Goblin Overview

By Goblin Docs ~ 7 min read

Goblin is a scripting language that doesn't try to look like anything else.

What is Goblin?

Goblin doesn't inherit syntax from C, Python, Ruby, or any other language. It's built from scratch to be its own thing.

Most languages carry decades of historical baggage—conventions that made sense 30 years ago, syntax quirks that became features, design decisions that stuck around because "that's how everyone does it."

Goblin doesn't do that. Every syntax choice is deliberate. If something doesn't make sense, we don't use it.

What you can build

Build tools. Static site generators. Text games. Automation scripts. CLI utilities. File processors. Whatever you need a scripting language for.

Goblin works for the stuff you'd normally reach for Python, Ruby, or Bash—but with syntax that's actually designed, not accumulated.

How Goblin works

Write a .gbln file. Run it:

goblin run script.gbln

goblin run script.gbln

The script executes and exits. That's it.

Note

If you want to executes scripts from the browser, see API. If you want to do this from a virtual server, see Goblin Host.

Learn Goblin

Start with the Quick Start guide. Work through Language Basics. Goblin is small—you can learn the whole language in an afternoon.

The syntax will look unfamiliar at first. That's intentional. Goblin doesn't look like other languages because it isn't trying to be other languages.