ScummVM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion Virtual Machine, named after LucasArts' SCUMM Game Engine) is a freeware and open source program—not an emulator!note —that allows users to run classic Adventure Games and Western RPGs in modern systems. It was originally started by Ludvig Strigeus and Vincent Hamm, with the first ever version releasing in 2001 for Windows and Linux.
In 2009, thanks to the project's stability, version 1.0.0 was officially released, which included a change in logo. In 2017, ScummVM 2.0 was released, marking the first release that supported Full Motion Video-based games.
A sister project, ResidualVM, was launched in 2003. As ScummVM only supported simpler 2D games at the time, ResidualVM was meant to support more-demanding 3D games. However, its development stalled due to a lack of developers, reaching only version 0.3.1 and only supporting four games. Over time, systems became more powerful and the need for two different apps was reduced, so in 2020-2021 ResidualVM was merged into ScummVM so that developers could pool their resources, advancing the latter program to version 2.5.0 (due to its suport of 2.5D games).
Due to its open source status, over 850 people contributed to the project, with a number of game companies and developers donating their source code. In turn, many supported games have been re-released on GOG.com and Steam using ScummVM.
ScummVM can be downloaded from its official website. It's currently supported for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, AmigaOS, Android, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and Sega Dreamcast.
Excerpted games supported by ScummVM:
- 3 Skulls of the Toltecs
- The 7th Guest
- The 11th Hour
- Adiboo
- Alice: An Interactive Museum
- Amazon: Guardians of Eden
- Ape Odyssey No. 2001
- Backyard Sports series
- Bargon Attack
- Beavis and Butt-Head in Virtual Stupidity
- Beneath a Steel Sky
- Big Thinkers! series
- The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble
- The Black Cauldron
- Blade Runner (1997)
- Blazing Dragons
- Blue Force
- Blue's Clues series
- Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
- Bud Tucker in Double Trouble
- Buzzy the Knowledge Bug series
- Chewy: Esc from F5
- Chivalry Is Not Dead
- Clandestiny
- Classical Cats
- Codename: ICEMAN
- Conquests of Camelot
- Conquests of the Longbow
- Cruise for a Corpse
- Crusader: No Remorse
- The Cute Machine
- Darby the Dragon
- The Dark Eye
- The Dig
- Discworld
- Disney's Hades Challenge
- Dragon History
- Dráscula: The Vampire Strikes Back
- Dream Web
- Driller
- Dark Side
- Duckman: The Graphic Adventures of a Private Dick
- EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus
- EcoQuest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest
- Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
- Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus
- Waxworks (1992)
- Escape from Hell
- Eye of the Beholder
- Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
- Fascination
- Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise
- The Feeble Files
- Flight of the Amazon Queen
- Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds
- Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
- Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell
- Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch
- Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove
- Full Pipe
- Full Throttle
- Future Wars
- Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
- The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery
- Gadget: Past as Future
- Geisha
- Gobliiins series
- Gold Rush!
- Gregory and the Hot Air Balloon
- The Griffon Legend
- Grim Fandango
- Halls of the Dead: Faery Tale Adventure II
- Hi-Res Adventure series
- Mystery House
- The Wizard and the Princess
- Mission Asteroid
- Cranston Manor
- Ulysses and the Golden Fleece
- Time Zone
- The Dark Crystal
- Hopkins FBI
- Hoyle's Official Book of Games series
- Hugo's House of Horrors
- Hugo II: Whodunit?
- Hugo III: Jungle of Doom
- Hyperspace Delivery Boy!
- I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Inherit the Earth
- The Island of Dr. Brain
- Castle of Dr. Brain
- Jones in the Fast Lane
- The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime
- The Journeyman Project 2: Buried in Time
- King's Quest I: Quest For The Crown
- The Labyrinth of Time
- Lands of Lore
- Laura Bow series
- Leather Goddesses of Phobos 2
- The Legend of Kyrandia series
- Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards
- Lighthouse: The Dark Being
- Little Big Adventure
- Living Books
- The Longest Journey
- Loom
- The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes series
- Lost in Time
- Lure of the Temptress
- L-Zone
- Magic Tales series
- The Manhole
- Manhunter series
- Maniac Mansion
- Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum
- Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen
- Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen
- Mission Supernova
- Mixed-Up Mother Goose
- Mixed-Up Fairy Tales
- Mortville Manor
- Muppet Treasure Island
- Myst
- Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill
- Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger
- Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion
- Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower
- Nancy Drew: The Final Scene
- The Neverhood
- Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy
- Nippon Safes Inc.
- Obsidian
- Once Upon a Time: Little Red Riding Hood
- Oo-Topos
- Operation Stealth
- Pajama Sam in No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside
- Pepper's Adventures in Time
- Personal Nightmare
- Phantasmagoria
- The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril
- The Pink Panther: Hokus Pokus Pink
- Playtoons: Bambou Le Sauveur de la Jungle
- Plumbers Don't Wear Ties
- Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
- The Prince and the Coward
- Private Eye
- Putt-Putt Joins the Parade
- Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon
- Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo
- Putt-Putt Travels Through Time
- Putt-Putt Enters the Race
- Putt-Putt Joins the Circus
- Quest for Glory I
- Rama
- Reah: Face the Unknown
- Red Comrades Save the Galaxy
- Red Comrades 2: For the Great Justice
- Return to Zork
- Rex Nebular And The Cosmic Gender Bender
- Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch
- Return to Ringworld
- Rodney's Funscreen
- Sam & Max Hit the Road
- Sanitarium
- Schizm: Mysterious Journey
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Sfinx
- Shivers (1995)
- Simon the Sorcerer
- Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe
- Slater and Charlie Go Camping
- Soldier Boyz
- Sołtys
- Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter
- Spaceship Warlock
- Spider Man The Sinister Six
- SPY Fox in Dry Cereal
- SPY Fox 2: Some Assembly Required
- SPY Fox: Operation Ozone
- Starship Titanic
- Syberia
- Syberia II
- Teenagent
- Tender Loving Care
- Thayer's Quest
- Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths
- Toonstruck
- Torin's Passage
- Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer
- Transylvania
- The Crimson Crown
- Troll's Tale
- U.F.O.s
- Ultima IV
- Urban Runner
- The Vampire Diaries
- Versailles 1685
- Voyeur
- Ween: The Prophecy
- Wetlands
- Wrath of the Gods
- Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders