Ghidra-ReAGS Quick Start

Extract compiled AGS scripts and export Ghidra pseudo-C on Windows — no command line required.

This guide walks you through extracting compiled AGS scripts from a game with AGSUnpacker, opening them in Ghidra 10.4 with the ReAGS extension, and saving the decompiler output as a .c text file. It is written for Windows users and gamers who are new to Ghidra and reverse engineering.

Important: the result is Ghidra pseudo-C — an automated best guess at the script logic — not a recovered copy of the game's original AGS source files.

Before you start

What you need

• A Windows PC
• The game's .exe file (your copy of the game you want to inspect)
• .NET 6 Desktop Runtime (required to run AGSUnpacker — install if AGSUnpacker.exe refuses to start)
• A 64-bit JDK for Ghidra (Ghidra 10.4 officially requires JDK 17 or newer — see Step 3)
• About 2 GB free disk space (Ghidra download ~353 MB, ~1 GB installed, plus JDK ~112 MB and project files)
• [TODO: time estimate — e.g. "About 45–60 minutes the first time"]

What you will end up with

• A folder of .scom3 script files extracted from the game
• A Ghidra project containing one imported script
• An exported .c file with Ghidra's pseudo-C decompilation attempt (one file per imported script)

Important: Use AGSUnpacker for the extraction step. Do not substitute another tool for that part.

Words you'll see

A few terms this guide uses often:

Downloads (bookmark these)

Step 1: Extract .scom3 scripts with AGSUnpacker

AGS games store compiled scripts inside the game data. AGSUnpacker pulls those out as .scom3 files you can open in Ghidra.

1. Download AGSUnpacker_v010_x64.zip (~452 KB) from the AGSUnpacker v010 release.
   - Use the x64 zip on modern 64-bit Windows PCs.
2. Unzip the download. You should get a folder named AGSUnpacker_v010_x64 containing AGSUnpacker.exe and a few support files.
3. Double-click AGSUnpacker.exe to open the program.
   - If Windows says the app cannot run, install the .NET 6 Desktop Runtime first, then try again.
4. Click Unpack Assets and select your game's .exe file.
5. Click Extract Scripts from Assets.

You should see

• A scripts folder containing many .scom3 files — including globalscript.scom3 (the main game script) and room scripts such as room1.scom3, room2.scom3, etc.
• [TODO: Confirm exactly where AGSUnpacker writes the scripts folder — same directory as the unpacked assets? Next to the game .exe?]

Tip: Run Unpack Assets before Extract Scripts from Assets. Leave the .scom3 files where AGSUnpacker puts them — you will import one into Ghidra in a later step. globalscript.scom3 is a good first choice.

• [TODO: screenshot — unzipped AGSUnpacker_v010_x64 folder showing AGSUnpacker.exe and support files]

Step 2: Download and unzip Ghidra 10.4

ReAGS is built for Ghidra 10.4 only. At the time of writing, ReAGS 20240301 is the only release — do not mix it with other Ghidra versions.

1. Download ghidra_10.4_PUBLIC_20230928.zip (~353 MB) from the Ghidra 10.4 release.
2. Unzip the download into a folder on your PC.
   - After unzipping you should have a folder named ghidra_10.4_PUBLIC (unpacked size is roughly 1 GB).
   - Any location works — e.g. C:\Tools\ghidra_10.4_PUBLIC or your Desktop.
   - You can use Windows Extract All, 7-Zip, or any unzip tool.
3. Open the ghidra_10.4_PUBLIC folder and find ghidraRun.bat in its root (same level as the Ghidra and support folders).

Step 3: Install a JDK (required)

Ghidra always needs a Java Development Kit — it does not include one. Assume you need to install one unless you already know you have a compatible JDK on your PC.

Ghidra 10.4 officially requires a 64-bit JDK 17 or newer. An older or 32-bit Java install on your system will not work.

This guide uses Eclipse Temurin because it is easy to download and install on Windows. You can use another JDK instead — what matters is that it is recent enough, 64-bit, and that you know where it was installed.

1. Go to Adoptium Temurin releases.
2. Download the Windows x64 .msi installer for a current JDK build (pick 17 or newer — example filename: OpenJDK25U-jdk_x64_windows_hotspot_25.0.3_9.msi, ~112 MB).
3. Run the installer with the default options.
4. After installation, note the JDK home directory — the top-level folder that contains bin\java.exe, not the bin folder itself. It is usually:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Programs\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-25.0.3.9-hotspot

Replace YourName with your Windows username and adjust the version number to match what you installed.

Tip: Open that folder in File Explorer and confirm you see a bin subfolder with java.exe inside. If you only see java.exe directly, go up one level — that parent folder is your JDK home.

Step 4: Run Ghidra for the first time

1. Double-click ghidraRun.bat (from Step 2).
2. A command window opens while Ghidra starts. Watch it on first launch — this is where Ghidra may ask for your JDK path.
3. If Ghidra asks for the JDK home directory: paste the folder path from Step 3 (no \bin at the end). If a file picker appears, browse to that same folder and confirm.
   - You only need to do this once. Ghidra remembers the location afterward.
4. Ghidra opens the Project Manager window — the main screen where you create projects and import files (not the CodeBrowser yet).

If Ghidra opens to the Project Manager, continue to Step 5 (Install ReAGS).

If you see Failed to find a supported JDK or Java runtime not found, double-check Step 3 — wrong folder, too old a Java version, or a 32-bit install are the usual causes.

Need more help with Ghidra?

If you get stuck getting Ghidra started, the ghidra_10.4_PUBLIC folder includes official 10.4 docs:

• docs\InstallationGuide.html — install, JDK, and troubleshooting (the Ghidra Extension Notes section also covers how to install extensions)
• docs\GhidraClass\Beginner\Introduction_to_Ghidra_Student_Guide_withNotes.html — annotated beginner slideshow

Easier-to-read online copies: Installation Guide · Introduction to Ghidra (Beginner)

For a broader setup walkthrough (JDK, extensions, and more), see Sean Whalen's Ghidra setup guide.

Step 5: Install the ReAGS extension

ReAGS teaches Ghidra how to read AGS .scom3 script files. Download it from the only release published so far:

1. Download ghidra_10_4_PUBLIC_20240301_ReAGS.zip (~64 KB) from ReAGS 20240301.
   - Do not unzip it — Ghidra installs the zip as-is.
2. In Ghidra, open File → Install Extensions...
3. In the Install Extensions window, click the green plus (+) button.
4. Select the ReAGS .zip file and click OK.
5. ReAGS should appear in the list with its checkbox enabled.
6. Click OK to close the Install Extensions window.

Important: Restart Ghidra completely — close it and open ghidraRun.bat again — even if Ghidra does not tell you to. ReAGS may not work until you do.

Step 6: Create a project and import a .scom3 file

Create a new project

1. In Ghidra, open File → New Project...
2. Select Non-Shared Project and click Next.
3. Choose a project folder (where Ghidra stores project files on your PC).
4. Enter a project name and click Finish.

Tip: ReAGS works on .scom3 script files, not the game .exe. A common first import is globalscript.scom3. Pick any project name you like — e.g. MyGameScripts.

Import a script file

1. Open File → Import File...
2. Browse to the scripts folder from Step 1.
3. Select any .scom3 file and click OK / Open.

Check the Import dialog

Before you confirm the import, verify these two lines:

4. Click OK to import.
5. When the Import Results Summary appears, click OK.

If Format or Language look wrong: ReAGS is probably not installed or not loaded. Go back to Step 5, confirm the extension is enabled, restart Ghidra, and try again.

Step 7: Analyze the imported script

1. In the Active Project window, open the folder named after your project.
2. Double-click your imported .scom3 file — or right-click it and choose Open With → CodeBrowser.

3. Ghidra will ask whether you want to analyze the file now. Click Yes.

4. The Analysis Options window opens with many checkboxes. Leave the defaults as they are, but confirm these two are checked:
   - Scom3 Function Analyzer
   - Script format analyzer
5. Click Analyze.

Wait for analysis to finish. Progress appears in the status bar at the bottom of CodeBrowser; when analysis is done, that progress indicator stops and you can click functions in the Symbol Tree.

You are almost done. You can jump ahead to Step 9 (Export) now, or continue to Step 8 for a quick look around.

Important: Export your .c file (Step 9) before closing the CodeBrowser window. ReAGS may not keep your analysis when you close it.

Step 8: Browse functions and decompiled output (optional)

This step shows you where Ghidra puts the readable-ish output. You do not need to understand everything here.

1. In the CodeBrowser left sidebar, find Symbol Tree.
2. Expand Functions.
3. Click a named function — one that looks like game logic (e.g. game_start, SetObjectPosition$3, dialog_request_1) rather than auto-generated names like FUN_08001234.
   - The Decompile panel shows one function at a time. Click a different function in the tree to switch what you see.

4. In the center Listing view, the cursor should jump to that function — something like:

undefined GetSoundNumber$1

5. In the right Decompile panel, Ghidra shows pseudo-C code — an automated guess at what the original AGS script might have looked like.

The output will not match the original AGS source file line-for-line — expect odd variable names, missing structure, and some functions that decompile poorly. Many users still find it readable enough to reconstruct lost script logic.

For deeper reading after this tutorial, see Further reading below.

Step 9: Export the decompilation

1. In CodeBrowser, open File → Export Program...
2. Set Format to C/C++.
3. Set Output File to a new name — do not overwrite your original .scom3 file.
   - Pick a folder and a filename such as globalscript_export (Ghidra adds the .c extension).
4. Click OK.

You should see

• A new .c file on disk (e.g. globalscript_export.c) containing pseudo-C for the decompiled functions

Open the exported file in Notepad or any text editor.

If it feels like looking into the Matrix or a magic 8 ball, you are on the right track.

Summary checklist

Use this to confirm you completed every stage:

• Extracted .scom3 files with AGSUnpacker
• Downloaded and unzipped Ghidra 10.4
• Ghidra launches successfully (ghidraRun.bat)
• Installed a 64-bit JDK and pointed Ghidra at it (Step 3–4)
• Installed ReAGS 20240301 from the .zip and restarted Ghidra
• Created a Non-Shared project
• Imported a .scom3 — Format and Language matched the expected values
• Ran analysis with Scom3 Function Analyzer and Script format analyzer
• Exported decompilation as C/C++
• Opened the exported file and confirmed it contains text output

Troubleshooting

Import shows the wrong Format or Language

• Confirm you are running Ghidra 10.4 with ReAGS 20240301 — the only ReAGS release at the time of writing.
• Open File → Install Extensions... and verify ReAGS is checked.
• Restart Ghidra fully and try importing again.

Ghidra will not start / Java errors

• Ghidra always needs a JDK — install one (Step 3) if you have not yet.
• Use a 64-bit JDK 17 or newer. Very old Java or 32-bit installs will fail.
• When pasting the JDK path, use the folder above bin, not ...\bin itself.
• Confirm bin\java.exe exists inside the folder you chose.
• If you already had Java installed, it may be the wrong version — install Temurin (or another current JDK) and point Ghidra at that install instead.

ReAGS analyzers do not appear in Analysis Options

• ReAGS is not loaded — repeat Step 5 and restart Ghidra.
• [TODO: Other causes?]

Decompile window stays empty after analysis

• Click a named function in Symbol Tree → Functions — the Decompile panel only updates when a function is selected.
• If the Listing shows ?? at function addresses, try: select the code memory block → right-click → Disassemble → run Analysis again.
• [TODO: Other edge cases you hit during testing]

Export failed or file is empty

• Make sure analysis finished and at least some functions decompile when clicked individually.
• [TODO]

AGSUnpacker did not produce a scripts folder

• Make sure you clicked Unpack Assets first, then Extract Scripts from Assets — in that order.
• Confirm you selected the game's .exe, not a shortcut or unrelated file.
• AGSUnpacker targets officially released AGS 2.x and 3.x games. Very old 1.x games, AGS 4.x, or heavily customized builds may not work.
• [TODO: Where the scripts folder should appear on disk — verify once and add a screenshot path]

AGSUnpacker.exe will not start

• Install the .NET 6 Desktop Runtime (64-bit). AGSUnpacker v010 is built for .NET 6 and is not self-contained.

What to expect from ReAGS

The following is paraphrased from the ReAGS README and its Known issues list — not original guidance from this tutorial.

ReAGS is a Ghidra 10.4 plugin (same author as AGSUnpacker). The README describes the project as halfway finished and no longer being developed. ReAGS 20240301 is the only release listed at this time.

The author notes that ReAGS can still be used in its current state, but that users should not expect a smooth experience.

Known issue (major): analysis state is not saved into project files. According to the README, closing the CodeBrowser window can lose all work from that session — so export the .c file before closing Ghidra.

The README also lists incorrect decompilation as a known issue; the author’s wording is that this becomes obvious when reviewing the output.

[TODO: Optional — link to assembly/listing as fallback when decompilation fails (author note in Page build notes).]

Further reading

• Ghidra-ReAGS README — project status, supported Ghidra version, full known-issues list
• ReAGS 20240301 release
• AGSUnpacker README — supported AGS versions, feature list
• AGSUnpacker releases — download current builds
• Ghidra official site
• [TODO: AGS forums / community links]

Reference links