I'm looking to get into game hacking as a fun side hobby. If there are any experienced programmers in here, I'd love some recommendations on guides, documents, or YouTube videos that can help me begin this journey. I'm particularly interested in creating something that can manipulate memory values—I'm not entirely sure if that's the right term, but essentially, I want to work on programs that modify values stored in RAM.
For a bit of background, I'm currently employed and familiar with SQL databases like Postgre, MS SQL, Oracle, and MySQL. I also have experience coding in C#, VB.NET, TypeScript, and JavaScript. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
6 Answers
I got started with Cheat Engine, which is pretty user-friendly for beginners. It's a great tool that can help you learn the basics of memory manipulation.
To really dive into game hacking, knowing Assembly language and how to disassemble and debug binaries is crucial. Reverse engineering is key. Assembly might sound tough, but once you get the hang of reading it, you'll find it's mostly about navigating the code, which takes some practice. Also, for game specifics, understanding how the game engine works will help you manipulate not just values but the code itself.
If you're serious about hacking games, you'll need to understand computer architecture and Assembly language thoroughly; they're foundational skills you'll rely on a lot.
Years ago, I got into rom hacking using a hex editor and a debugging emulator—especially with old Pokémon games, which are super fun! The community around that is really vibrant, so you might find it a great starting point.
You might want to check out this tool I made for State of Decay 2. It's available on GamePass and allows you to navigate and edit various memory structures. The great thing is, you can adapt my framework for other games too. Just let me know if you have any questions about it!
Here's a YouTube channel that might help you out: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCCMi6F5Ac3kQDfffWXQGZDw. They cover various techniques that could be useful for game hacking!
Cool! I'll give that a shot when I get home. Thanks for the tip!