Where classic FPS meets code: 90s legend reborn in C

I set out to recreate the essence of the iconic Wolfenstein 3D—the game that defined the first-person shooter genre—using nothing but C and a minimalist graphics library. The goal was to go beyond simple rendering and build a smooth, interactive 3D maze exploration experience from scratch using ray-casting principles.

This is a cloud-hosted version of my C-based 3D raycasting engine (cube3D). It runs in software mode without a GPU, so performance in the browser is limited. Source code and setup instructions are available for local compilation.

I developed cub3D entirely in C, using MiniLibX for rendering and event handling. Core features include:

• Custom ray-casting engine for 3D projection

• Texture mapping for walls and sprites

• Keyboard-based movement and view rotation

• Dynamic map parsing with validation

• Optional BMP image export of the first rendered frame

• Clean memory management with zero leaks

With this project, I deepened my understanding of low-level graphics, event-driven programming, and mathematical modeling—all while building a tribute to one of gaming’s most influential titles.