Decompile a childhood PC game with an agent and get it running in the browser

What you end up with

Decompilation suits agents because there is a clear test (does the rebuilt code behave like the original) and the work splits into many small functions.

What you get

• A plain-language summary of the workflow
• A fill-in prompt template
• What to watch out for
• A link to the original source

Who it is for

Builders who already use AI agents and want a proven workflow they can copy into their own project.

Works with

Solid chips: the agent is named in this listing's own tools list. Dashed chip: Plain Markdown, so it also pastes into other agents such as Grok Bot, Hermes, OpenClaw or Muse. We list those as compatible by format only, not as tested.

Tools needed

Cost to run: Free with the agent plan you already use.
Time to result: One working session

How it works

1. Pick a small game you have the right to work on and keep the original

   Pick a small game you have the right to work on and keep the original files.

   Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

2. Ask the agent to rebuild the source and produce a web build

   Ask the agent to rebuild the source and produce a web build.

   Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

3. Ask it to play the whole game and fix every crash it finds

   Ask it to play the whole game and fix every crash it finds.

   Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

4. Compare behaviour against the original on a few known scenes

   Compare behaviour against the original on a few known scenes.

   Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

5. Publish only what the rights allow

   Publish only what the rights allow.

   Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

Sample prompt from the pack

Apply this workflow to [your project]:
1. Pick a small game you have the right to work on and keep the original files.
2. Ask the agent to rebuild the source and produce a web build.
3. Ask it to play the whole game and fix every crash it finds.
4. Compare behaviour against the original on a few known scenes.
5. Publish only what the rights allow.
Stop and ask me before anything irreversible: deploys, payments, sends or deletes.

Free preview of the file

# Decompile a childhood PC game with an agent and get it running in the browser

PaperChase agent use case (free feed entry), version 1.0. Source: [Bouke van der Bijl (bou.ke)](https://bou.ke/blog/zoetermeer/), 2026-10-28.

## What they did

He gave Claude one goal: decompile the zip and make it work on the web. The first build ran but crashed, so the second instruction was to do a full playthrough and fix any crashes, which made it stable. The game was written in Pascal, a language he had never used. He also tried a much bigger target, a commercial strategy game, which stalled at about 60 percent after a month on his budget.

## Worth knowing

Decompilation suits agents because there is a clear test (does the rebuilt code behave like the original) and the work splits into many small functions. Start small: the big game stalled while the small one worked in a short session. Check the rights first; this game was a municipal educational title shared on archive.org, and commercial games carry their own rules.

Worth knowing

• Decompilation suits agents because there is a clear test (does the rebuilt code behave like the original) and the work splits into many small functions. Start small: the big game stalled while the small one worked in a short session. Check the rights first; this game was a municipal educational title shared on archive.org, and commercial games carry their own rules.
• Figures are as reported by the original author and were not re-measured by us.

Details

Version 1.0 · Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Markdown version of this page
License: Personal and commercial use. Credit the original source when you share the workflow. Download terms

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