If you decide to buy a classic title on platforms like GOG, its installer already includes all the dependencies to run it correctly on modern Windows versions. However, I know there are many players with copies of old graphic adventures developed by companies like LucasArts or Sierra, which need a little help to work. That help comes through ScummVM, probably the best environment of its kind, with a compatibility list exceeding 300 games.
One of the first things any retro hardware enthusiast should do is install some graphic adventures and play them the old-fashioned way, in MS-DOS and with a CRT monitor to get an overdose of pixelated glory... but I also understand those who want a more direct route. Locating drivers, finding the exact IRQ configuration, fighting for every byte with resident programs, reviving the quirks of DOS sound... it's not for everyone.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. If the game requires 'accurate' MS-DOS emulation, DOSBox-X is more than enough (though DOSBox Staging has its followers). Then there are custom ports that use the original files (Chocolate Doom is a good example), and finally we encounter ScummVM, an advanced environment specialized in graphic adventures. The last time we talked about ScummVM was in 2017, and its compatibility has exploded since then.
How to Play Classic Graphic Adventures on Windows with ScummVM
In general, it is enough to create a folder, place the game files there, and then use the Add Game command so ScummVM can access them. From a technical point of view, ScummVM is not an emulator, but a tool that replaces the original executable and significantly expands its functions. This includes alternative graphics modes, scaling, saving and loading games at specific moments, key remapping, and independent audio controls. The only true emulation option is the reproduction of Roland MT-32, but that requires additional files and a visit to the documentation for its correct configuration.
Originally designed to run LucasArts/Lucasfilm games, ScummVM also works with the most important Sierra Online titles, two Delphine Software classics like Cruise for a Corpse and Future Wars, early Revolution Software games (Lure of the Temptress, Beneath a Steel Sky, Broken Sword), the Kyrandia trilogy from Westwood Studios, and advanced projects like Myst, Riven, and The Journeyman Project (Pegasus Prime and Buried in Time). At the time of writing, ScummVM supports more than 300 games, enough to return to the best of graphic adventures.
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