Welcome back. By now, you’ve probably seen that one dev rebuilt Adobe’s software and open sourced all of it. That trend isn’t going to stop. Now a GitHub repo called REA, short for Reverse Engineer Anything, lets your agent look inside any app and build your own version.
In this issue, you’ll find 3 workflows devs are using to reverse engineer software, plus more fun projects to learn from. Let’s get started:
Today’s Brief
What is REA or Reverse Engineer Anything
Workflow #1: Mod a game with Claude Code
Workflow #2: Rebuilt a feature from another app
Workflow #3: Build better software for your hardware
DEEP DIVE
What it is. REA is an MCP server that lets you rebuild almost any software out there. It decompiles whatever app you point it at, then guides your AI agent to recreate the exact features you want.
How it works.You start by asking your agent something like, "How does this feature work? Can you build a version of it for me?" Your agent passes that request to REA, which connects it into decompiler (the tools engineers use to turn compiled apps back into human-readable code).
With each pass, REA returns pseudocode showing what the code does, along with supporting evidence and anything it couldn't solve. Your agent keeps iterating until the feature is completely rebuilt.
To get started, have your agent install REA for you, or run "npx rea-agents setup" yourself and restart your agent. Just make sure to stick to open-source software and apps or devices you own, since many terms of service forbid reverse engineering.
Here are 3 workflows worth trying out this weekend:
WORKFLOW #1: GAME MODDING
How to mod a game you own with Claude Code
You have an idea for a new weapon or mechanic in a game you love. But the modding wiki is ten years old. Step one is always digging through decompiled code by hand.
One developer turned real agent workflows for modding Terraria, Age of Empires II, and GTA V into universal-modder. It’s a Claude Code plugin that handles the heavy lifting.
Its agent locates the game and identifies the engine. Then it inspects the code, builds the mod, generates sprites and audio, and tests everything inside the live game.
Here’s how you can implement it:
Step 1: Install the plugin in Claude Code. You’ll also need Python 3.10+, ffmpeg, and Git:
/plugin marketplace add rehan-remade/universal-modder
/plugin install universal-modder@universal-modderStep 2: For generated art, run “um fal key set” with a fal API key. Without one, fal signs you in through the browser instead.
Step 3: Point Claude at a game you own and describe the mod. The repo’s own first example:
Mod Terraria: add a homing missile launcher and a tactical nuke that craters the world. Make the sprites with fal.Your opinion matters!
This is our fifth Saturday Special. It’s a quick 5 min email designed to show how to use the latest and most relevant AI tools to code faster. Let us know what you think of this email in the poll at the bottom of this email (or by replying to this email).
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WORKFLOW #2: COMPETITOR TEARDOWN
How to reverse engineer a feature you like in a competitor's app
Say you are adding search to your app, and you love how a certain notes app surfaces results the instant you type.
From the outside, you can't tell whether it queries on every keystroke or relies on a local index, so you might guess and end up shipping something laggy.
This is exactly what REA was built for. This dev shared the steps that lets your agent tear down the app, pinpoint the exact file and function behind the behavior, and build a similar feature tailored to your project without copying any code.
Here’s how you can implement it:
Step 1: If you skipped setup above, run it and restart your agent:
npx rea-agents setupStep 2: Pick an app you own or an open-source one, then send Opus 5.5 this prompt.
The prompt ensures the agent checks that you have permission to analyze the app, traces every finding back to a specific file or function, and outlines a plan before writing any code.
Step 3: Approve the plan, and it builds the minimum pieces you need for your own project.
WORKFLOW #3: DEVICE CONTROL
How to replace the app you hate for a device you own
Your AC only responds to its proprietary remote, and the vendor’s app performs even worse. Although you own the hardware, you must use an app you would prefer to delete.
This developer had an agent to examine how the AC’s app communicates with the unit, then created a Mac menu‑bar app that displays temperature, mode, fan speed, and eco mode, so he never hunts for the remote again.
Here’s how you can implement it:
Step 1: Plug in your device. This prompt checks for an official API first, so you only resort to reverse engineering if there is no supported workaround.
Step 2: Once it maps the controls, have it wrap them in an MCP first, then build the menu bar app on top. Any agent you write can drive the device from then on.
FUN WEEKEND PROJECTS TO TRY
An Apple TV remote reverse engineered to run on Linux in 45 minutes (link).
Ray-Ban Meta glasses rewired to send “Hey Meta” to Claude (link).
A full first-person shooter decompiled by a swarm of agents (link).
A game taken apart and remixed into something new (link).
An authenticator app’s 6-digit codes recovered and rebuilt (link).
P.S. Here’s REA’s official guide for building native apps and websites.
STARTING POINT
How to start this weekend. By Sunday morning, you could ship a mod for a game you own, clone a competitor's feature you've been eyeing, and replace a clunky vendor app with your own menu bar tool. Once you get the hang of that, point REA at your own codebase to see what competitors could pull from it.
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Until next time — The Code team
