diff --git a/docs/language/macros.md b/docs/language/macros.md
index 0a2c180a..d5f6d8d2 100644
--- a/docs/language/macros.md
+++ b/docs/language/macros.md
@@ -106,6 +106,40 @@ all overloads for that name at once.
 %endif
 ```
 
+## Format Strings
+
+`FMT()` is a built-in macro that builds a string by interpolating values into a format string. The first argument must be a string literal containing `%s` placeholders. Each subsequent argument is substituted in order for each `%s`.
+
+```goboscript
+FMT("Hello, %s! You are %s years old.", name, age)
+```
+
+This expands to a chain of `&` (join) operations:
+
+```goboscript
+"Hello, " & name & "! You are " & age & " years old."
+```
+
+The number of arguments after the format string must exactly match the number of `%s` placeholders in the format string. Passing too few or too many arguments is a compile-time error.
+
+```goboscript
+FMT("x = %s, y = %s", x, y)   # correct: 2 placeholders, 2 arguments
+FMT("x = %s", x, y)           # error: 1 placeholder, 2 arguments given
+FMT("x = %s, y = %s", x)      # error: 2 placeholders, 1 argument given
+```
+
+If no placeholders are present (only one argument), `FMT` simply expands to that string literal:
+
+```goboscript
+FMT("no placeholders")   # expands to "no placeholders"
+```
+
+Use `%%` to include a literal `%` character in the output:
+
+```goboscript
+FMT("%s%%", ratio)   # expands to ratio & "%"
+```
+
 ## Concatenate Tokens
 
 ```goboscript
diff --git a/src/diagnostic/diagnostic_kind.rs b/src/diagnostic/diagnostic_kind.rs
index c95f6dd1..130a97b0 100644
--- a/src/diagnostic/diagnostic_kind.rs
+++ b/src/diagnostic/diagnostic_kind.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ pub enum DiagnosticKind {
         expected: usize,
         given: usize,
     },
+    MacroTypeError {
+        macro_name: SmolStr,
+        message: SmolStr,
+    },
     CommandFailed {
         stderr: Vec<u8>,
     },
@@ -223,6 +227,9 @@ impl DiagnosticKind {
                     expected, given
                 )
             }
+            DiagnosticKind::MacroTypeError { macro_name, message } => {
+                format!("macro '{}': {}", macro_name, message)
+            }
             DiagnosticKind::CommandFailed { .. } => "command failed".to_string(),
             DiagnosticKind::ProcedureRedefinition(name) => {
                 format!("procedure '{}' is already defined", name)
@@ -437,6 +444,7 @@ impl From<&DiagnosticKind> for Level {
             | DiagnosticKind::ProcArgsCountMismatch { .. }
             | DiagnosticKind::FuncArgsCountMismatch { .. }
             | DiagnosticKind::MacroArgsCountMismatch { .. }
+            | DiagnosticKind::MacroTypeError { .. }
             | DiagnosticKind::CommandFailed { .. }
             | DiagnosticKind::ProcedureRedefinition(_)
             | DiagnosticKind::FunctionRedefinition(_)
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 46aa9139..5a66cffa 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -68,12 +68,13 @@ fn parse_sprite(tokens: Vec<SpannedToken>) -> (Sprite, Vec<Diagnostic>) {
 pub fn parse(translation_unit: &TranslationUnit) -> (Sprite, Vec<Diagnostic>) {
     let (tokens, tokenize_diagnostics) = tokenize(translation_unit);
     let (tokens, preprocess_diagnostic) = preprocess(tokens);
+    let has_preprocess_error = preprocess_diagnostic.is_some();
     let (sprite, parse_diagnostics) = parse_sprite(tokens);
 
     let all_diagnostics = tokenize_diagnostics
         .into_iter()
         .chain(preprocess_diagnostic)
-        .chain(parse_diagnostics)
+        .chain(if has_preprocess_error { vec![] } else { parse_diagnostics })
         .collect();
 
     (sprite, all_diagnostics)
diff --git a/src/pre_processor.rs b/src/pre_processor.rs
index 62c04220..edbbd310 100644
--- a/src/pre_processor.rs
+++ b/src/pre_processor.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ impl<'a> PreProcessor<'a, '_> {
             if self.substitute_function_define(span, suppress)? {
                 continue;
             }
+            if self.substitute_fmt(span)? {
+                dirty = true;
+                continue;
+            }
             if self.substitute_concat(span)? {
                 dirty = true;
                 continue;
@@ -334,6 +338,145 @@ impl<'a> PreProcessor<'a, '_> {
         Ok(true)
     }
 
+    fn substitute_fmt(&mut self, span: &mut Span) -> Result<bool, Diagnostic> {
+        let Token::Name(macro_name) = get_token(&self.tokens[*self.i]) else {
+            return Ok(false);
+        };
+        let macro_name_span = get_span(&self.tokens[*self.i]);
+        if macro_name != "FMT" {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+        if self
+            .tokens
+            .get(*self.i + 1)
+            .is_none_or(|token| get_token(token) != &Token::LParen)
+        {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+        self.remove_token(span);
+        self.remove_token(span);
+        self.expect_no_eof()?;
+        let mut token = get_token(&self.tokens[*self.i]).clone();
+        if token == Token::RParen {
+            return Err(Diagnostic {
+                kind: DiagnosticKind::MacroArgsCountMismatch {
+                    expected: 1,
+                    given: 0,
+                },
+                span: macro_name_span,
+            });
+        }
+        let mut args: Vec<Vec<Token>> = vec![];
+        let mut arg_spans: Vec<Span> = vec![];
+        let mut arg: Vec<Token> = vec![];
+        let mut arg_start = get_span(&self.tokens[*self.i]).start;
+        let mut arg_end = arg_start;
+        let mut parens = 0i32;
+        loop {
+            let tok_span = get_span(&self.tokens[*self.i]);
+            match &token {
+                Token::LParen => {
+                    parens += 1;
+                    arg_end = tok_span.end;
+                    arg.push(token);
+                }
+                Token::RParen if parens > 0 => {
+                    parens -= 1;
+                    arg_end = tok_span.end;
+                    arg.push(token);
+                }
+                Token::RParen => {
+                    arg_spans.push(arg_start..arg_end);
+                    args.push(arg);
+                    self.remove_token(span);
+                    break;
+                }
+                Token::Comma if parens == 0 => {
+                    arg_spans.push(arg_start..arg_end);
+                    args.push(arg);
+                    arg = vec![];
+                    self.remove_token(span);
+                    token = get_token(&self.tokens[*self.i]).clone();
+                    arg_start = get_span(&self.tokens[*self.i]).start;
+                    arg_end = arg_start;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    arg_end = tok_span.end;
+                    arg.push(token);
+                }
+            }
+            self.remove_token(span);
+            token = get_token(&self.tokens[*self.i]).clone();
+        }
+        self.apply_fmt(args, arg_spans, macro_name_span, span)
+    }
+
+    fn apply_fmt(
+        &mut self,
+        args: Vec<Vec<Token>>,
+        arg_spans: Vec<Span>,
+        macro_name_span: Span,
+        span: &mut Span,
+    ) -> Result<bool, Diagnostic> {
+        let Some([Token::Str(fmt)]) = args.first().map(|a| a.as_slice()) else {
+            return Err(Diagnostic {
+                kind: DiagnosticKind::MacroTypeError {
+                    macro_name: "FMT".into(),
+                    message: "format string argument must be a string literal".into(),
+                },
+                span: arg_spans.first().cloned().unwrap_or(macro_name_span),
+            });
+        };
+        let fmt_str = fmt.clone();
+        let sentinel = "\x00";
+        let escaped = fmt_str.replace("%%", sentinel);
+        let parts: Vec<SmolStr> = escaped
+            .split("%s")
+            .map(|s| SmolStr::from(s.replace(sentinel, "%")))
+            .collect();
+        let placeholders = parts.len() - 1;
+        let given = args.len() - 1;
+        if given != placeholders {
+            return Err(Diagnostic {
+                kind: DiagnosticKind::MacroArgsCountMismatch {
+                    expected: placeholders + 1,
+                    given: given + 1,
+                },
+                span: macro_name_span,
+            });
+        }
+        let mut output: Vec<Token> = vec![];
+        for (idx, part) in parts.iter().enumerate() {
+            if !part.is_empty() {
+                if !output.is_empty() {
+                    output.push(Token::Amp);
+                }
+                output.push(Token::Str(part.clone()));
+            }
+            if idx < args.len() - 1 {
+                let arg_tokens = &args[idx + 1];
+                if !arg_tokens.is_empty() {
+                    if !output.is_empty() {
+                        output.push(Token::Amp);
+                    }
+                    output.extend(arg_tokens.iter().cloned());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if output.is_empty() {
+            output.push(Token::Str(SmolStr::from("")));
+        }
+        let inserted: Vec<SpannedToken> = output
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|t| (macro_name_span.start, t, macro_name_span.end))
+            .collect();
+        let count = inserted.len();
+        self.tokens.splice(*self.i..*self.i, inserted);
+        span.end += count;
+        Ok(true)
+    }
+
     fn substitute_concat(&mut self, span: &mut Span) -> Result<bool, Diagnostic> {
         let Token::Name(macro_name) = get_token(&self.tokens[*self.i]) else {
             return Ok(false);