Voodoo script

A voodoo script is a design pattern often featured in modern Doom mapping.

Doom does not naturally feature any sort of scripting language, and while advanced ports have implemented various languages, many Doom mappers have wanted to add more interactivity to their maps without being forced to tie their WAD to that particular source port. After the release of the Boom source port, mappers soon discovered that if they placed a voodoo doll on a sector with a scrolling floor, the voodoo doll could trigger linedefs on its own as it was scrolled along the floor.

Ingenious design of the scrolling floor, and removable obstacles placed in the way of the voodoo doll, could result in more complex behavior. Mappers soon also realized they could apply this trick to existing Doom-engine games that featured scrolling floors, such as Heretic, Hexen, and Strife.