How to use Cheat Engine | Beginner’s Guide

Cheat Engine is a computer program for modifying PC games. The main objective when using the Cheat Engine is to grant extra benefits or disadvantages to the player, transforming the experience of the original game.

The utility is compatible with Windows and Mac. Its use may seem complicated at first, but the software works very simply once you get the hang of the basic mechanics. Next, learn what it is and how to use the Cheat Engine in this beginner’s guide.

What is Cheat Engine

The Cheat Engine is an open source software that allows you to use modifications (the famous cheats or mods) in computer games. The program can read the executable file and write to the allocated memory of the title that will be played, changing specific elements.

There are those who consider the Cheat Engine as a program to cheat in games. And at the end of the day, that’s about it, since the utility is capable of editing game commands. From there, you can do almost anything: make your lives infinite, raise the character’s energy bar, increase or decrease the difficulty, among other options.

What games work on the Cheat Engine?

As the platform is for PC games, in theory any computer game is compatible with the software. And that goes from the simplest titles to the largest games, regardless of the size or complexity of the file.

Is Cheat Engine safe?

Although the developers of the software state on the platform’s website that the program should only be used for “educational purposes”, it is not recommended to use the software in online games.

It turns out that the servers of the companies that develop the games can identify any cheating modification. In some cases, the studios can ban your account from the game, and the people responsible for the Cheat Engine also give themselves the right to permanently block your access to the platform and lose the progress made so far.

One of the developers has even been involved in problems with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade association for the video game industry in the United States. In 2017, the developer was accused of releasing tables with cheat codes ready to be used in games. This option was later removed from the Cheat Engine.

How to use Cheat Engine

The platform does not have a Portuguese version. All screens and information are in English language, however the procedure for using the software is not difficult. Follow the steps in the tutorial:

1. download the Cheat Engine on your computer (Windows or Mac);
2. Start the Cheat Engine and open the game you want to modify;
3. In the Cheat Engine, click on the computer icon (below “File”) in the upper left corner;
4. Select the game executable and click “Open”;
5. Enter the value of the parameter to be changed. For example, if you want to increase your character’s health from 100 to 1000, type “100” in the “Value” field;
6. In the “Scan Type” box, select “Exact value” and click on “First Scan”;
7. The Cheat Engine will display a list of all values ​​related to the number entered in step 5. In this example, all numbers related to 100;
8. Switch to the previously opened game window and make your character lose health (from 100 to 70 or any other value below 100);
9. Go back to the Cheat Engine and enter the character’s remaining health (in this example, 70). Then, click on the “New Value” button;
10. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8. That is, redo the process using the “First Scan” button, switch to the game window, make the character lose life and enter the new value in “New Value”. You must do this until only one memory address remains;
11. When there is only one memory address left, click on it and type a new value (1000, for example);
12. Click “OK” to confirm the cheat;
13. Check the “Active” box, right next to the cheat, to make the change permanent in the game.

Despite having more steps than usual, the instructions for using the Cheat Engine are the same for any game supported by the platform. In this example, we show you how you can increase your character’s health, making him practically invincible. But you can make other modifications according to your objective in the game.