Reverse-engineer a 1997 PC game and make it run on modern hardware

Claude Code got an old DirectX game running on modern hardware, decompiled much of it, built a headless parallel runner, and now writes full level guides with screenshots.

What They Did

Claude Code got the 1997 game running on modern hardware in about 30 minutes, setting up a basic reverse-engineering environment along the way. Over further iterations it decompiled most of the game. At the user's request it extended a shimmed DirectX DLL to run headlessly on a Windows Private Desktop, allowing parallel instances. It mapped memory addresses and scripts, and the user nudged it and checked its work.

How It Went

Claude now writes full level guides with decent screenshots of key moments, zero-shot. The user's goal of making the game look as it did in their memory is still in progress.

Worth Knowing

Ask the agent to build helper tools that expose how the game is built, so you can verify its work and steer it. Headless runs also avoid computer-use sessions taking over your PC.