diff --git a/res/devtools/syntax/vcm.toml b/res/devtools/syntax/vcm.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca05b6a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/devtools/syntax/vcm.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+language = "VCM"
+extensions = ["vcm"]
+line-comment-start = "#"
diff --git a/res/models/stairs.vcm b/res/models/stairs.vcm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2027c09e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/models/stairs.vcm
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+@box from (0,0,0) to (1,0.5,1) delete (top,south)
+@box from (0,0.5,0) to (1,1,0.5) delete (bottom,south)
+@rect from (0,0.5,0.5) right (1,0,0) up (0,0,0.5) texture "$2"
+@rect from (0,0,0) right (1,0,0) up (0,1,0) texture "$1"
diff --git a/res/models/stairs.xml b/res/models/stairs.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 5921e08c..00000000
--- a/res/models/stairs.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-<model>
-    <box from="0,0,0" to="1,0.5,1" delete="top,south"/>
-    <box from="0,0.5,0" to="1,1,0.5" delete="bottom,south"/>
-    <rect from="0,0.5,0.5" right="1,0,0" up="0,0,0.5" texture="$2"/>
-    <rect from="0,0,0" right="1,0,0" up="0,1,0" texture="$1"/>
-</model>
diff --git a/res/modules/internal/scripts_registry.lua b/res/modules/internal/scripts_registry.lua
index db6fc321..ef347159 100644
--- a/res/modules/internal/scripts_registry.lua
+++ b/res/modules/internal/scripts_registry.lua
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ local function load_models_list(packs)
     local registry = export.registry
     for _, filename in ipairs(file.list("models")) do
         local ext = file.ext(filename)
-        if ext == "xml" then
+        if ext == "xml" or ext == "vcm" then
             registry[filename] = {type="model", unit=file.stem(filename)}
             table.insert(export.filenames, filename)
         end
diff --git a/src/assets/assetload_funcs.cpp b/src/assets/assetload_funcs.cpp
index af8fb3c9..d5994469 100644
--- a/src/assets/assetload_funcs.cpp
+++ b/src/assets/assetload_funcs.cpp
@@ -352,21 +352,35 @@ assetload::postfunc assetload::model(
             throw;
         }
     }
-    path = paths.find(file + ".xml");
-    if (io::exists(path)) {
-        auto text = io::read_string(path);
-        try {
-            auto model = vcm::parse(path.string(), text).release();
-            return [=](Assets* assets) {
-                request_textures(loader, *model);
-                assets->store(std::unique_ptr<model::Model>(model), name);
-            };
-        } catch (const parsing_error& err) {
-            std::cerr << err.errorLog() << std::endl;
-            throw;
+
+    std::array<std::string, 2> extensions {
+        ".xml",
+        ".vcm"
+    };
+
+    path = "";
+    for (const auto& ext : extensions) {
+        auto newPath = paths.find(file + ext);
+        if (io::exists(newPath)) {
+            path = std::move(newPath);
+            break;
         }
     }
-    throw std::runtime_error("could not to find model " + util::quote(file));
+    if (path.empty()) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("could not to find model " + util::quote(file));
+    }
+
+    auto text = io::read_string(path);
+    try {
+        auto model = vcm::parse(path.string(), text).release();
+        return [=](Assets* assets) {
+            request_textures(loader, *model);
+            assets->store(std::unique_ptr<model::Model>(model), name);
+        };
+    } catch (const parsing_error& err) {
+        std::cerr << err.errorLog() << std::endl;
+        throw;
+    }
 }
 
 static void read_anim_file(
diff --git a/src/coders/vcm.cpp b/src/coders/vcm.cpp
index e86fc138..20c50982 100644
--- a/src/coders/vcm.cpp
+++ b/src/coders/vcm.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "xml.hpp"
 #include "util/stringutil.hpp"
 #include "graphics/commons/Model.hpp"
+#include "io/io.hpp"
 
 using namespace vcm;
 using namespace xml;
@@ -143,12 +144,18 @@ static std::unique_ptr<model::Model> load_model(const xmlelement& root) {
 std::unique_ptr<model::Model> vcm::parse(
     std::string_view file, std::string_view src
 ) {
-    auto doc = xml::parse(file, src);
-    const auto& root = *doc->getRoot();
-    if (root.getTag() != "model") {
-        throw std::runtime_error(
-            "'model' tag expected as root, got '" + root.getTag() + "'"
-        );
+    try {
+        auto doc = io::path(std::string(file)).extension() == ".xml" 
+                    ? xml::parse(file, src) : xml::parse_vcm(file, src, "model");
+        const auto& root = *doc->getRoot();
+        if (root.getTag() != "model") {
+            throw std::runtime_error(
+                "'model' tag expected as root, got '" + root.getTag() + "'"
+            );
+        }
+        std::cout << xml::stringify(*doc) << std::endl;
+        return load_model(root);
+    } catch (const parsing_error& err) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(err.errorLog());
     }
-    return load_model(root);
 }
diff --git a/src/coders/xml.cpp b/src/coders/xml.cpp
index 9ed51e0c..0763fa43 100644
--- a/src/coders/xml.cpp
+++ b/src/coders/xml.cpp
@@ -355,6 +355,83 @@ std::unique_ptr<Document> xml::parse(
     return parser.parse();
 }
 
+namespace {
+class VcmParser : public BasicParser<char> {
+public:
+    VcmParser(std::string_view filename, std::string_view source)
+        : BasicParser(filename, source) {
+        document = std::make_unique<Document>("1.0", "UTF-8");
+        hashComment = true;
+    }
+
+    std::string parseValue() {
+        char c = peek();
+        if (c == '"' || c == '\'') {
+            nextChar();
+            return parseString(c);
+        }
+        if (c == '(') {
+            nextChar();
+            // TODO: replace with array parsing after moving to dv::value's
+            std::string value = std::string(readUntil(')'));
+            expect(')');
+            return value;
+        }
+        return std::string(readUntilWhitespace());
+    }
+
+    void parseSubElements(Node& node) {
+        skipWhitespace();
+        while (hasNext()) {
+            if (peek() != '@') {
+                throw error("unexpected character in element");
+            }
+            nextChar();
+            auto subnodePtr = std::make_unique<Node>(parseName());
+            auto subnode = subnodePtr.get();
+            node.add(std::move(subnodePtr));
+
+            skipWhitespace();
+            while (hasNext() && peek() != '@' && peek() != '{' && peek() != '}') {
+                std::string attrname = parseName();
+                skipWhitespace();
+                std::string value = parseValue();
+                subnode->set(attrname, value);
+                skipWhitespace();
+            }
+            if (!hasNext()) {
+                break;
+            }
+            char c = peek();
+            if (c == '{') {
+                nextChar();
+                parseSubElements(*subnode);
+                expect('}');
+                skipWhitespace();
+            } else if (c == '}') {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<Document> parse(const std::string& rootTag) {
+        auto root = std::make_unique<Node>(rootTag);
+        parseSubElements(*root);
+        document->setRoot(std::move(root));
+        return std::move(document);
+    }
+private:
+    std::unique_ptr<Document> document;
+};
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<Document> xml::parse_vcm(
+    std::string_view filename, std::string_view source, std::string_view tag
+) {
+    VcmParser parser(filename, source);
+    return parser.parse(std::string(tag));
+}
+
 inline void newline(
     std::stringstream& ss, bool nice, const std::string& indentStr, int indent
 ) {
diff --git a/src/coders/xml.hpp b/src/coders/xml.hpp
index f626dd34..24cf0fbd 100644
--- a/src/coders/xml.hpp
+++ b/src/coders/xml.hpp
@@ -126,5 +126,9 @@ namespace xml {
         std::string_view filename, std::string_view source
     );
 
+    std::unique_ptr<Document> parse_vcm(
+        std::string_view filename, std::string_view source, std::string_view tag
+    );
+
     using xmlelement = Node;
 }
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
index 1e0d6f20..8cfb8ca8 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int l_parse_model(lua::State* L) {
     auto string = lua::require_lstring(L, 2);
     auto name = lua::require_string(L, 3);
     
-    if (format == "xml") {
+    if (format == "xml" || format == "vcm") {
         engine->getAssets()->store(vcm::parse(name, string), name);
     } else {
         throw std::runtime_error("unknown format " + util::quote(std::string(format)));
diff --git a/test/coders/xml.cpp b/test/coders/xml.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1357a449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/coders/xml.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "coders/xml.hpp"
+#include "coders/commons.hpp"
+
+TEST(XML, VCM) {
+    std::string code = ""
+        "@line x1 y1 z1\n"
+        "# @tst ysfdrg\n"
+        "@box {\n"
+        "  @rect texture \"$2\"\n"
+        "  @utro a 53.1\n"
+        "}\n"
+    ;
+    std::cout << code << std::endl;
+
+    try {
+        auto document = xml::parse_vcm("<test>", code, "test");
+        std::cout << xml::stringify(*document);
+    } catch (const parsing_error& err) {
+        std::cerr << err.errorLog() << std::endl;
+        throw err;
+    }
+}