# Black & White: decompiling the Windows and Classic Mac OS game builds

> Black & White is being reconstructed as C and C++ source for multiple Windows PE/COFF and Classic Mac OS PEF releases. The workflow splits user-supplied game binaries into objects, builds reconstructed source with period toolchains, and compares objects with objdiff.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/openblack/bw1-decomp>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/openblack/bw1-decomp/blob/fd018f4897aa07faa3e168f9943e33bec32ab6ac/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/black-and-white-1-decomp-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/black-and-white-1-decomp-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/black-and-white-1-decomp-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** An existing game copy and the original binaries for the selected version are required; Windows builds also need the game's DLLs.
- **Prerequisites:** The documented Windows builds require decrypted executables and period MSVC libraries; Python and Ninja drive configuration and builds.
- **Limits:** The decompilation is in progress across multiple versions.
- **License:** CC0-1.0 license.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/openblack/bw1-decomp/blob/fd018f4897aa07faa3e168f9943e33bec32ab6ac/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/openblack/bw1-decomp/blob/fd018f4897aa07faa3e168f9943e33bec32ab6ac/docs/getting_started.md>

## More in Games

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- [Blast Corps: a matching Nintendo 64 decompilation](https://awesomerea.org/resources/slaveofido-blast-corps-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Blast Corps: matching N64 decompilation and native port](https://awesomerea.org/resources/doridian-blast-corps-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Blood-RE: matching decompilation of Blood](https://awesomerea.org/resources/blood-re/index.md) · Case study
- [Body Harvest: matching US and EU N64 decompilations](https://awesomerea.org/resources/body-harvest-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Boktai 3: matching GBA decompilation and script analysis](https://awesomerea.org/resources/boktai-3-case/index.md) · Case study

## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.