Case study

outrun: a Sonic Runners custom server

Reimplements the game server for the Sonic Runners mobile game as a Go service, so Android and iOS clients redirected to it can log in, play Timed and Story modes and use the shop, roulettes, character and Chao progression, events, notices and basic rankings. The README says it was reverse engineered from the Sonic Runners Revival server, on whose code it bases much of its own; it serves about 40 HTTP endpoints of the client's API, decrypts and encrypts AES-CBC request payloads and keeps player state in a bbolt database.

Targets: Game · Protocol
Category: Independent reconstruction cases
Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-27
Evidence class: C1 partial scope or analysis entry

Stars: 101
Last commit: 2023-12-31
Language: Go
License (GitHub): GPL-3.0

GitHub data as of 2026-11-10

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Evidence

Demo available · no screenshot

Observed: Demo documented; the documentation covers part of the feature set.
Scope: Partial
Checked: 2026-11-09

How evidence classes are assigned

Requirements & limits

Release v1.0.1 provides Windows, macOS and Linux server builds for amd64 and arm64. The README aims to cover every non-debug endpoint; no tests are listed.
Builds with Go. go.mod declares Go 1.17, while the README build steps use Go 1.15.8 and warn that Go 1.16+ breaks some RPC programs. Configuration uses config.json and optional event, info and game files; the default client port is 9001.
Play needs the user’s Sonic Runners client. The README targets the v2.0.3 Android APK, modified to connect to the server. The repository contains no client or game assets.
The README credits contributors for the client-traffic AES key, traffic logs and story-mode data.
Server code is GPL-3.0; the game, client, assets and trademarks retain their own rights.

Cite

BibTeX

@misc{outrun-sonic-runners-server-case,
  title = {{outrun: a Sonic Runners custom server}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/fluofoxxo/outrun}},
  url = {https://github.com/fluofoxxo/outrun},
  urldate = {2026-10-27},
  note = {Awesome REA entry: \url{https://awesomerea.org/resources/outrun-sonic-runners-server-case/}}
}

Plain text

outrun: a Sonic Runners custom server. https://github.com/fluofoxxo/outrun (accessed 2026-10-27). Awesome REA entry: https://awesomerea.org/resources/outrun-sonic-runners-server-case/

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About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.

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Primary sources

README.md GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
main1.go GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
go.mod GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
muxhandlers GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
config GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
LICENSE GitHub · fluofoxxo/outrun · Revision 750d7b9
https://github.com/fluofoxxo/outrun/releases/tag/v1.0.1