Maniac Mansion gameplay on Commodore 64 and Amiga

Gameplay from Maniac Mansion on Commodore 64 and Amiga. Image from the Retro Replay media library.

Denise

COMMODORE 64 AND AMIGA EMULATOR

Denise

Denise is a cycle-aware emulator that implements both the Commodore 64 and Amiga platforms (multiple Amiga chipsets and many C64 expansions). The project provides native desktop builds for Windows, Linux and macOS and exposes many advanced features (cycle-accurate VIC/Copper/Blitter timing, floppy/tape emulation, savestates, debugger/disassembler, shader/bez

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Gameplay from Maniac Mansion on Commodore 64 and Amiga. Image from the Retro Replay media library.

Commodore 64 and AmigaPRIMARY SYSTEM

History documentedPROJECT BEGAN

Open sourcePROJECT MODEL

WHY IT MATTERS

Why use Denise?

Denise focuses on accurate Commodore 64 and Amiga hardware emulation with a wide set of user-facing features: detailed drive and tape emulation, cartridge and expansion support for C64, multiple Amiga chipset and hard-disk features, built-in debuggers, shader-based video presentation and advanced input options. It targets users who want a feature-rich desktop emulator with debugging and preservation-oriented options.

BEST FOR

Best for

Users who need a single desktop app that can run many C64 and Amiga programs with advanced hardware options (floppy/tape write emulation, multiple drive support, cartridge/expansion port devices), developers who want integrated debuggers/disassemblers, and enthusiasts wanting accurate timing and visual presentation (shaders, CRT simulation).

Gameplay from The Secret of Monkey Island on Amiga.

The people behind Denise

History and status

The project repository and changelog document a long, active development history with many versioned releases and an extensive changelog inside the repository. Denise originally circulated in release form (0.9.9 beta described as an initial release) and over many numbered releases added major features: savestates, tape and drive write emulation, extensive C64 cartridge and expansion support, SuperCPU/REU support, Amiga ECS Denise emulation, hard disk and large HDF support, debuggers for Amiga and C64 subsystems, shader-based presentation and platform-specific installer builds (Windows, macOS DMG, Linux Flatpak noted in release notes). The repository is actively maintained on GitHub and provides prebuilt releases; activity and commits are visible in the official repo. Specific dates for the very first public release are not stated in the repository index, so the profile uses the repository's documented changelog rather than a single founding year.

What Denise supports

Commodore 64 (PRG, D64, G64, T64, cartridges and many expansions)
Commodore 128 (C64 mode / 2 MHz support noted)
Amiga (various models including A500/A600/ECS Denise variants; floppy and hard-disk support including large HD images, CD32 gamepad support)
Windows (installer / portable builds)
macOS (DMG installer, Metal backend, CoreAudio3)
Linux (Flatpak and traditional builds)

Download and availability

OFFICIAL DOWNLOADS

Get Denise

Official source code and binary releases are published from the project's source repository. The GitHub repository lists Releases and points to project downloads and historical nightlies; README notes SourceForge and CI/AppVeyor nightlies and describes packaged installers (Windows, macOS DMG, Flatpak for Linux). The official project release page is the GitHub Releases section for the repository.

Get Denise ↗

DOCUMENTATION

Official documentation

Read the official configuration, compatibility, and troubleshooting material before changing advanced options.

Read official documentation ↗

Broken or missing download? Emulator projects move and official links sometimes change. Please contact Retro Replay so the source can be verified and updated.

Denise setup guide

Setup note: Practical setup notes — what you need and how to get Denise running safely and reproducibly. Denise does not include commercial game ROMs, firmware or copyrighted BIOS files; you must provide those yourself where required by law and licensing. The guide below follows the project's documented build/release options and the README notes for common workflows.

1) Obtain Denise: Download a prebuilt release from the repository Releases page (GitHub Releases). The README also references SourceForge for historical downloads and CI jobs for nightlies; prefer the official GitHub Releases page for stable builds.
2) Choose the build for your OS: Windows: use the provided installer or portable ZIP if present in Releases. macOS: use the DMG installer when available (the project notes macOS DMG builds). Linux: the project provides a Flatpak in some releases and traditional tarball builds; Flatpak is the easiest route if listed.
3) Install prerequisites (when building from source): If you build from source, follow the project's CMake-based build files and deps folder. Typical desktop dependencies include a C++ toolchain, CMake, platform-specific multimedia/GUI backends (GTK/GTK3 noted historically for Linux, Metal support for macOS, Direct3D11 for Windows), and libraries listed in the repository's deps or build documentation. Use the repository's buildinfo.md and CMakeLists.txt as authoritative instructions.
4) Prepare game files and firmware: Provide your own game files (PRG, D64, G64, T64, ADF/HDF, CD images) and any proprietary firmware or ROMs you legally own. Denise supports a wide range of image types (PRG, D64, G64, T64, ADF, HDF and cartridge formats) — confirm supported extensions in the emulator UI or README. Do not expect copyrighted firmware or commercial games to be bundled with the download.
5) Configuring drives, disks and tapes: Use the emulator's file dialogs and integrated disk/tape UI to attach disk/tape images. Denise's UI offers features such as disk finder/guesser for follow-up disks, creation of blank disk/tape/flash images, and options for drive motor speed and wobble. For multi-disk games, use the Disk Swapper or hotkeys documented in the changelog/README.
6) Input and controller setup: Assign keyboard and gamepad inputs through the application's input configuration. Denise supports many control port devices (mice, paddles, light phasers, multiple joysticks) and can emulate XInput devices on Windows; consult the input section in the UI. For original DB9 joystick hardware adapters, the project documents support for USB adapters on Windows.
7) Audio and SID hardware: The emulator includes SID emulation options and multiple profiles; select the desired SID model and filters in audio settings. External SID hardware (e.g., USB-SID Pico) is mentioned as supported in changelogs — check current documentation and drivers for external devices before use.
8) Advanced features (savestates, rewind, debug): Denise supports savestates, rewind, runAhead options, and extensive debuggers/disassemblers for CPU, VIC/Denise, Copper, Blitter, Paula and disk drive CPUs. Access these from the Debug/Disassembler menus; use them for development, reverse engineering or preservation testing.

Software reminder: Denise does not include commercial games, copyrighted BIOS, firmware or keys. Acquire those files lawfully if required.