CSS Doom and Modern QA Challenges: Learning Visual Regression and DOM-less Testing from Extreme Experiments

[Lomanu4]

Пожалуйста Авторизируйтесь или Зарегистрируйтесь для просмотра скрытого текста.

Imagine the classic game DOOM running in the browser, not with JavaScript, WebGL, or Canvas, but with just a single "div" and CSS. It sounds impossible, but that's exactly what

Пожалуйста Авторизируйтесь или Зарегистрируйтесь для просмотра скрытого текста.

managed to create in his article "

Пожалуйста Авторизируйтесь или Зарегистрируйтесь для просмотра скрытого текста.

"

As a QA Engineer, I see this experimental project not only as frontend art, but also as an experimental ground to test modern testing capabilities, especially in the era of an increasingly visual, dynamic, and unconventional web

? What is CSS Doom?


Simply put, it's an implementation of DOOM (yes, that 1993 FPS game) using:

• A single HTML element
• Thousands of lines of CSS to create the 3D visual effects
• No JavaScript or Canvas
  

  An extreme experiment, which actually presents new challenges for QA

  ? QA Engineer Perspective: What Can We Test?
  
  
  Visual Regression Testing
  
  In projects where all logic is wrapped in visual styles, Visual Regression becomes the main focus:
  
  1. Tools like Percy, BackstopJS, or Playwright can compare rendering between versions
  2. Experiment: run snapshots in different resolutions, browsers, or even OSes to see rendering "glitches"
  
  Performance Testing: CSS Rendering Stress
  This game pushes the browser's capabilities hard to:
  
  1. Render multiple CSS layers
  2. Handle parallax, gradient, and transform effects
  
  ?️ Use:
  
  1. Chrome DevTools (FPS meter, Performance tab)
  2. Lighthouse: especially the Layout Shift & Main Thread Work sections
  
  Automation Testing in an "Empty" DOM
  Since only 1
  
  is used:
  1. No regular DOM structure
  2. Can't use data-testid, role, or conventional selectors
  
  ? "This could be a case study: "How do automation tools like Cypress or Playwright adapt when the DOM is so minimal?"
  
  Accessibility Testing (A11y)
  HTML without semantic structure = a nightmare for screen reader users
  Tools that can be used:
  
  1. Axe DevTools
  2. Lighthouse Accessibility Audit
  3. NVDA / VoiceOver
  
  ? From here, we can discuss the importance of HTML semantics for accessibility QA, even in experimental projects
  
  AI-Based Visual Comparison
  As a modern QA, we can try:
  
  1. Use AI models like Applitools Eyes or OpenCV to compare "rendered" frames between versions
  2. Analysis: Can the AI visually distinguish different levels or maps?
  
  ? Educational & Experimental Opportunities
  I see this as an opportunity for founders to host bootcamps in groups or privately:
  
  1. ? Create a mini-workshop: "Visual Regression 101 via CSS Doom" and, add Comparative study: Rendering vs Performance - CSS-only vs Canvas vs WebGL
  Conclusion
  
  
  CSS Doom is not just about CSS genius, but also about:
  How QA can continue to evolve following extreme frontend experiments
  As QA Engineers, we can learn a lot:
  
  1. The importance of visual regression in the era of dynamic UI
  2. The limitations of automation when DOM is unconventional
  3. The importance of accessibility even in experiments
  4. The opportunity to use AI to detect visual differences
  Closing
  
  
  Frontend experiments like this will continue to emerge. The challenge is: can our QA approach be adaptive, creative, and even exploratory?
  
  
  
  If you're a QA who wants to explore beyond just clicking and verifying, a project like CSS Doom can be a fun, yet challenging, starting point
  
  
  

Пожалуйста Авторизируйтесь или Зарегистрируйтесь для просмотра скрытого текста.