diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/0001-Fix-SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS-usage.patch b/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/0001-Fix-SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS-usage.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6e17ee19ab13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/0001-Fix-SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS-usage.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+From 8b1db0c6724640ff995c24145a9777bd49da1ce4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Marcin Serwin <marcin@serwin.dev>
+Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:11:48 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH] Fix SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS usage
+
+The flags were quried but unused during compilation. Also, there was a
+typo in the else branch.
+
+Signed-off-by: Marcin Serwin <marcin@serwin.dev>
+---
+ src/sdl/Makefile | 4 ++--
+ 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/src/sdl/Makefile b/src/sdl/Makefile
+index e21477e..84a2136 100644
+--- a/src/sdl/Makefile
++++ b/src/sdl/Makefile
+@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ SDL_CFLAGS += $(shell $(PKGCONF) $(SDL_PKGS) --cflags)
+ SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS += $(shell $(PKGCONF) $(SDL_SOUND_PKGS) --cflags)
+ else
+ SDL_CFLAGS += $(SDL_CFLAGS_DEF)
+-SD_SOUND_CFLAGS += $(SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS_DEF)
++SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS += $(SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS_DEF)
+ endif
+ 
+ 
+@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ $(TARGET): $(DEFINES) $(OBJECTS) | $(DEFINES)
+ 	@echo "** Done with SDL interface."
+ 
+ %.o: %.c
+-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SDL_CFLAGS) -fPIC -fpic -o $@ -c $<
++	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SDL_CFLAGS) $(SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS) -fPIC -fpic -o $@ -c $<
+ 
+ $(DEFINES):
+ 	@echo "** Generating $@"
+-- 
+2.51.2
+
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/package.nix
index 75d60c2eaa82..20f823d9c128 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/fr/frotz/package.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
   lib,
   stdenv,
   fetchFromGitLab,
-  fetchpatch,
   libao,
   libmodplug,
   libsamplerate,
@@ -11,28 +10,42 @@
   ncurses,
   which,
   pkg-config,
+  SDL2,
+  SDL2_mixer,
+  zlib,
+  libjpeg,
+  libpng,
+  freetype,
+  frontend ? "ncurses",
 }:
 
+assert lib.assertOneOf "frontend" frontend [
+  "ncurses"
+  "sdl"
+  # NOTE: more options are present in the Makefile, e.g., x11, dumb, nosound, ...
+];
+let
+  progName = if frontend == "ncurses" then "frotz" else "sfrotz";
+in
 stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
-  pname = "frotz";
-  version = "2.54";
+  pname = progName;
+  version = "2.55";
 
   src = fetchFromGitLab {
     domain = "gitlab.com";
     owner = "DavidGriffith";
     repo = "frotz";
-    rev = finalAttrs.version;
-    hash = "sha256-GvGxojD8d5GVy/d8h3q6K7KJroz2lsKbfE0F0acjBl8=";
+    tag = finalAttrs.version;
+    hash = "sha256-XZjimskjupTtYdgfVaOS2QnQrDIBSwkJqxrffdjgZk0=";
   };
 
   patches = [
-    (fetchpatch {
-      url = "https://github.com/macports/macports-ports/raw/496e5b91e3b6c9dc6820d77ab60dbe400d1924ee/games/frotz/files/Makefile.patch";
-      extraPrefix = "";
-      hash = "sha256-P83ZzSi3bhncQ52Y38Q3F/7v1SJKr5614tytt862HRg=";
-    })
+    # https://gitlab.com/DavidGriffith/frotz/-/merge_requests/226
+    ./0001-Fix-SDL_SOUND_CFLAGS-usage.patch
   ];
 
+  strictDeps = true;
+  enableParallelBuilding = true;
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     which
     pkg-config
@@ -43,16 +56,37 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     libsamplerate
     libsndfile
     libvorbis
-    ncurses
-  ];
+  ]
+  ++ (
+    if frontend == "ncurses" then
+      [ ncurses ]
+    else
+      [
+        freetype
+        libjpeg
+        libpng
+        SDL2
+        SDL2_mixer
+        zlib
+      ]
+  );
 
-  installFlags = [ "PREFIX=$(out)" ];
+  makeFlags = [
+    "PREFIX=${placeholder "out"}"
+    "HOMEBREW_PREFIX=/var/empty"
+  ];
+  preConfigure = ''
+    makeFlagsArray+=(CURSES_CONFIG="$PKG_CONFIG ncurses")
+  '';
+
+  buildFlags = [ frontend ];
+  installTargets = if frontend == "ncurses" then "install-frotz" else "install-${frontend}";
 
   meta = {
     homepage = "https://davidgriffith.gitlab.io/frotz/";
     changelog = "https://gitlab.com/DavidGriffith/frotz/-/raw/${finalAttrs.version}/NEWS";
-    description = "Z-machine interpreter for Infocom games and other interactive fiction";
-    mainProgram = "frotz";
+    description = "Z-machine interpreter for Infocom games and other interactive fiction (${frontend})";
+    mainProgram = progName;
     platforms = lib.platforms.unix;
     maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [
       nicknovitski
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/sf/sfrotz/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/sf/sfrotz/package.nix
index 65f2359513ec..83a4b10dfc3c 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/sf/sfrotz/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/sf/sfrotz/package.nix
@@ -1,72 +1 @@
-{
-  fetchFromGitLab,
-  freetype,
-  libao,
-  libjpeg,
-  libmodplug,
-  libpng,
-  libsamplerate,
-  libsndfile,
-  libvorbis,
-  pkg-config,
-  SDL2,
-  SDL2_mixer,
-  lib,
-  stdenv,
-  zlib,
-}:
-
-stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
-  pname = "sfrotz";
-  version = "2.54";
-
-  src = fetchFromGitLab {
-    domain = "gitlab.com";
-    owner = "DavidGriffith";
-    repo = "frotz";
-    rev = finalAttrs.version;
-    hash = "sha256-GvGxojD8d5GVy/d8h3q6K7KJroz2lsKbfE0F0acjBl8=";
-  };
-
-  buildInputs = [
-    freetype
-    libao
-    libjpeg
-    libmodplug
-    libpng
-    libsamplerate
-    libsndfile
-    libvorbis
-    SDL2
-    SDL2_mixer
-    zlib
-  ];
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkg-config ];
-  makeFlags = [ "PREFIX=${placeholder "out"}" ];
-  buildPhase = "make sdl";
-  installTargets = [ "install_sfrotz" ];
-
-  meta = {
-    description = "Interpreter for Infocom and other Z-Machine games (SDL interface)";
-    mainProgram = "sfrotz";
-    longDescription = ''
-      Frotz is a Z-Machine interpreter. The Z-machine is a virtual machine
-      designed by Infocom to run all of their text adventures. It went through
-      multiple revisions during the lifetime of the company, and two further
-      revisions (V7 and V8) were created by Graham Nelson after the company's
-      demise. The specification is now quite well documented; this version of
-      Frotz supports version 1.0.
-
-      This version of Frotz fully supports all these versions of the Z-Machine
-      including the graphical version 6. Graphics and sound are created through
-      the use of the SDL libraries. AIFF sound effects and music in MOD and OGG
-      formats are supported when packaged in Blorb container files or optionally
-      from individual files.
-    '';
-    homepage = "https://davidgriffith.gitlab.io/frotz/";
-    changelog = "https://gitlab.com/DavidGriffith/frotz/-/raw/${finalAttrs.version}/NEWS";
-    license = lib.licenses.gpl2Plus;
-    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ ddelabru ];
-    platforms = lib.platforms.linux;
-  };
-})
+{ frotz }: frotz.override { frontend = "sdl"; }