How to *actually* run source ports through Steam (2024)

The best way to run any source port through Steam with the Overlay enabled, screenshots and all. No, don't delete dosbox.exe.

INTRO

[This is adapted from my DOOM (1993) Guide with the same name]

The DOOM II Unity port available here on Steam is legit pretty great nowadays - not a bad way at all to experience the game for the first time.

...That being said, the endless community-made source ports such as Crispy Doom, prboom+ and GZDoom have their own distinct flavors which might be to your preference, and are still the way to go when it comes to advanced customization and limit-removing mods.

Thing is, there is no way to run these other source ports through Steam by default. The simple alternative would be to add the ports as a "Non-Steam game", but this is not very practical due to how loading WADs and PK3 files works. Moreover, you wouldn't be able to track hours played or share screenshots.

There seems to be a little confusion online about how to circumvent this limitation, since I've stumbled into some suggestions telling you to delete "dosbox.exe" and replace it with your source port of preference, among some other silly stuff.

So, I'm creating this guide as a PSA: you can run any source port pretty easy through Steam with a little tinkering. Here's two ways to do it.

Updated December 2023: Oh wow you guys really enjoyed this. Thanks! I've updated the guide to reflect the latest DOOM II Steam updates, include additional information and tiddy up the presentation.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

ZDL3

ZDoom Launcher 3 is a nifty lil' application that lets you manage any executables and WADs.

As the name suggests, it was originally developed for the ZDoom family of source ports, but it will work just fine with most others (including the official Unity port).

You can use other launchers if you like - Doom Launcher[www.doomworld.com] is arguably even better, while AceCorp Launcher[www.doomworld.com] is a modern ZDL remake.

We're going with ZDL3 for the purposes of this guide, since it is the most straightforward one. You can download it here[github.com].

Just a heads up though: if you are really new to this, some of the terminology below may get lost on you. If you want to understand how exactly to configure ZDL to suit your needs, read this[forum.zdoom.org].

From now on, I will presume that you have a passing understanding on how ZDL works. If you don't, just refer to the forum I linked you above.

SteamEdit

SteamEdit is an easy solution for... well, editing Steam files. This can be useful for a variety of reasons, but the relevant one right now is this: it lets you remap the .exes in any Steam game.

Downloading SteamEdit is only required for Method 2, but goes highly recommended. You can find it here[steamedit.tg-software.com].

Once again, the thing is simple enough to use and I'm gonna assume you can figure it out no problem for the purposes of this guide. If you have any trouble, please refer to the "How to Use" section in the website I just linked you above.

METHOD 1: THE LAZY WAY™

1.1. Please note that...

This method, although held up by ducktape, is fine. It is easier than Method 2, but beware:

• Steam Overlay won't work reliably. It will work just fine with GZDoom, but may not work with most vanilla-accurate sourceports, such as Crispy Doom or Woof!.
  
  
• Further, you may have to delete the "DOOM II.exe" from the "External File" section in ZDL every time you start the game.

If you're okay with that, here's how you do it. If you're not, just skip to Method 2.

1.2. The steps

1. Run DOOM II from a clean install.
   
   
2. Place the ZDL folder inside your DOOM II Steam folder. By default, this can be found on "D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Doom 2".
   
   
3. Right click DOOM II on Steam and select its properties, like so:
   
   
   
   
4. Go into the "General" tab - it should be the first one.
   
   
5. Look for the "Launch Options" section at the end and include the line below.
   
   

   "D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Doom 2\ZDL_3-1.1_Win_x86\ZDL" %Command%

   
   This a generic Steam command which essentially tells it to ignore the default game executable and instead refer to the one which you indicate.
   
   Note that the section between " " should be the complete path to your ZDL executable. The example above is just how it looks on my end.
   
   If you're unsure of what your file path is, you can check it by simply right clicking ZDL in Windows and selecting "Properties". Check it out:
   
   
   
   By the end, your "General" tab should be looking something like this:
   
   
   
   
6. That's it! Just launch DOOM II through Steam, select "Play DOOM II" and the Unity port will instead be replaced by your handy ZDL application.
   
   From there, just pick whatever version of DOOM II you want to play - including the Unity port itself, which should work just fine if you add its exe. in ZDL's "Settings" section. Easy-peasy:
   
   

METHOD 2: WHAT I RECOMMEND

2.1. Please note that...

The method below should work perfectly, since we're gonna mess with the exes. One caveat tho:

• Like anything reliant on SteamEdit, it will be affected by updates to the game. In that case, you will just need to redo steps 3 and 5 below. It's really no big deal - whole thing should take you less than 2 minutes. If that's a no-no for you, just use Method 1.
  
  
• You can alliviate this somewhat by not deleting the standard launch options that come pre-packed with the game. Doing so may lead Steam to think something's up and reset your SteamEdit configuration - see step 5 below.

2.2. The steps

1. Just like Method 1: run DOOM II from a clean install.
   
   
2. Place the ZDL install folder inside your DOOM II install folder.
   
   
3. Run SteamEdit. Look for "DOOM II" and enable the "Tool" and "Config" icons (the gear one and the notepad one next to it, which sould now be green):
   
   
   
   
4. Click the "Edit Launch" icon. See those options? Those are the ones that are displayed on that lil' window every time you run the game through Steam.
   
   
5. Click the "Add New" button and name it something like "Launch ZDL". You can also delete the standard launch options if you prefer, but I'd avoid doing so for reasons already explained above (see item 2.1). On the executable link, type the following:
   
   

   ZDL_3-1.1_Win_x86/ZDL.exe

   
   It should look like this by the end:
   
   
   
   
6. Click "Ok" and the "Save & Refresh" button (see picture in Step 3). Steam will now restart.
   
   
7. Run DOOM II as usual. If you've done everything correctly, the launch window should now show the "Launch ZDL" option. Click it everytime you want to run a source port.
   
   You can also make it the default option by clicking "Always use this option" - this can later be reverted in the Steam "Properties" tab.
   
   
   
   
8. Congrats, ya did it! You will now be able to run the source port of your liking through Steam, screenshots and all. Go crazy.

FINAL REMARKS

Hope this has been useful to you!

If you have any trouble, feel free to comment below - just read the guide carefully to make sure you're not missing some silly detail.

Get on Doomin', rippity rippity etcetera.

[Mike Stu]

there's no chance in hell this will ban your account

[Dissection]

Will this ban my account?

[Mike Stu]

Oh weird - the ".exe" didn't use to be necessary in Method #1 as far as I remember. Glad it worked in the end though

[Tempest]

Thanks! I tried this for Doom and used method #1. It only worked if I added, ".exe" to the path for my frontend, Doom Launcher.

[Dankinho]

Thanks.

[Mike Stu]

Glad it helped you!

[sapsii]

Really helpful guide, everything worked perfectly!

[Mike Stu]

I linked it in the guide itself, but you can also get it in its GitHub repository [github.com].

[Neorz Tormeno* ♿︎☢]

Where can I officially install ZDL?

[Mike Stu]

Sure, try this: 1. Backup your GZDoom install (just to be safe); 2. On Steam, right click Doom, go to Properties > Installed Files and Select Verify Integrity of Game Files; 3. Let Steam conclude the verification process. After this, a popup should appear stating that some files failed to validate and will be reacquired. Presto, that should restore dosbox in all its glory. If that fails, you can always uninstall Doom, delete its folder on your PC and reinstall it.