diff --git a/src/game.rs b/src/game.rs
index 6b09048..14c6e0a 100644
--- a/src/game.rs
+++ b/src/game.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 use std::error::Error;
 
-#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Copy, Clone)]
 pub struct Version {
     pub major: u8,
     pub minor: u8,
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ impl Version {
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Game {
     pub name: String,
-    pub version: Version,
+    pub version: Option<Version>,
     pub room_format: u8, // this is "0 = non-comma separated, 1 = comma separated" apparently
     pub font: Font,
     pub custom_font: Option<String>, // used if font is Font::Custom
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ impl Game {
         let segments: Vec<&str> = main.split("\n\n").collect();
 
         let name = segments[0].to_string();
-        let mut version = Version { major: 1, minor: 0 };
+        let mut version = None;
         let mut room_format: u8 = 1;
         let mut font = Font::AsciiSmall;
         let mut custom_font = None;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ impl Game {
 
             if segment.starts_with("# BITSY VERSION") {
                 let segment = segment.replace("# BITSY VERSION ", "");
-                version = Version::from(&segment);
+                version = Some(Version::from(&segment));
             } else if segment.starts_with("! ROOM_FORMAT") {
                 room_format = segment.replace("! ROOM_FORMAT ", "").parse().unwrap();
             } else if segment.starts_with("DEFAULT_FONT") {
@@ -282,10 +282,14 @@ impl Game {
     }
 
     fn version_line(&self) -> String {
-        format!(
-            "\n# BITSY VERSION {}.{}",
-            self.version.major, self.version.minor
-        )
+        if self.version.is_some() {
+            format!(
+                "\n# BITSY VERSION {}.{}",
+                self.version.as_ref().unwrap().major, self.version.as_ref().unwrap().minor
+            )
+        } else {
+            "".to_string()
+        }
     }
 
     fn room_format_line(&self) -> String {
@@ -311,6 +315,11 @@ impl Game {
             ""
         }
     }
+
+    /// older bitsy games do not specify a version, but we can infer 1.0
+    pub fn version(&self) -> Version {
+        self.version.unwrap_or(Version { major: 1, minor: 0 })
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -452,7 +461,7 @@ mod test {
     #[test]
     fn test_version_formatting() {
         let mut game = crate::mock::game_default();
-        game.version = Version { major: 5, minor: 0 };
+        game.version = Some(Version { major: 5, minor: 0 });
         assert!(game.to_string().contains("# BITSY VERSION 5.0"))
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/mock.rs b/src/mock.rs
index 7f97306..9c014c3 100644
--- a/src/mock.rs
+++ b/src/mock.rs
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ pub fn room() -> Room {
 pub fn game_default() -> Game {
     Game {
         name: "Write your game's title here".to_string(),
-        version: Version { major: 6, minor: 5 },
+        version: Some(Version { major: 6, minor: 5 }),
         room_format: 1,
         font: Font::AsciiSmall,
         custom_font: None,