Welcome to PC Gamer’s Disk Cleanup, our regular weekend feature that delves into the fascinating world of PC gaming luminaries. In this exclusive interview, we sat down with David Szymanski, the creator of the critically acclaimed first-person shooter, Dusk, and one of the chief architects of the retro FPS revival.

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Formative Years and the Birth of a Gaming Enthusiast

David Szymanski grew up playing games on his family’s PC, surrounded by a treasure trove of classic titles. Among his favorites was Lemmings, a puzzle-platformer that showcased the power of simplicity and creativity. Another family favorite was Oil’s Well, a fun and quirky game that tested players’ reflexes and spatial awareness. However, it was a different game that truly left an indelible mark on Szymanski’s gaming psyche: Myst.

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Released in 1993, Myst was a groundbreaking first-person puzzle-adventure game that transported players to a mystical world of wonder and discovery. Szymanski remembers being captivated by the game’s immersive atmosphere and the sense of exploration that came with entering a new world. ‘The most foundational one I can remember is playing Myst for the first time,’ Szymanski reflects. ‘That was the first game I remember really getting super into—being able to enter another world and explore it in first-person.’

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From Short Horror Games to the Revival of Classic Shooters

After honing his skills as a designer of short horror games, Szymanski’s big break came in 2018 with the release of Dusk, a loving homage to classic ’90s shooters like Doom and Quake. The game’s success was a testament to Szymanski’s dedication to preserving the spirit of retro gaming while injecting it with modern sensibilities. Following Dusk’s critical acclaim, Szymanski returned to developing shorter games, including the hit submarine horror game, Iron Lung, which was adapted into a movie by YouTuber Markiplier earlier this year.

Currently, Szymanski is working on a new project that is vastly different from his previous endeavors. Dubbed B.U.G.B.I.T.E, this isometric game is still in its early stages and has yet to be formally announced. ‘The only consistency I have is that I keep changing what I’m doing,’ Szymanski admits. ‘I haven’t figured out a good, succinct way to pitch it to people because it’s not a very complicated game, but it also kind of is at the same time.’

The Golden Era of First-Person Shooters

When asked about his current gaming habits, Szymanski reveals that he is currently playing an old FPS called Instinct from 2007. This game, part of the Ultimate Slavjank Collection Bundle on Steam, is a simple, barebones FPS that shares a similar engine with the game, You Are Empty. Szymanski praises the game’s unique feel, citing the way the weapons recoil, the way enemies ragdoll, and the overall sense of linearity that defines the gameplay experience.

‘The mid-2000s was the golden era of first-person shooters,’ Szymanski asserts. ‘It was after all games were Doom clones, but it was before all games were Call of Duty 4 clones.’ This era saw the release of a plethora of innovative titles that pushed the boundaries of the FPS genre, from Serious Sam to Painkiller, and from Halo to Half-Life 2. Szymanski fondly remembers this period as the ‘silver age’ of FPSs, with the late ’90s and early ‘2000s representing the ‘golden age.’

‘And then we enter the brown age,’ Szymanski quips, referring to the post-2005 era of FPS gaming, which saw the rise of more mainstream and Call of Duty-inspired titles. Despite this shift, Szymanski remains optimistic about the future of the FPS genre, citing the resurgence of classic shooters and the innovative approaches that new developers are bringing to the table.

A Glimpse into the Steam Library of David Szymanski

We delved into the Steam library of David Szymanski, a treasure trove of games that reflect his eclectic tastes and gaming preferences. Among the many titles that caught our attention was the survival game, The Forest, which Szymanski had never played when it first came out. However, after discovering it on Steam, he became hooked and spent 20 hours exploring the game’s world.

‘I loved Subnautica and I love The Forest,’ Szymanski says, highlighting the importance of having clear goals in survival games. ‘However, I haven’t finished either of them, not because either of them are bad, but because I have—how many hours do I have in the Forest? 20 exactly. That’s about my cutoff point attention-wise.’

The Oldest Game Installed on David Szymanski’s PC

When asked about the oldest game installed on his PC, Szymanski reveals that it is none other than the iconic Doom. Technically, what’s installed is the most recent port, but it’s still Doom. Szymanski considers Doom to be nearly, objectively, the best FPS ever made, citing its historical importance and the relevance it still holds today.

‘You can still go back and play Doom and almost everyone is going to have a good time,’ Szymanski emphasizes. ‘Even if you compare it to Wolfenstein 3D, which is fun in its own way, it has not aged as well as Doom has.’

Szymanski also praises the game’s ability to be reimagined in various ways, from horror to action, without ever losing its core identity. ‘It’s a little bit similar to why I think Resident Evil is such an enduring franchise,’ Szymanski says. ‘Where it’s goofy, it’s horror, but it’s also action, and it’s all of these different things, and as a result you can’t really ruin it.’

Szymanski’s love for Doom is evident in his extensive playtime, which includes 324 hours in Counter-Strike 2, 186 hours in Elden Ring, and an impressive 20 hours in the game, Pragmata. He also mentions that he has a looping playthrough going on in the game, Infra, which he finds incredibly comforting.

‘It’s a 30-hour game in a genre of two-hour games,’ Szymanski reflects. ‘It’s so incredibly long. I remember my first time playing it, and I just got sucked in.’

When asked about the highest number of hours he has in any given game on Steam, Szymanski reveals that it is Counter-Strike 2, with a whopping 324 hours. However, he also mentions that Elden Ring holds a special place in his heart, with 186 hours spent exploring the game’s world.

‘It’s sort of this massive buffet of new things I had an experience with that I was resonating with,’ Szymanski says, highlighting the game’s ability to cater to a wide range of player preferences.

Finally, when asked about the game he will never uninstall, Szymanski reveals that it is Doom, a testament to his enduring love for the classic FPS title.