diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9fff960f3..924a6be83 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,22 +31,25 @@ dsk: asm
 	$(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "build/LAUNCHER.SYSTEM" >>build/log
 	rsync -aP res/PREFS.CONF build/PREFS.CONF >> build/log
 	bin/padto.sh 512 build/PREFS.CONF >>build/log
-	bin/buildhelp.sh "build/HELPFUL" "build/helper.inc" >>build/log
-	$(ACME) -r build/helper.lst src/helper/helper.a >>build/log
+	bin/buildhelp.sh "res/GAMES.CONF" "build/HELP.DATA" "build/HELPFUL" >>build/log
 	bin/buildokvs.sh "res/ATTRACT.CONF" "build/ATTRACT.DATA" >>build/log
-	bin/buildfx.sh "res/FX.CONF" "build/FX.DATA" "build/FXFUL" >>build/log
-	bin/buildfx.sh "res/DFX.CONF" "build/DFX.DATA" "build/DFXFUL" >>build/log
-	for f in res/TITLE res/COVER res/HELP res/GAMES.CONF build/ATTRACT.DATA build/FX.DATA build/FXFUL build/DFX.DATA build/DFXFUL build/PREFS.CONF res/CREDITS res/HELPTEXT build/HELPER build/HELPFUL res/DECRUNCH res/JOYSTICK res/Finder.Data res/Finder.Root; do $(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "$$f" >>build/log; done
+	bin/buildfx.sh "res/FX.CONF" "build/FX.DATA" "build/FXFUL" "build/FX" >>build/log
+	bin/buildfx.sh "res/DFX.CONF" "build/DFX.DATA" "build/DFXFUL" "build/FX" >>build/log
+	rm -f build/SSDIR.CONF && touch build/SSDIR.CONF
+	for f in res/SS/*; do bin/buildokvs.sh "$$f" "build/SS/$$(basename $$f)" && echo "$$(basename $$f)" >> build/SSDIR.CONF; done >>build/log
+	bin/buildfx.sh "build/SSDIR.CONF" "build/SS.DATA" "build/SSFUL" "build/SS" >>build/log
+	rm -f build/ATTRACTDIR.CONF && touch build/ATTRACTDIR.CONF
+	for f in res/ATTRACT/*; do bin/buildokvs.sh "$$f" "build/ATTRACT/$$(basename $$f)" && echo "$$(basename $$f)" >> build/ATTRACTDIR.CONF; done >>build/log
+	bin/buildfx.sh "build/ATTRACTDIR.CONF" "build/ATTRACTIVE" "build/ATTRACTFUL" "build/ATTRACT" >>build/log
+	for f in res/TITLE res/COVER res/HELP res/GAMES.CONF build/PREFS.CONF res/CREDITS res/HELPTEXT build/ATTRACT.DATA build/FX.DATA build/FXFUL build/DFX.DATA build/DFXFUL build/HELP.DATA build/HELPFUL build/SS.DATA build/SSFUL build/ATTRACTIVE build/ATTRACTFUL res/DECRUNCH res/JOYSTICK res/Finder.Data res/Finder.Root; do $(CADIUS) ADDFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/" "$$f" >>build/log; done
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/TITLE.HGR "06" "4000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/TITLE.DHGR "06" "4000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ACTION.HGR "06" "3FF8" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ACTION.DHGR "06" "3FF8" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ACTION.GR "06" "6000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ARTWORK.SHR "06" "1FF8" >>build/log
-	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ATTRACT "04" "8000" >>build/log
-	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/SS "04" "4000" >>build/log
 	bin/buildfileinfo.sh res/ICONS "CA" "0000" >>build/log
-	for f in res/TITLE.HGR res/TITLE.DHGR res/ACTION.HGR res/ACTION.DHGR res/ACTION.GR res/ARTWORK.SHR res/ATTRACT res/SS res/DEMO res/TITLE.ANIMATED res/ICONS; do rm -f "$$f"/.DS_Store; $(CADIUS) ADDFOLDER build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/$$(basename $$f)" "$$f" >>build/log; done
+	for f in res/TITLE.HGR res/TITLE.DHGR res/ACTION.HGR res/ACTION.DHGR res/ACTION.GR res/ARTWORK.SHR res/DEMO res/TITLE.ANIMATED res/ICONS; do rm -f "$$f"/.DS_Store; $(CADIUS) ADDFOLDER build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/$$(basename $$f)" "$$f" >>build/log; done
 	for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6; do $(CADIUS) RENAMEFILE build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/DEMO/SPCARTOON.$${i}$${i}" "SPCARTOON.$${i}." >>build/log; done
 	$(CADIUS) CREATEFOLDER build/"$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/FX/" >>build/log
 	for f in build/FX/COVERFADE build/FX/GR.FIZZLE build/FX/SHR.FIZZLE build/FX/*.DATA; do $(CADIUS) ADDFILE "build/$(DISK)" "/$(VOLUME)/FX/" "$$f"; done >>build/log
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ mount: dsk
 	osascript bin/V2Make.scpt "`pwd`" bin/4cade.vii build/"$(DISK)"
 
 md:
-	mkdir -p build/X build/FX build/PRELAUNCH
+	mkdir -p build/X build/FX build/PRELAUNCH build/ATTRACT build/SS
 	touch build/log
 
 clean:
diff --git a/bin/buildfx.sh b/bin/buildfx.sh
index 73f29c4cf..29604cfbb 100755
--- a/bin/buildfx.sh
+++ b/bin/buildfx.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+# run from project root directory
+
+# parameters
+# 1 - input filename of text file containing list of effects (probably FX.CONF or DFX.CONF)
+# 2 - output filename for index file
+# 3 - output filename for merged-effects file
+# 4 - input directory of (previously assembled) effects files
+
 # create or truncate merged-effects file
 :>| "$3"
 
@@ -16,7 +24,7 @@ source=$(mktemp)
      echo "!byte ${#key}"              # OKVS key length
      echo "!text \"$key\""             # OKVS key (effect name)
      echo "!be24 $(wc -c <"$3")"       # offset into merged-effects file
-     cat "build/FX/$key" >> "$3"       # add effect code into merged-effects file
+     cat "$4/$key" >> "$3"             # add effect code into merged-effects file
                                        # (all effects were previously assembled)
  done < "$records") > "$source"
 
diff --git a/bin/buildhelp.sh b/bin/buildhelp.sh
index 3645e4887..603e847e6 100755
--- a/bin/buildhelp.sh
+++ b/bin/buildhelp.sh
@@ -2,21 +2,37 @@
 
 # run from project root directory
 
-# make in-memory array of game filenames
-games=$(grep "," res/GAMES.CONF | grep -v "^#" | cut -d"," -f2 | cut -d"=" -f1 | sort)
+# parameters
+# 1 - input filename of text file containing list of games (probably GAMES.CONF)
+# 2 - output filename for index file
+# 3 - output filename for merged-gamehelp file
+
+# make temp file with list of game filenames
+records=$(mktemp)
+grep "," < "$1" | grep -v "^#" | cut -d"," -f2 | cut -d"=" -f1 | sort > "$records"
 
 # first help text is the 'TODO' placeholder screen
-cp res/GAMEHELP/STANDARD "$1"
-for c in {A..Z}; do
-    echo "group$c"                                  # group games by first letter
-    for game in $(echo "$games" | grep "^$c"); do
-        echo "!byte ${#game}"                       # key length
-        echo "!text \"$game\""                      # key (game filename)
-        if [ -f "res/GAMEHELP/$game" ]; then
-            echo "!be24 $(wc -c <"$1")"             # value (3-byte big-endian offset into merged help file)
-            cat res/GAMEHELP/"$game" >> "$1"
-        else
-            echo "!be24 0"                          # if game has no help, reuse placeholder at offset 0
-        fi
-    done
-done > "$2"
+cp res/GAMEHELP/STANDARD "$3"
+
+# make temp assembly source file that represents the binary OKVS data structure
+source=$(mktemp)
+(echo "*=0"                            # dummy program counter for assembler
+ echo "!le16 $(wc -l <"$records"), 0"  # OKVS header
+ while read -r key; do
+     echo "!byte ${#key}+5"            # OKVS record length
+     echo "!byte ${#key}"              # OKVS key length
+     echo "!text \"$key\""             # OKVS key (effect name)
+     if [ -f "res/GAMEHELP/$key" ]; then
+         echo "!be24 $(wc -c <"$3")"   # value (3-byte big-endian offset into merged-gamehelp file)
+         cat res/GAMEHELP/"$key" >> "$3"
+     else
+         echo "!be24 0"                # if game has no help, reuse placeholder at offset 0
+     fi
+ done < "$records") > "$source"
+
+# assemble temp source file to create binary OKVS data structure
+acme -o "$2" "$source"
+
+# clean up
+rm "$source"
+rm "$records"