Origin Story
In 2001, a Swedish programmer named Ludvig Strigeus (also known as ludde) began reverse-engineering the SCUMM engine. His goal was simple: run LucasArts SCUMM games on modern computers without DOSBox or other compatibility layers. The project was called ScummVM -- SCUMM Virtual Machine.
Strigeus released the first version in October 2001. It ran The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge on modern Windows systems. The adventure game community recognised immediately what this meant: the classics would never be lost.
Growth: From SCUMM to 400+ Games
What began as a SCUMM-only project rapidly expanded. Other adventure game engines were reverse-engineered and added to ScummVM: the AGI and SCI engines used by Sierra On-Line, the Adventure Game Interpreter (AGI) from King's Quest, the Humongous Entertainment engine, and dozens more.
By 2020, ScummVM supported over 400 games from dozens of different engines and hundreds of different developers. The project had grown from a single developer's weekend project to a team of hundreds of contributors maintaining an extraordinary preservation archive.
ResidualVM Merger (2020)
ResidualVM was a separate project focused on the GrimE engine -- the engine used by Grim Fandango and Escape from Monkey Island. In 2020, the ResidualVM team merged with ScummVM, bringing GrimE support into the main ScummVM codebase.
This merger meant that ScummVM now covers the entire LucasArts adventure catalogue: all SCUMM games from Maniac Mansion (1987) through the SCUMM v8 games, plus Grim Fandango and Escape from Monkey Island via GrimE.
LucasArts Compatibility Table
| Title | Year | Engine | ScummVM Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maniac Mansion | 1987 | SCUMM v1 | Yes |
| Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders | 1988 | SCUMM v2 | Yes |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | SCUMM v3 | Yes |
| LOOM | 1990 | SCUMM v3 | Yes |
| The Secret of Monkey Island | 1990 | SCUMM v4 | Yes |
| Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge | 1991 | SCUMM v5 | Yes |
| Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis | 1992 | SCUMM v5 | Yes |
| Day of the Tentacle | 1993 | SCUMM v6 | Yes |
| Sam and Max Hit the Road | 1993 | SCUMM v6 | Yes |
| Full Throttle | 1995 | SCUMM v7 | Yes |
| The Dig | 1995 | SCUMM v7 | Yes |
| The Curse of Monkey Island | 1997 | SCUMM v8 | Yes |
| Grim Fandango | 1998 | GrimE | Yes (since 2020) |
| Escape from Monkey Island | 2000 | GrimE | Yes (since 2020) |
| Star Wars: X-Wing | 1993 | Proprietary | No |
| Star Wars: TIE Fighter | 1994 | Proprietary | No |
| Star Wars: Dark Forces | 1994 | Jedi Engine | No |
| Star Wars Jedi Knight | 1997 | Jedi Engine 2 | No |
Setup Guide
- Download ScummVM from scummvm.org for your operating system. Packages exist for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and many other platforms.
- Obtain your game files. Purchase the game from GOG.com or Steam, or use your original disc files. Copy the game files to a dedicated folder on your hard drive.
- Add the game in ScummVM. Launch ScummVM, click "Add Game" (or "Mass Add" to scan a folder for multiple games), and navigate to your game folder. ScummVM will automatically detect the game.
- Configure and play. Select the game in the ScummVM list and click "Start". Optionally, adjust graphics settings via "Edit Game" -- try different filters, aspect ratio correction, and display modes.