Deco — and a nag screen with a toll-free number on it Runs here
1997 · Monkey Byte Development · Mac OS 8 · SheepShaver (Power Macintosh 9500) · 800×600 at 8-bit colour
Guide updated September 2026
A falling-block puzzle game from Monkey Byte Development, whose logo — a grinning monkey in an oval — is the first thing on the registration dialog.
That dialog is worth a look before you dismiss it: a toll-free order line, a web address, buttons to copy the URL to the clipboard or connect to it directly, and a "Not Yet" that lets you play anyway. Registering unlocked the high-score display; the game itself was never crippled.
Boots Mac OS 8.6 and opens Deco. Click "Not Yet" past the registration notice and press Start.
Controls
| Not Yet button | Dismiss the registration reminder and play |
| Arrow keys | Move and rotate the falling pieces |
| Start | Begin a game |
| Cmd-Q | Quit to the Finder |
Shareware with a registration reminder and no lock on play — registering unlocked the high-score display. Unregistered and unmodified, with the notice and order details intact.
Archives
- Internet Archive — the Tucows Macintosh archive copy this was built from.
How it works & what to expect
| Machine | Power Macintosh 9500, 800×600 in colour |
|---|---|
| System | Mac OS 8.6, shared with every other title of this era |
| Emulator | SheepShaver, compiled to WebAssembly |
| Saves | Settings persist inside the emulated Mac |
The "Connect to URL now" button on the registration dialog will not do anything — the emulated Macintosh has no route to the internet. Everything else on that screen works as it did.
Deco does not carry its own operating system; Mac OS 8.6 comes from the shared image, so it starts faster if you have already opened another Mac OS 8 title.
Why it is here
The nag screen is the period detail. A toll-free number, a clipboard button for the URL, and an offer to dial out and register on the spot — that is 1997 software distribution in one dialog box.
The soft limit. Withholding the high-score table rather than the game is a gentle version of the shareware bargain, and a sign of an author who expected to be paid by people who liked it rather than by people who were blocked.
It preserves a small publisher. Monkey Byte Development left very little behind. This is one of the pieces.
Getting started
Click "Not Yet", then Start. Nothing is withheld except the high-score display.
Play a few pieces before deciding how it handles — falling-block games differ in their rotation rules and this one has its own feel.
Ignore the Connect button; there is nothing on the other end of it inside an emulator.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register?
No. Click "Not Yet" and the game plays in full; registering only unlocked the high-score display.
Does the Connect to URL button work?
No. The emulated Macintosh has no internet connection.
Is it in colour?
Yes, 800×600 on an emulated Power Macintosh.
Can I save?
Settings persist inside the emulated Macintosh in your browser.
Who made it?
Monkey Byte Development, released as Macintosh shareware in 1997.
Why does it take a while to start?
It boots Mac OS 8.6 first, from the image shared with the other Mac OS 8 titles here.
Put Deco on your own site
Free, no permission needed and no account. Paste this where you want the machine to appear; it brings its own emulator and asks nothing of your page.
<iframe src="https://macemu.com/embed/deco/"
width="800" height="600"
style="border:0;max-width:100%"
allowfullscreen
title="Deco"></iframe>Sized to this title's real screen. How embedding works.
