# Spatterlight

> interactive fiction interpreter

**Wikidata**: [Q126726640](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126726640)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/spatterlight

## Summary
Spatterlight is a free software interactive fiction interpreter designed specifically for the macOS operating system. It functions as an implementation of the Z-machine and Glulx virtual machines, allowing users to play a wide variety of text-based adventure games.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Interactive fiction interpreter and free software.
- **Operating System:** Runs on macOS (Apple computers).
- **License:** GNU General Public License, version 3.0 (GPL-3.0).
- **Virtual Machine Support:** Implements Z-machine and Glulx.
- **Latest Stable Version:** 0.5.5, released on October 12, 2020.
- **Source Code:** Hosted on GitHub in the angstsmurf/spatterlight repository.
- **Legal Status:** Copyrighted software distributed under free software terms.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary purpose of Spatterlight?
A: Spatterlight is used to run and play interactive fiction games on macOS. It acts as an interpreter for game files built using the Z-machine and Glulx formats.

### Q: Is Spatterlight open-source or free to modify?
A: Yes, Spatterlight is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. This allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software and its modified versions.

### Q: Which version of Spatterlight is the most recent?
A: The latest stable version is 0.5.5, which was published on October 12, 2020. There were also several beta versions released between 2018 and 2020, ending with version 0.5.13b.

## Why It Matters
Spatterlight serves as a critical utility for the interactive fiction community, particularly for users within the Apple ecosystem. By providing a native macOS implementation for both Z-machine and Glulx, it ensures that a vast library of classic and modern text-based narratives remains accessible. As free software, it upholds the principles of software freedom, allowing the community to inspect, modify, and improve the code. Its development history shows a consistent effort to refine the interpreter, bridging the gap between legacy game formats and modern operating systems.

## Notable For
- **Multi-Format Support:** Implements both the Z-machine and Glulx virtual machines, covering a significant portion of available interactive fiction titles.
- **macOS Optimization:** Specifically built for Apple's operating system, providing a dedicated experience for Mac users.
- **GPL-3.0 Compliance:** Distributed under a license that guarantees user freedoms and ensures the software remains free for the public.
- **Active Versioning:** Maintained a steady release cycle of stable and beta versions (0.5.5b through 0.5.13b) to improve software stability.

## Body

### Technical Architecture
Spatterlight is an interactive fiction interpreter that operates as an implementation of two major virtual machine standards:
*   **Z-machine:** Originally developed by Infocom, this standard is used by many classic text adventures.
*   **Glulx:** A 32-bit portable virtual machine designed for larger and more complex interactive fiction games.

The software is written for macOS, an operating system that has been in inception since March 24, 2001.

### Software Licensing and Distribution
Spatterlight is categorized as free software. It is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0. This license permits users to:
*   Run the software for any purpose.
*   Study how the software works and change it.
*   Redistribute copies of the software.
*   Distribute versions of their modified software to others.

The source code is publicly available in a GitHub repository managed by the user "angstsmurf."

### Release History
The software has seen numerous iterations, primarily focused on stable and beta releases:
*   **Stable Version 0.5.5:** Released October 12, 2020.
*   **Beta Series (2018-2020):** A sequence of beta versions was released to test features and stability, including:
    *   0.5.5b (November 5, 2018)
    *   0.5.6b (November 6, 2018)
    *   0.5.7b (November 7, 2018)
    *   0.5.8b (November 27, 2018)
    *   0.5.9b (December 29, 2018)
    *   0.5.10b (February 8, 2019)
    *   0.5.11b (June 9, 2019)
    *   0.5.12b (April 22, 2020)
    *   0.5.13b (September 21, 2020)

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/blob/master/LICENSE)
2. [Release 0.5.5. 2020](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.5)
3. [Release 0.5.5b. 2018](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.5b)
4. [Release 0.5.6b. 2018](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.6b)
5. [Release 0.5.7b. 2018](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.7b)
6. [Release 0.5.8b. 2018](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.8b)
7. [Release 0.5.9b. 2018](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.9b)
8. [Release 0.5.10b. 2019](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v.0.5.10b)
9. [Release 0.5.11b. 2019](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.11b)
10. [Release 0.5.12b. 2020](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.12b)
11. [Release 0.5.13b. 2020](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.13b)
12. [Release 0.5.14b. 2020](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/0.5.14b)
13. [Release 0.6b. 2020](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.6b)
14. [Release 0.7.4. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.4)
15. [Release 0.7.5. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.5)
16. [Release 0.7.6. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.6)
17. [Release 0.7.7. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.7)
18. [Release 0.7.8. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.8)
19. [Release 0.7.9. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.7.9)
20. [Release 0.8.0. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.0)
21. [Release 0.8.1. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.1)
22. [Release 0.8.2. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.2)
23. [Release 0.8.3. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.3)
24. [Release 0.8.4. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.4)
25. [Release 0.8.5. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.5)
26. [Release 0.8.6. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.6)
27. [Release 0.8.7. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.7)
28. [Release 0.8.8. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.8)
29. [Release 0.8.9. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.8.9)
30. [Release 0.9.0. 2021](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.0)
31. [Release 0.9.1. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.1)
32. [Release 0.9.2. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.2)
33. [Release 0.9.4. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.4)
34. [Release 0.9.5. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.5)
35. [Release 0.9.6. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.6)
36. [Release 0.9.7. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.7)
37. [Release 0.9.8. 2022](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.8)
38. [Release 0.9.9. 2023](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.9.9)
39. [Release 1.0. 2023](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.0)
40. [Release 1.1. 2023](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.1)
41. [Release 1.2.5. 2024](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.2.5)
42. [Release 1.2.7. 2024](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.2.7)
43. [Release 1.3. 2024](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.3)
44. [Release 1.4.5. 2025](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.4.5)
45. [Release 1.4.6. 2025](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.4.6)
46. [Release 1.4.7. 2026](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.4.7)
47. [Release 1.4.8. 2026](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.4.8)
48. [Release 1.4.9. 2026](https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v1.4.9)