PortedGames
Area 51 cover art
Area 51. Area 51 screenshot © Warner Bros. Games (Midway), via IGDB. Unofficial site, not affiliated with the publisher.
PC port · Windows → PC

Area 51 (2005) source code restoration project

A community project working on the unofficially released source code of Midway's Area 51 (2005), aiming to get it building and running on modern systems. Not playable yet.

UnreleasedSource portNeeds your own copyUpdated

You need your own copy of Area 51. This port only runs with files from a copy you own; there is no download or play button here. No copy? These play in your browser right away, no files needed: BO1 Zombies (vel.gg), GTA 3 Online (quenq III Web), The Simpsons: Hit & Run WASM.

What you need

Not playable: the community is still working to get the source code building on modern systems, and the PC build cannot yet read the retail game's model formats.

GitHub repository ↗

We do not host any files. Only download from the project's official source.

Every version of Area 51 1

  1. Area 51 (2005) source code restoration projectThis page

    UnreleasedSource port

    Source code for Area 51 (2005)

    Runs on Not playable yet (restoration in progress)Needs files from a copy you own★ 5812005-03-31 · Aug 28, 2021

    GitHub ↗

We link to each project's own page and host no game files. Version data from project pages, our daily checks and awesome-decomp-games (CC0).

Short answer

Area 51 (2005), Midway’s first-person shooter, has had its source code released unofficially, and the Project Dreamland community is trying to get it building on modern systems. It is not playable yet; the README lists open problems such as the PC build not reading the retail model formats.

This site is not affiliated with Project Dreamland, Midway, Inevitable Entertainment or Warner Bros. We do not host any files and only link the project’s repository.

What it is

Area 51 (2005) was a sci-fi shooter by Inevitable Entertainment (later Midway Studios Austin) for PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, a reboot of the 1995 arcade light-gun game.

ProjectDreamland/area51 calls itself “the unofficial release of the Area 51 (2005) video game source code”, aiming “to resurrect and preserve a piece of early 2000s video game history”. It is a preservation project, not an official release.

Current status

From the README:

  • Main goal: “to get the source code into a buildable state on modern systems”. The project asks for help with building, documenting the original toolchain, debugging and porting.
  • Main open issue: “the incompatibility of the PC build with the new retail model formats” (rigid and skinned geometry); a later note says one format version “may be partially restored”.
  • Activity: last updated in August 2025.

What this means for players

There is nothing to play yet, and no build to download. The repository is for developers and historians. If the restoration succeeds, it could lead to a playable port; until then, the original PC release on old hardware remains the only way to play.

FAQ

Can I play Area 51 (2005) from this source code?

Not yet. The project's stated main goal is still to get the source code into a buildable state on modern systems, and its README lists open problems, notably that the PC build cannot read the retail game's newer model formats.

Where does the Area 51 source code come from?

The repository describes itself as an unofficial release of the game's source code, shared to preserve a piece of early-2000s game history. It is not an official release by the rights holders.

Is Area 51 sold anywhere?

The 2005 game is not currently sold on modern digital stores. It was released on PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Midway Games (developed by Inevitable Entertainment) or Project Dreamland community (Area 51 (2005) source code restoration project's author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.

Sources

This page was last updated on Nov 3, 2026. A date after a source is the day we read it. Versions and steps follow the official project; if they differ, the official source wins.

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