Evilution

Evilution is a fan-made total conversion for the classic first-person shooter Doom II. Originating in the Doom modding community during the 1990s, it reimagines the Doom II experience by providing a standalone campaign with new levels, redesigned enemies, and updated textures and audio. Emphasizing atmosphere and inventive level design, Evilution blends horror cues with traditional fast-paced action, while maintaining the core gameplay loop of exploration, resource management, and combat.

Development and distribution: The project was created by a collaborative team of hobbyist modders who packaged their work as a WAD compatible with the Doom engine. It was distributed through online Doom fan sites and file archives, and was later playable on modern systems through source ports such as ZDoom or PrBoom. As a total conversion, it typically required Doom II to be installed but did not rely on the original campaign for progression.

Gameplay and content: Evilution introduces new environments, textures, sprite work, and monster set pieces, along with redesigned weapons and powerups. Some maps are described as exploring darker themes and more puzzle-oriented progression, offering a distinct mood from vanilla Doom II while preserving the series’ hallmark speed and brutality.

Reception and legacy: Evilution is regarded as one of the notable Doom II total conversions of its era. It demonstrated the potential of fan-made remixes to deliver cohesive, professionally oriented campaigns and influenced later mods and community mapping projects. It remains a touchstone in discussions of early Doom modding and user-generated content.