Make Your PC Games Easier (or Harder) With Cheat Engine
Once upon a time, cheat codes were a ubiquitous feature of video games, but these days they rarely turn on, and if they do, they’re usually nothing more than a nostalgic nod to classic games. However, there is a way to add useful effects such as invincibility mode to some games that use the Cheat Engine.
Cheat Engine is a third-party tool available for Windows and Mac (sorry, console players) that allows users to tweak game code to affect certain in-game settings. For example, you could give yourself unlimited health in difficult games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Elden Ring , or add any item to your inventory in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. If you like, the Cheat Engine can even make the game harder by making enemies stronger or by increasing the damage your character takes.
Messing around with game code can seem intimidating (and dangerous), but you can just download “cheat tables” created by other users instead of tweaking the code yourself. The options available will vary depending on the game you’re playing, but there is a large and active Cheat Engine community, so chances are you’ll quickly find cheat tables and instructions on how to enable them in whatever game you’re playing. Of course, you can also experiment with Cheat Engine yourself – just make sure you use it safely and legally.
Is Cheat Engine Really Safe?
Cheat Engine is a simple, fun and useful tool, but there are some risks to be aware of before downloading and using it yourself.
- Cheat Engine has been known to use third-party adware during installation if you don’t pay attention to it . Download only the latest version of Cheat Engine from the official website , Github project page, or Patreon page , and opt out of any “special offers” or additional installation packages offered during installation. Similarly, only download cheat tables/scripts from trusted sources such as the official Cheat Engine forums and the Cheat Engine subreddit .
- Only use Cheat Engine for offline single-player games – and if you want to be especially careful, only use it when the internet is off. Using the Cheat Engine in online games will result in a permanent ban. This rule applies to competitive games such as Call of Duty and Fortnite ; cooperative games such as Left 4 Dead ; and even games with minor online features like Elden Ring or Death Stranding .
- Back up your game files, save your data and any important files you change while using the Cheat Engine. In some cases, you may need to modify game files in order for Cheat Engine to work, which can lead to errors or crashes if done incorrectly.
- Disable Cheat Engine and delete any modified save data or game files if you want to return to online play. Otherwise, you risk getting banned even for some single player games. This is especially true if you had to remove the game’s cheat protection, which is contrary to the End User License Agreement (EULA). The safest option is to uninstall the game, do a clean reinstall, and play with a fresh save file with no modifications.
While it’s important to be aware of these risks, Cheat Engine is (mostly) safe to use as long as you follow the tips outlined above.
[ PC Gamer ]