Hexen: Beyond Heretic

1995 Raven Software Action

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic Not rated

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 811

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today2.5/5

Design today1.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

86%

736 reviews1

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Hexen: Beyond Heretic run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Hexen: Beyond Heretic lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Hexen: Beyond Heretic running today

If the game hangs on the title screen, open hexen.conf in the game's base folder, set fulldouble to false, and save (PCGamingWiki).
In the Gibbet, kill the green chaos serpents behind the axe door one at a time, because a script bug keeps the exit walls closed if two die at once (Doom Wiki).
If the walls stay shut anyway, step outside the room, type the cheat PUKE14 to respawn the serpents, then kill only one and wait for the walls to open (Steam Discussions).

Synopsis

A dark fantasy first-person shooter from Raven Software, built on the Doom engine, in which a fighter, cleric or mage sets out to destroy the Serpent Rider Korax. Players fight through five hubs of linked levels, traveling back and forth between them to find keys, flip switches and place puzzle items that open the way forward, while juggling class-specific weapons, mana and an inventory of magic artifacts.

Developer: Raven Software
Released: 1995
Best version: Play Heretic + Hexen, the 2025 remaster that replaced this DOSBox release on Steam, because it adds modern resolutions, mouselook and controller support; this original version was delisted on August 8, 2025.
Genre: Action

Reception

When it arrived in October 1995, Hexen added three character classes, jumping and scripted level events to the Doom engine, and its hub structure was a first for a Doom engine game. Later reviews are harsher: Cubed3 gave it 5 out of 10 in 2017, calling it a long hunt for keys and levers with an enormous amount of backtracking and too little feedback when a switch changes something far away. Steam players still rate it Very Positive for its atmosphere and sense of exploration, but many warn about vague objectives, hidden switches and the clumsy default controls, and several point newcomers to the 2025 remaster, which replaced this release on Steam in August 2025, so it can no longer be bought there.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

2.5/5

?Not confirmed yetSold or given away today by an official source
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
All five hubs, the classes and MIDI music are intact and multiplayer works over LAN, but this release was delisted from Steam on August 8, 2025 and is now sold only inside the Heretic + Hexen remaster (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen and higher resolutions require a source port (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
Controller support and remapping are available through the setup program (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
?Not confirmed yetNo intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
Known game-breaking bugs in the current version
A level script bug in the Gibbet can seal the exit if two serpents die at once, leaving the game unwinnable without a cheat, and the DOSBox build can hang on the title screen until a config setting is changed (Doom Wiki, PCGamingWiki).

Design today

1.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
By default the mouse moves the character forward and back while looking up and down sits on the keyboard, and true mouselook requires an outside hack or a source port. Source: steamcommunity.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The DOSBox release renders at the original low resolution in 4:3, and widescreen, windowed modes and higher resolutions are only possible through a source port. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Progress can be saved to any of several slots from the in-game menu, and each save keeps the state of every visited level in the hub. Source: doomwiki.org, doomwiki.org.
Hard to make progress without a guide
Switches often trigger changes in a different level with only a brief message as a hint, and puzzle items come with no explanation, so players regularly search for many minutes or turn to guides. Source: cubed3.com, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
The hub design forces repeated trips back and forth between large levels to hunt down keys and levers, and backtracking is the most common complaint from critics and players alike. Source: cubed3.com, doomwiki.org, steamcommunity.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Without freelook on the mouse, aiming up and down relies on keyboard look keys and auto-aim, which feels awkward next to modern shooters. Source: steamcommunity.com, pcgamingwiki.com.