PC Game Cheat Codes are codes that can be entered into a PC game to change the game's behavior. It is unknown when this practice started, but the PC game cheats and codes were implemented and used by game developers to play test certain aspects of their games;

for example, a common use of a cheat code is to skip to a later level in a game. In moddable games, such cheat modes are often left in released titles specifically for modder use.

What are PC Game Cheat Codes?

The practice of using PC game hints cheats became widespread, and now many games have game cheats for PC intentionally included as a form of Easter egg or un lockable reward. Video game magazines have had sections devoted to providing these codes since the late 1980s, and occasionally codebooks are produced which provide cheat codes for a large number of games. There even used to be entire magazines dedicated to cheat codes for new games covering the top consoles of the day.

How do Cheat Programs Work?

The method of entering cheat codes varies; on video game consoles, which lack keyboards, the code is frequently a sequence of button presses. On computers such as the Amiga or PC, the code can be textual and entered using the keyboard, or more outlandish combinations of mouse, keyboard and controller may be required to activate the code. In modern games, the cheats are also often enabled through adding special settings in game configuration files.

While normal cheat codes are built into the game by the programmers, unofficial cheat codes can be created by manipulating the contents of memory address for a running game. On video game consoles this is done using a cheat cartridge. Users of some early home computers called these codes pokes, named after the command used to input them. Nowadays, cheating like this is considered "hacking" because the user must use external software or hardware to change values in the game memory.

Cheat codes are, by definition, considered cheating and most serious players only use them for experimentation, if at all. Sometimes, though, using cheat codes is necessary, particularly in case of bugs: If a serious game-stopping bug is encountered, a cheat code may be able to bypass it without the need to start the whole game over again from the beginning.

Modifying any values in memory can have unexpected results, and normally people refer to cheat code websites so that they can know which codes to enter. PC game cheat codes, can affect your computer as it may contain viruses. The legal cheats may be guaranteed against any technical malfunction, but any illegal cheats have to be downloaded at the user's own risk.

Continue to: Where Can We Find PC Game Cheats and Codes

What are the Basics of PC Gaming?
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Old PC Games - Jewels or Junk?
Ultimate Gaming PC - How to Build it?
Game Demos: Try Before You Buy
PC Games: Cracking the Code

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