal Doom — the two projects have diverged considerably since the fork and are each worth playing on their own merits.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- flatpak
- Options
- run org.zdoom.GZDoom -iwad doom2.wad -file Project_Brutality.pk3
- Needs files
-
- Project Brutality archive from GitHub releases or ModDB — GZDoom loads the .zip directly, or rename it to .pk3
- Doom II WAD (or Freedoom Phase 2 as a free substitute — freedoom.github.io)
Runtime
- Runs as
- Native Linux
- Proton
- not needed
⚙ Setup notes
Install: GZDoom is installed via Flatpak: flatpak install flathub org.zdoom.GZDoom.
Files: Download the latest Project Brutality archive from the [GitHub releases](https://github.com/pa1nki113r/Project_Brutality/releases) (source zip) or ModDB. GZDoom loads the .zip directly with -file, or you can rename it to .pk3. Drop it plus your DOOM2.WAD (or freedoom2.wad) into ~/.var/app/org.zdoom.GZDoom/.
Engine: Project Brutality 0.3.0+ uses ZScript and requires a recent GZDoom — it does not run on Zandronum. (Older fan-made "PB 3.0" Zandronum ports exist but are unofficial and unrelated to the current project.)
Controller: GZDeck is a controller-friendly launcher for GZDoom mods in Steam Game Mode (handy for managing multiple mod+WAD combos on Deck). It is no longer actively developed but still works; add it as a non-Steam game with the --no-sandbox launch argument.
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: This is a GAMEPLAY MOD, not a standalone game — requires a Doom II WAD (DOOM2.WAD) or Freedoom Phase 2 as a free substitute.
Install: Install GZDoom via Flatpak (flatpak install flathub org.zdoom.GZDoom), download the Project Brutality archive from [GitHub releases](https://github.com/pa1nki113r/Project_Brutality/releases) or ModDB, and drop it (load the .zip directly, or rename to .pk3) plus your WAD into ~/.var/app/org.zdoom.GZDoom/.
Version: Versioned 0.x (the June 2025 10-year anniversary build was 0.3.0 Alpha; latest is 0.4.1). The "PB 3.0" naming refers to old unofficial Zandronum fan ports, not the current project.
Engine: Requires a recent GZDoom (uses ZScript) — does not run on Zandronum.
Note: Project Brutality and Brutal Doom are separate forks — you can run both independently.
Controller: GZDeck is a Game Mode-friendly GZDoom launcher (now unmaintained but still functional); set it as a non-Steam game with the --no-sandbox argument.
Community guides
Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.
- projectbrutality Project Brutality official site ↗
- github Project Brutality GitHub (releases) ↗
- github Setup & Installation wiki (GZDoom load order) ↗
- moddb ModDB: Project Brutality download page ↗
- github GZDeck — controller-friendly GZDoom launcher for Steam Deck ↗
- github Freedoom Phase 2 — free legal Doom II IWAD substitute ↗
Get the artwork
deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick
the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the
game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the
Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.
Run it on your Deck
Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your
Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game
into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it
writes the recipe (binary, launch options)
and registers the shortcut with artwork.