Decker revives – Decker, a free desktop app for Windows and Mac with a web version, brings back HyperCard’s button-driven, branching “deck” experience. The software includes drawing tools, a Lil scripting language for deeper logic, downloadable examples, and multiple export op
HyperCard was the kind of Apple program that turned a school computer lab into a private world—multiple-choice buttons. branching pathways. and the thrill of building your own interactive story when the teacher wasn’t looking.. That old feeling is what Decker is aiming to recreate. right down to the retro look. while fitting it into today’s Windows. Mac. and web habits.
Decker describes itself as a desktop app for creating interactive documents, presentations, and games. Learning the basics takes about five or 10 minutes. It’s available for free or under a pay-what-you-can model, and there’s also a web-based version that works without installing anything.
The setup starts with the official Decker download page. where you’re instructed to click “Download Now.” If you want to support the developer. you’ll see payment options; otherwise you can select “No thanks. just take me to the downloads.” From there. users choose either the “mac” or “win” version—or. for phones or other devices. the web version.
On Windows, Decker is treated as a portable app: extract the ZIP file to any folder, then run the decker.exe file with no installation needed. On Mac, the ZIP is also extracted, and the Decker.app file should be moved to the Applications folder.
The retro vibe comes with a practical catch.. Decker is described as safe and receiving regular updates. with an active community of users. but because the app isn’t notarized. it runs into Windows and Mac safety filters.. On Windows, users are told to hit “Run Anyway” when prompted.. On Mac. the path goes through System Settings > Privacy & Security. where users should select “Open Anyway” next to the message stating Decker is blocked; it’s only expected to be needed once.
Once through the safety step, Decker becomes a builder.. The walkthrough begins by heading to File > New Deck and hitting “Discard” to start clean.. Under the “Tool” tab. the instructions point to selecting “Widgets. ” then “New Button.” Double-clicking the button opens the Text field—an example like “Next Page”—followed by clicking “Action…” and selecting “Next. ” then “OK.”
A second card is added through File > New Card. and the process is repeated: a new button is created. its Text set to something like “Previous Page. ” then its “Action…” is set to “Previous.” With both pages in place. the key step is going to Tool > Interact so the buttons become clickable and the pages start responding.
From there, Decker encourages customization.. In the Tool tab, users can use drawing tools such as Line, Pencil, and Box.. Another button can be created and set to “Invisible,” with custom button art drawn around it.. The Widgets menu can also supply objects like text fields, sliders, and canvases for drawing on.
Decker’s interactivity goes deeper through its own scripting language called “Lil,” designed to add more layers to documents.. One example described is a button that adds to a counter. which then loads another card once the counter exceeds a certain level.. The software also supports building entire games using this approach.
For anyone wanting to see what’s already been done, the guidance is to load files from the “Examples” folder or from the Decker website. Like other Decker documents, those examples can be edited so users can see how the projects work.
When it’s time to share the result, the export path runs through File > Save As.. The default file format is .deck. but the extension can be changed to .html. which allows the document to be loaded in any web browser.. The instructions explicitly note that uploading the .html file to a personal website would make a Decker document public.
One more connection to HyperCard is the sheer range of what the program can do—an echo of how much can be built with a “little program. ” even if it never tries to look anything but old-school.. Decker is free to download with an optional donation. open-source. does not require an internet connection. and does not collect any user data.
A pattern holds across the setup steps: users are guided to start with File > New Deck and build navigation by creating buttons that trigger “Next” and “Previous. ” then make the document interactive via Tool > Interact—before moving on to drawing tools. invisible button art. and the Lil scripting language for more advanced page logic.
Decker HyperCard Apple interactive documents presentations games Windows Mac Lil scripting .deck .html export open-source retro interface