Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter (FPS) developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software. Originally released on May 5, 1992 for DOS, the game was inspired by the 1980s Muse Software video games Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein. In Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of a WWII American soldier of Polish descent, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, attempting to escape from the Nazi German stronghold of Castle Wolfenstein. After the initial escape episode, the player carries on fighting against the Nazis.

Wolfenstein 3D was released as shareware, which allowed it to be copied widely. The shareware release contains one episode, consisting of ten missions (levels). The commercial release consists of three episodes, which includes the shareware episode and its two subsequent episodes. Later releases included a three episode mission pack called "The Nocturnal Missions". Like the shareware episode, each commercial episode contains ten levels, bringing the game to a total of 60 missions. The game was originally released on the PC and later ported to a wide range of computer systems and consoles. The source code of the game was published by id Software on July 21, 1995, while the artwork data, music and software tools of the game remain under copyright.

The game is widely regarded by critics and game journalists as having helped popularize the genre on the PC, and having established the basic run-and-gun archetype for subsequent FPS games.