AI game decompilation: games decompiled, recompiled and ported with AI
AI game decompilation means using a language model to turn a game's compiled machine code back into source code that people can read, build and change. The projects on this page did that for PC, console and home computer games, from small 6502 ROMs to PlayStation and Nintendo 64 titles. Most used an agent such as Claude Code or Codex, often connected to Ghidra or IDA through an MCP server, so the model could read the disassembly, rename functions and check its own work against the original. Some aimed for a matching decompilation, where the rebuilt code compiles to the same bytes as the game. Others recompiled a game to run natively on new hardware, ported it to the web, or patched one behaviour for a mod. Each entry links the author's own writeup or repo and lists the model, tools and reported outcome. Results vary: some games are fully playable, others are partial and still in progress.
- Projects
- 19
- Outcomes
- Works14Partial5
- Models used
- Claude14GPT5
The projects
Resurrected a 1992 MUD from its scripts, a GM manual and a 1996 session log
A MUD dead since 1999, playable again from its scripts and an old log.
600+ billion tokens: an agent swarm decompiled a first-person shooter
15+ agents, three months, 99% of a shooter rebuilt in C++.
Built a PS1 static recompiler with no prior experience and got Tomba! playable
No prior experience, three weeks, and a PS1 game running as native code.
Recompiled a 20-year-old puzzle game for Apple Silicon and the web
A 20-year-old puzzle game, running natively on Apple Silicon and in the browser.
Reverse engineering GTA San Andreas with autonomous LLM agents (ReAgent)
A reverser LLM, a checker LLM and Ghidra evidence gates, used on San Andreas.
I asked Claude Fable 5 to reverse engineer a 1993 DOS game with no source code. It read the raw machine code, rewrote the engine in C, and gave me a fully editable port for every platform. 30 min from EXE to iPhone. Sharing it all so you can revive your own childhood games!
Rewrote the SkyRoads engine in portable C from raw machine code with Claude Fable 5
Reverse engineered the C64 strategy game Weltendämmerung and ported it to the web
A 7 KB C64 binary, three days and $100 later, playable in the browser.
Started a ScummVM engine for the 1996 DOS game Harvester with Codex and GhidraMCP
A ScummVM engine for a 1996 horror adventure, started in about a day.
Gave Atari River Raid unlimited lives with Claude driving Ghidra
One byte in an 8 kB Atari ROM, found by Claude driving Ghidra.
Started a decompilation from zero: Claude Code and 51% of a 2001 GBA game
A GBA decompilation started from zero, now past halfway.
One-shot matching decompilation of Snowboard Kids 2 with Claude in a loop
Three weeks of Claude in a loop beat the previous three months by hand.
Repaired the FFVIIHook mod after a game update
A game update broke the mod; Claude and Ghidra found what moved.
Share the writeup or repo, and what the AI got right and wrong.
Related guides
Common questions
Yes, with limits. The projects here show models turning game binaries into readable C, C++ or new ports, but nearly all of them used a human to set goals, check results and fix mistakes. Matching decompilations also need a build setup that compares the output with the original bytes.
It is a decompilation where the rebuilt source compiles to exactly the same machine code as the original game. Tools such as objdiff and decomp-permuter measure how close each function is, which gives the model a clear signal for whether its guess is right.
Most pair an agent such as Claude Code or Codex with a disassembler. Ghidra is the most common, usually through an MCP server like GhidraMCP or REA. Some add an emulator so the model can test behaviour while it works.
It depends on where you live and what you do with the result. Many projects keep game assets out of the repo and require a legal copy of the original. This is not legal advice; read the site policy and check the law that applies to you.