Brainrotify

Rewrite eligible text surfaces into meme-heavy prose while leaving program structure intact. Prefer the bundled script for file-based work because it handles file discovery, safe backups, comment targeting, and reporting more reliably than ad hoc edits.

This skill is agent-agnostic. Use the same workflow with Codex, Claude, or similar AI coding agents that can read files, run a script, and present a diff or summary.

Workflow

1. Initialize the skill clearly.

In the first user-facing update, explicitly say that brainrotify runs locally for normal rewrites, list the available intensity levels (L, Mid, and W), and present the scope options up front: single file, folder, or preview-only.

Recommended opening prompt: brainrotify runs locally for normal rewrites. Available intensity levels are L, Mid, and W, and I will use Mid by default unless you want a quieter or louder tone.

I can brainrotify a single file, a folder, or do a preview-only pass first. What path do you want me to target, and do you want a timestamped backup in .brainrot-backup/ before I write changes?

1. Confirm scope.

Identify whether the user wants a single file, a folder, or a preview-only pass. Default to Mid unless the user asks for a quieter or louder tone.

1. Offer a backup before writes.

Ask once whether to create a timestamped backup in .brainrot-backup/<timestamp>/. Do not skip this question unless the user already said no backup, overwrite, or preview only.

1. Run the helper script.

Use the script for real file rewrites. Prefer --dry-run --show-diff first for large batches or unfamiliar file types.

python3 <path-to-skill>/scripts/brainrotify.py README.md --intensity L --dry-run --show-diff
python3 <path-to-skill>/scripts/brainrotify.py docs/ src/ --intensity Mid --backup
python3 <path-to-skill>/scripts/brainrotify.py . --intensity W --no-backup

1. Review the result.

Report how many files were brainrotified, how many were unchanged, and how many were skipped. Mention the backup location when one was created.

Safety Rules

• Rewrite comments, Markdown, README files, HTML comments, and real docstrings only.
• Do not rewrite fenced code blocks, inline code, imports, identifiers, signatures, executable statements, or non-docstring string literals.
• Keep headings, list structure, indentation, comment markers, and surrounding formatting intact.
• Use --dry-run --show-diff before bulk writes when the support matrix is only partially relevant to the target tree.
• Fall back to manual inspection when the file type is unsupported or the diff looks risky.

Script Notes

The script supports:

• Markdown and plain text docs outside fenced code blocks and frontmatter
• Python # comments and true docstrings
• // and /* */ comments in common JS/TS/C-family files
• # comments in shell and config files when they are outside quoted strings
• <!-- --> comments in HTML-like files
• A separate lexicon file at scripts/brainrot_lexicon.json, so vocabulary updates do not require Python edits

The script defaults to Mid intensity. In non-interactive mode it refuses to rewrite unless --backup or --no-backup is provided explicitly, which prevents silent destructive runs.

Keep runtime rewrites network-free. If you want fresher slang, update the lexicon file offline or add a separate refresh script that fetches and compacts terms into the local JSON cache. Do not make live scraping a requirement for normal rewrites.

Intensity Guide

• L: keep the text readable; add a few slang substitutions and light emphasis
• Mid: push harder on meme phrasing while keeping the message easy to follow
• W: lean into chat-brained phrasing, but keep the meaning recoverable

Use tone-guide.md when you need to reason about style choices or explain the intensity differences before rewriting.