Restore an old PC game on a modern machine

Claude Code revived a 1997 DirectX game, unpacked much of its code, and later used it to generate illustrated walkthroughs on its own.

Done with Claude Code· Advanced· Oct 2026

What they did
A user asked Claude Code to get a 1997 Windows game working again. It had the game launching on current hardware in about 30 minutes and, while doing that, set up a basic reverse-engineering setup. In later passes, it disassembled most of the game, then extended a DirectX DLL shim so copies of the game could run without a visible desktop, including several at once.
How it went
After that, Claude could produce complete walkthroughs with usable screenshots from important points in the game without being guided step by step. The user’s larger aim of matching the game to their memory is still underway.
Tips
If you want to understand what the agent is changing, ask it to create small inspection tools that reveal the game’s structure. Keeping runs invisible can also prevent computer-control sessions from seizing your main desktop.

Try it yourself with Claude Code

I have a [year] Windows game in [folder path] that no longer works on my modern PC. Diagnose the problem, get it running again if possible, and explain each change you make. Use whatever safe wrappers, compatibility fixes, or shims you need, but work only on a copy and leave the original install untouched. Also make any small helper tools needed to show how the game is built so I can check your progress. When the game first reaches the main menu, stop and ask before doing anything irreversible such as saving, sending, deleting, submitting, or modifying files. Then tell me the next steps for starting it myself.

Fill in the [brackets]. Agents can make mistakes, so review anything before it is sent, paid or deleted.

Read the original on news.ycombinator.com ↗

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