The game files & legality

The short version: GrogVM is an engine, not the game. It ships no game data, distributes no LucasArts assets, and only ever runs from files you supply from a lawful copy. You are responsible for complying with the terms that apply to your copy. This page is project policy, not legal advice.

GrogVM is an engine, not the game

GrogVM is an independent reimplementation of the SCUMM v5 engine — the program that ran the game. It contains none of the original artwork, music, dialogue, scripts, or any other game content, and none is bundled with it or distributed alongside it. Like ScummVM, it replaces the original executable: you point it at a folder holding compatible game data you are allowed to use, and it reads those files on your own machine. Nothing is uploaded — your copy stays in your browser (see Privacy).

Where to get The Secret of Monkey Island

GrogVM currently plays the classic VGA CD version of The Secret of Monkey Island. If you bought the game back when it was first released — on floppy disk or CD-ROM — and still have the data files and the right to use them on your machine, point GrogVM at them and play. (GrogVM currently targets the VGA CD release, so that's the variant known to work.)

If you don't have an original, that same classic version is included inside The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which is still sold today:

The Special Edition lets you switch to the original classic mode (press F10), and some installs include compatible classic data files. Digital storefront purchases are licenses and may carry restrictions on copying, extracting, or using game data outside the official product; check the terms that apply to your copy. GrogVM does not bypass DRM or provide tools for obtaining game assets.

GrogVM does not recommend or endorse any individual supplier, and earns nothing from any purchase; the links above are for reference only. For out-of-print editions, auction and second-hand sites exist, but beware of faulty discs and of illegal copies sold as the real thing.

No piracy, no "abandonware"

GrogVM has a strict no-piracy policy. It is for playing games you are allowed to use, and nothing here is intended to help anyone obtain a game illegally. There is no support for, and no endorsement of, pirated, warez, or otherwise unauthorised copies.

"Abandonware" is not a legal category. A game being out of print, or its publisher having moved on, does not make copying it lawful — no more than an out-of-print book becomes free to reproduce. The copyright in The Secret of Monkey Island is alive and held by its owner; please obtain the game the right way.

An independent implementation

GrogVM was written from scratch. The SCUMM file formats and bytecode are not officially documented; GrogVM's understanding of them was rebuilt from publicly available reverse-engineering resources and verified against real game data. It is not a port of, and not derived from, ScummVM or any LucasArts code — it is a separate engine built alongside ScummVM, released under a compatible copyleft license in the same spirit. Where the project's format documentation draws on external sources, it credits them inline.

Trademarks

Monkey Island, The Secret of Monkey Island, SCUMM, and LucasArts are trademarks of their respective owners. GrogVM is an unofficial, non-commercial fan project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Disney, LucasArts, or any rights holder. These names are used only to describe what the software is compatible with.

License

GrogVM is free software, licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later). It is provided as-is, with no warranty, to the fullest extent the law allows. This is a personal hobby project: bug reports and useful notes are welcome, but there is no guaranteed support for individual installs, game copies, browsers, or operating systems.

Rights holders

GrogVM hosts and distributes no game assets, and this project is a personal labour of love with no intent to compete with anyone. If you represent a rights holder and have a concern, please get in touch at rocco.zanni@gmail.com — messages are read and answered promptly.