# Install instead with Homebrew, apt, Nix Interpreter of simple text adventures. Version 3.5.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-18. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:instead ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install instead ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install instead ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: instead from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#instead ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/in/instead/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:instead - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.5.2 - **Source summary:** Interpreter of simple text adventures - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-18T02:28:58-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - instead (cli) - sdl-instead (cli) - instead (alias) - sdl-instead (alias) ## Dependencies - at-spi2-core - cairo - gdk-pixbuf - gettext - glib - gtk+3 - harfbuzz - luajit - pango - sdl2-compat - sdl2_image - sdl2_mixer - sdl2_ttf ## Build dependencies - cmake - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.5.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-18 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/instead-hub/instead - Upstream latest detected: 3.5.2 (current) ## Project history and usage INSTEAD is a small interactive-fiction and textographic-game engine whose package-manager identity is unusually literal: the installed command runs an interpreter for games written around the STEAD/INSTEAD Lua-based runtime. Its official pages describe it as an interpreter for simple text adventures and as a system for games that mix interactive fiction, visual novels, and classic point-and-click adventure conventions. ### Project history The public GitHub repository was created in 2014, but its tags preserve older 1.x work, including a 1.5.0 tag pointing to an August 2011 commit. The project later moved through a 2.x line and reached the 3.x line by 2017, with INSTEAD3 becoming the visible branding on the project site. The project kept a conventional open-source layout, with bundled documentation in the repository and release artifacts published through GitHub. The project site presents INSTEAD as an open-source MIT-licensed engine that runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android, the web, and other systems. That broad target list shaped the engine's culture: it is both a desktop interpreter and a portable runtime for a catalog of small authored games. ### Adoption history INSTEAD reached package-manager users through Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and Nix packaging, while the official site also links to platform-specific channels such as GitHub release builds, Ubuntu/openSUSE repositories, and an Android build on F-Droid. That distribution pattern is typical for niche game engines: package-manager availability matters less for mass adoption than for making old and community-authored games reproducible on Unix-like systems. ### How it is used The README documents a simple interpreter workflow: install the program, place game archives under the user's INSTEAD games directory or pass a zip-packed game to the `instead` command, and use the bundled documentation when authoring games. The official site emphasizes UTF-8 text editing, Lua inside the engine, and the doc directory as the main authoring surface. ### Why package nerds care For package maintainers, INSTEAD is a good example of a non-mainstream game-engine package whose value is preservation and runtime availability rather than developer trendiness. It packages a playable interpreter, SDL-facing binaries, game documentation, and cross-platform release artifacts for a community that has much of its history outside the Anglophone interactive-fiction mainstream. ### Timeline - 2011: The preserved 1.5.0 tag points to an August 2011 commit in the public source history. - 2014: The GitHub repository was created and older 1.x/2.x work was represented in tags. - 2017: The 3.0.0 tag marks the visible transition into the INSTEAD3 line. - 2024: INSTEAD 3.5.2 was published on the official site and GitHub releases. ### Related projects - INSTEAD sits near interactive-fiction systems, visual-novel engines, and lightweight 2D adventure runtimes, but its Lua-based textographic model and interpreter/package split give it a distinct packaging profile. ### Sources - Official project site, GitHub README, GitHub release/tag metadata, and Homebrew formula metadata. ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** instead - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - instead - 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: instead from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Simple text adventures/visual novels engine | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Debian apt - instead-data - 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: instead-data from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Data files for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Debian apt - instead-doc-common - 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: instead-doc-common from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Common documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Debian apt - instead-doc-en - 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: instead-doc-en from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | English documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Debian apt - instead-doc-ru - 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: instead-doc-ru from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Russian documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Nix - instead: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/in/instead/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - instead - 3.3.2-1.1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: instead from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Simple text adventures/visual novels engine | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - instead-data - 3.3.2-1.1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: instead-data from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Data files for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - instead-doc-common - 3.3.2-1.1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: instead-doc-common from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Common documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - instead-doc-en - 3.3.2-1.1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: instead-doc-en from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | English documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ - Ubuntu apt - instead-doc-ru - 3.3.2-1.1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: instead-doc-ru from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Russian documentation for INSTEAD | https://instead-hub.github.io/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [cairo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cairo/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gdk-pixbuf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gdk-pixbuf/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gtk+3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gtk-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [harfbuzz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/harfbuzz/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [luajit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/luajit/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dmagnetic](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dmagnetic/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, interpreter, text-adventure. - [fizmo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fizmo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, interpreter, text-adventure. - [corsixth](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/corsixth/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, game-engine, games, lua. - [dungeon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dungeon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, text-adventure. - [frotz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/frotz/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, interpreter. - [git-if](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/git-if/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, interpreter. - [glulxe](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glulxe/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, games, interactive-fiction, interpreter. - [solarus](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/solarus/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, game-engine, games, lua. - [freeciv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freeciv/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cairo, cli, compat, game, games. - [enigma](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enigma/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, compat, game, games, gettext. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/instead.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/instead.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph