A 1997 game running in half an hour
TeMPOraL writes that Claude Code got a 1997 PC game running on modern hardware in 30 minutes, then decompiled most of it and ran it without taking over the screen.
Done with Claude CodeAdvanced
What was done
On 14 October 2026 TeMPOraL writes on Hacker News about a 1997 PC game. Claude Code got it running on modern hardware in 30 minutes and set up a basic environment for inspecting the program. Over further rounds it decompiled most of it. Because on-screen play took over the PC, it extended a DirectX DLL so the game can run headlessly, including several copies at once. It mapped memory addresses and scripts, and uses scenario files, patches to level data and memory changes. It also built tools so he can see how the game is constructed, and wrote level guides with screenshots.
How it went
The game runs, and he can check the work with the tools the agent built. The post does not name the game in the text used here, and it does not say how much of the code was verified line by line.
Worth knowing
This is one game he already owned, not a recipe for fetching other people's games. Memory edits and decompilation can break the licence even if you own the disc. He writes that he steered the work as it went.
How to do it
- Point the agent at a local copy of a program you have the right to inspect.
- Ask it to get the program to start, and to show what it changed.
- Ask it to build tools you can use to check the claim, before it changes more.
Try it with Claude Code
I have a local copy of [program] that I have the right to run. Get it to start on [machine]. Show what you changed. Do not fetch code or assets from the network that I do not already have. Do not take over my screen. Stop and show the diff.
Replace text in brackets with your own.
Done when. The program starts, and you have seen the diff.
Safety rule. Only a copy you have the right to use. No download of other people's games, and no takeover of the screen.
Read the original
Read the original · TeMPOraL on Hacker News ·