Best Doom mods

The topic of determining and curating the best modifications for Doom is a frequent subject of deep, long-running conversations in the community and has culminated in many one-time, annual, and more frequent events with the goal of discerning the quality of WADs and other projects past and present.

One-time events

The Doomworld website has played host to several one-time events, usually as a part of its celebrations of Doom's release anniversary:

• Top 100 WADs of All Time was an ambitious project undertaken in 2003 to put together a list of the authors' opinions of the 100 best modifications up to that time since the beginning of editing in 1994. Though primarily based on the opinions of authors Andrew Stine (Linguica) and Mike Watson (Cyb), the list is well-respected.
• Top 10 Infamous WADs was another list by Linguica and Cyb created in 2003 of WADs which are notable, not necessarily for being good in some cases, but for having a lasting and far-reaching reputation or legendary status.
• Top 100 Most Memorable Maps was an article suite published in 2018 at Doom's 25th anniversary, listing maps considered to be the most memorable individual levels released so far.
• Top 25 Missed Cacowards was another feature published at Doom's 25th anniversary, spotlighting mods that, in hindsight, should have received an award the year they were published, but did not.

Annual events

• The Cacowards are an annual event featured at Doomworld, targeting the anniversary of Doom's release, which aims to single out the best modifications released in the year prior and give them an award. Exceptionally bad, funny, or unique mods are sometimes given special irregular awards, and runners up are also mentioned. Modifications considered are subjected to a year-long nomination process through the forums, the thread for which is usually started immediately after the new year passes.

Ongoing repeating events

• The DWmegawad Club is an impromptu discussion group formed on the Doomworld Forums which chooses one notable modification per month. Those taking part in the discussion are encouraged to play through and review in-depth the mod which is the current focus.
• The /newstuff Chronicles is an official Doomworld front page feature consisting of a review of the newest material to reach the idgames archive. Originally hosted by designated staff members, it was eventually refactored into a community-based process with volunteer reviewers taking part on an ad hoc basis. It has become more or less frequent several times over its history, occasionally going on a long hiatus.

Websites

• Doomed: Doom WAD Reviews is an active independent blog authored by community member kmxexii which reviews WADs, be they good, bad, or notorious.

Historical

All-Time Best Doom Levels

The All-Time Best Doom Levels website, which was created by Myles Williams and maintained between 1994 and 1997, created listings of modifications for Doom and Doom II via a nomination and voting system, requiring a three-fourths majority of "yes" votes from participants on the site in order to induct a level or mod into its list. Though no longer active, it is still hosted on gamers.org at https://www.gamers.org/~williams/

See also

• List of notable WADs, an article which aims to create an all-time compilation of well-known or respected mods.
• April Agitation, a Doomworld forums event to select the best stock map from Ultimate Doom and Doom II.