awesomerea.

THE INDEPENDENT REA DIRECTORY

Reverse engineering.
Real projects.

Explore what people are learning and building with REA — Reverse Engineer Anything. Open repositories, useful case studies, and the evidence behind them.

Explore the directory New to REA? Start here

Unofficial. Source-checked. No “one-click clone” promises.

the reconstruction loop

// understand before you rebuild

01
Inspect the originalapp · binary · runtime behavior
02
Follow the evidenceREA + your coding agent
03
Build. Test. Compare.source you can inspect
evidence, not magic
9curated entries
4clearly labeled categories
100%linked to primary sources

Read the code.
Know the limits.

THE COLLECTION

Small list. Clear evidence.

Reconstructions, research and tools — not interchangeable claims.

Source review

Showing 9 entries

Source review ≠ software audit ↗
Game reconstruction

DX-Ball

DX-Ball 1.07 · Windows

From a classic brick-breaker to readable C/C++. Follow a reconstruction workflow that compares recovered functions against the original executable.

Reconstruction in progress
REA connection & limits

Author documents REA use

The project README describes Codex using REA with Ghidra to inspect and recover functions. The official REA showcase demonstrates the sound-pan calculation.

Know before you try: Original game files are required. A matching function is not proof of whole-game equivalence; we have not built or played this project.

REA evidenceOfficial case study
MITChecked
Audio interoperability

VSL-DSP

PreSonus AudioBox VSL · Linux

An open-source hardware project with Linux device detection and DSP parameter tools. REA findings inform a specific part of its vendor-protocol research.

Hardware validation still needed
REA connection & limits

Author documents REA use

The README credits LazyOwn's REA integration and Ghidra for recent vendor-library and DSP findings, not the entire pre-existing driver project.

Know before you try: Not a verified replacement for Universal Control. The README identifies hardware fault injection as remaining work for bulk I/O. We have not tested a device.

Kernel detector sources declare GPL-2.0-or-later; consult the per-file notices.

REA evidenceLicense scope
GPL-3.0-or-later*Checked
Electron case study

Notion clipboard bridge

Notion Desktop · Electron

Trace a copy operation from the page through preload scripts and IPC to the system clipboard, then examine how rich block data stays connected.

Analysis only
REA connection & limits

REA maintainer case study

The official case study shows REA findings for Notion's tab preload, followed by reading the wrappers and receiver in the packaged application.

Know before you try: This is not an open-source Notion replacement. No standalone alternative repository is linked by the case study; it is a focused investigation, not a complete app rebuild.

REA evidence
No standalone code licenseChecked
Game feature reconstruction

TH04 bullet-ring reconstruction

Touhou 4 · PC-98 / DOS

See how a ring of bullets turns toward the player. A documented REA inspection connects 16-bit instructions with a readable angle calculation.

REA evidence covers one feature
REA connection & limits

REA maintainer case study

REA's official showcase verifies a focused bullet-ring inspection. The linked repository is a broader game reconstruction; the evidence does not attribute that whole project to REA.

Know before you try: Full-game validation has separate open work. The repository requires your own legal game copy; its source license does not cover original game assets.

REA evidenceRepository scope
MIT (repository code)Checked
Engine project · REA tooling

OpenBattlefield2

Battlefield 2 engine · C++20

An in-progress reimplementation of the Refractor 2 engine. Its repository includes a REA helper for investigating user-supplied game binaries.

Research engine; incomplete
REA connection & limits

REA tooling present

tools/rea.sh explicitly invokes rea-agents with Ghidra and per-binary snapshots. Tooling presence does not establish that REA produced every engine subsystem.

Know before you try: Requires your own Battlefield 2 installation. The checked README lists missing firing, vehicle control and sound. Not a complete free replacement for the game.

REA evidenceRepository scope
MIT + third-party noticesChecked
Rust port · REA tooling

GunZRs

GunZ: The Duel · Rust / Bevy

A Rust game port that reads assets from the user's Steam installation, with a separate REA and Ghidra investigation framework in the repository.

Port with documented limitations
REA connection & limits

REA tooling present

The README documents a target-independent REA framework. It also says game formats were recovered from data files; this does not prove the entire port was made with REA.

Know before you try: Requires your own game installation. We have not run it or checked retail feature parity. Included research tools are not an endorsement of every project claim.

REA evidence
Apache-2.0Checked
Native binary analysis

OpenBSD netcat study

netcat-openbsd · Linux ELF

An author-published static investigation of a Linux netcat binary, with REA evidence files, Ghidra findings and cross-checks against standard binary tools.

Analysis only
REA connection & limits

Author documents REA use

The repository names REA 6.2.0 and Ghidra 12.1.4 and links its raw analysis artifacts. Its reported findings are static, not a runtime test.

Know before you try: The target is already open source. This is a research write-up, not a new netcat implementation or proof that a binary is safe.

REA evidence
MIT (analysis) + BSD noticeChecked
Android case study

Aegis authenticator study

Aegis Authenticator · Android APK

Follow the methods behind a six-digit login code in a released APK, and see how the time-step rule explains why the code changes every 30 seconds.

Analysis only
REA connection & limits

REA maintainer case study

The official REA showcase traces code-generation methods in an Aegis release APK. It is an explanation of an existing open-source application.

Know before you try: Not a new authenticator, credential-recovery tool or account bypass. The study does not claim to recover another person's login codes.

REA evidence
No standalone code licenseChecked
CTF case study

DownUnderCTF flag checker

DownUnderCTF challenge · Native binary

A competition-style reverse-engineering example: follow checking functions, translate their constraints into equations and check a solution.

Analysis only
REA connection & limits

REA maintainer case study

REA's official showcase documents a DownUnderCTF flag-checker investigation and reports checking the solved result with the challenge program.

Know before you try: An educational challenge, not a commercial-software alternative. We reviewed the published account and did not rerun the challenge.

REA evidence
No standalone code licenseChecked

A NOTE ON “OPEN-SOURCE ALTERNATIVES”

A reconstruction isn't always a replacement.

We have not confirmed a complete REA-built replacement for a commercial application in this edition. That is a limit of our review, not a claim that none exist. Projects may still need original software, assets or hardware.

What would qualify?

NEW TO REA?

A toolkit for understanding
how software works.

REA connects a coding agent to inspection tools through MCP or the command line. It returns findings with evidence; your agent can investigate further, explain the behavior, or write and test code.

Native analysis uses a supported engine such as Ghidra, Hopper or IDA. Requirements vary by target. Analysis runs locally, but your coding agent's model provider may receive tool results.

Read the official guides
START WITH THE OFFICIAL PACKAGE

One setup command.

npx rea-agents setup

Requires a supported Node.js version and npm. Review setup changes before approving them, then restart your agent.

Requirements & quick start
Official sources, no lookalike downloads.
GitHubnpm: rea-agentsrea.tools

REA's maintainers say they have not issued or endorsed a cryptocurrency or token.

A LITTLE CONTEXT

Good questions.
Straight answers.

What is REA (Reverse Engineer Anything)?

REA is an open-source CLI and MCP server that connects coding agents to software-analysis tools. It helps investigate native binaries, JavaScript and Electron applications, and other targets. The agent uses the findings to explain behavior or develop an implementation.

Does REA turn any paid app into a free clone?

No. REA returns analysis and evidence, not a guarantee of original source recovery, full feature parity, or permission to redistribute software. A small reconstruction and a complete replacement are very different things.

Are these projects all built entirely with REA?

No. Each entry states the relationship: author-documented REA use, a focused maintainer case study, or REA tooling present in the repository. We do not promote a helper script into proof of a whole-project origin.

Is REA the same as Ghidra?

No. Ghidra is one of the analysis engines REA can use. REA connects engines and workflows to agents through MCP and the CLI. Native analysis needs a supported provider; static JavaScript inspection does not require a native engine.

Is this the official REA website?

No. Awesome REA is an independent curated index. The upstream repository is github.com/morluto/rea, the package is rea-agents, and the official website is rea.tools.

How can I submit a project or request a correction?

Email the curator using the suggestion / correction link. Include the repository, a primary source showing REA use, the license, and any missing limitation. Requests are reviewed manually; nothing is auto-published.

HELP THE INDEX GROW

Built something with REA?

Send a repository and evidence of how you used it. A useful, honest case beats a big claim.

Suggest a project