Video Game Cheats That Ruined The Fun

Video game cheat codes used to be common, letting players do almost anything they wanted in a game’s world. While fun at first, these codes often made games too easy, removing the satisfaction of overcoming challenges. Many beloved classic games lost their sense of achievement when players could skip difficult puzzles or fights with just a few button presses. This collection looks at the codes and commands that changed how these games were played.

‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ (2004)

This cheat instantly gives players both full health and a lot of money. It lets you skip doing side quests or worrying about how the game’s economy works. While it can make exciting situations like police chases and fights easier, using it too much can take away the challenge and the feeling of risk, because you no longer face real consequences for failing.

‘The Sims’ (2000)

Using cheat codes like ‘motherlode’ or ‘rosebud removes the need to earn money in the game. The game is designed around carefully managing finances to upgrade your home and improve your family’s life. When you have unlimited funds, you can instantly buy everything without working for it, which can make the game feel pointless because there’s nothing left to strive for.

‘Doom’ (1993)

The code ‘IDDQD’ grants the player complete immunity to all damage. While it lets you explore the game’s levels without fear, it also removes the tension and horror that are central to the experience. Carefully crafted levels and enemy encounters become meaningless when you can’t be harmed. Many players find that the exciting combat feels less intense when you’re virtually invincible.

‘GoldenEye 007’ (1997)

Activating the invincibility cheat in this game eliminates the need for strategy, like hiding behind cover or moving quietly. Players can just rush through levels without being harmed by enemies or traps. However, the game was originally built around careful planning and movement, and the cheat makes those elements pointless. It changes a thrilling, suspenseful game into a simple, repetitive task.

‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (1991)

Cheats like level select and debug mode let players instantly finish the game or change how things work. For example, they can place unlimited power-ups, making the game’s challenges pointless. This also breaks the feeling of speed and control, as players can fly through walls or skip obstacles. Ultimately, it takes away the reward of learning the game’s physics and precise timing, especially in the special stages.

‘Age of Empires II’ (1999)

Adding the Cobra vehicle to the game with a simple text command brings a powerful, modern weapon into a medieval world. This unit is so strong it can quickly wipe out enemy bases and armies, making the usual challenges of gathering resources and building a balanced army pointless. It transforms the game from a thoughtful strategy experience into an unfair and one-sided battle with no real competition.

‘Contra’ (1987)

The well-known Konami Code gives players thirty lives instead of the usual three. It was originally designed to help people get further in a very challenging game. But having so many extra lives actually stops players from learning how to avoid enemies and defeat bosses. When you’re allowed to make so many mistakes, beating the game doesn’t feel as rewarding.

‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ (2011)

On the computer, players can use commands to activate “god mode,” making them invincible, and to carry unlimited items. This eliminates the need to worry about inventory space or what to take back to town. However, turning on god mode also removes the challenge of survival and the danger posed by dragons. As a result, the game’s vast world can lose its sense of adventure and start to feel more like a leisurely tour than a perilous journey.

‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2’ (2000)

Okay, so I found this cheat that basically lets you hold grinds and manuals forever without even trying. It sounds cool, right? But honestly, it kinda ruins the whole game. The fun part of this game is balancing those moves – that’s how you get huge scores and pull off awesome combos. When you take away the challenge of actually balancing, the high scores don’t feel earned anymore. I quickly found that without having to worry about the balance meter, things got really boring, really fast. It just feels… pointless after a while.

‘Resident Evil 2’ (1998)

As a huge fan, let me tell you, unlocking the infinite rocket launcher totally changes the game! This horror game is amazing because it makes you really scared of running out of ammo and facing those terrifying monsters. But once you get endless rockets? Well, it kind of ruins the tension. Suddenly, even the toughest bosses go down in one hit, and all that fear and feeling helpless just… disappears. It’s less about surviving a nightmare and more about just blowing everything up, which honestly, isn’t the same experience.

‘Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos’ (2002)

The “WhosYourDaddy” cheat makes all units invincible and incredibly powerful against buildings and enemies. This removes the need for strategic thinking about unit combinations and special abilities. While the game’s campaign challenges players to use good resource management and positioning in battles, using this cheat eliminates the meaningful challenge and story impact of fighting the Burning Legion.

‘Fallout 3’ (2008)

Honestly, using console commands to just give yourself max stats and all the perks totally breaks the game for me. The whole point is building my character up from nothing in a really tough world, making choices about what skills to focus on. If I start out already perfect, there’s no reason to actually play the game – no need to explore, find cool gear, or even bother with leveling up! That feeling of starting as a weak vault dweller and becoming a powerful hero? That’s what the story is all about, and cheating takes that away.

‘SimCity 2000’ (1993)

This game cheat gives players unlimited money, letting them instantly create any city they imagine. While the game is normally about carefully managing a budget, collecting taxes, and building infrastructure to keep citizens happy, this cheat bypasses all of that. It removes the challenge and strategy that make city-building games interesting, as players don’t have to worry about financial stability or making smart economic decisions.

‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ (2018)

The ‘infinite dead eye’ cheat lets players dramatically slow down time and aim perfectly without limit. This ability was designed for crucial moments, like tough fights, and to be used sparingly. However, when it’s always active, normal combat becomes too easy and loses its challenge. It also diminishes the game’s realistic and intense atmosphere, turning the player character into an unstoppable force.

‘StarCraft’ (1998)

As a huge fan of this game, I’ve always loved how carefully balanced everything is and how each race feels totally unique. But I have to admit, the ‘Power Overwhelming’ cheat kind of ruins that! It basically makes your units invincible, so you can just walk right into the enemy base without any strategy. It takes all the tension out of the normally amazing real-time battles and turns a complex war into something way too easy and predictable. It’s fun to mess around with, but it definitely doesn’t let you experience the game as it’s meant to be played.

‘Half-Life’ (1998)

The ‘noclip’ command lets players fly through walls and venture beyond the map’s limits. Though helpful for testing, it severely harms the game’s immersive storytelling. Players can bypass puzzles and challenging events designed to control the game’s flow. Passing through solid objects breaks the feeling of being inside the Black Mesa research facility and diminishes the intended atmosphere.

‘Quake’ (1996)

Using the ‘Impulse nine’ cheat instantly gives you all weapons and unlimited ammo. This skips the normal progression of finding better gear as you play, removing the challenge of managing limited resources and exploring for secrets. Essentially, it transforms the game’s tense, challenging environments into a simple, easy shooting experience.

‘Duke Nukem 3D’ (1996)

The DNKROZ cheat makes the player invincible, eliminating all threats from aliens and the game’s dangerous environments. However, a key part of the fun comes from cleverly using the surroundings to overcome challenges. Because you can’t die, finding helpful items and power-ups throughout the levels feels pointless.

‘Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’ (2003)

Using cheats to get unlimited credits lets players instantly buy the best gear, like lightsaber crystals and armor. However, the game is designed so that finding rare items feels rewarding after completing quests. When you can buy everything right away, it removes the fun of exploring planets and experiencing the game’s side stories. It also makes your character’s journey from a simple soldier to a powerful Jedi feel less meaningful because you don’t have to work for your upgrades.

‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’ (2013)

As a huge fan of this game, I was a little disappointed to find cheats that basically make your ship invincible and give you unlimited cannonballs. See, naval combat is the best part – upgrading your ship and figuring out how to outmaneuver opponents is so rewarding! But if you can’t actually be sunk, all the excitement of those epic broadside battles and weathering storms just disappears. It makes all that work to build up from a small brig to a massive man-of-war feel pointless, honestly.

‘Left 4 Dead’ (2008)

Look, as a gamer, let me tell you, using admin commands to just give yourself weapons or get rid of those special infected totally breaks the whole point of the game. It’s designed around four of us working together, relying on each other to survive against impossible odds and those crazy surprise attacks. If you take away the challenge of a Hunter or a Tank, it stops being a frantic, exciting escape and just becomes a boring walk to the safehouse. Honestly, that feeling of being low on supplies and constantly on edge? That’s what makes this game so good, and cheating just ruins it.

‘Ratchet & Clank’ (2002)

The “infinite bolts” cheat lets players instantly get all weapons and upgrades, removing the need to collect in-game currency. However, a big part of what makes the game fun is gradually earning those unique gadgets. Bypassing the usual collection process makes finding new shops less rewarding, and it reduces the feeling of adventure when powerful weapons are obtained too easily.

‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ (2015)

Using console commands to quickly gain levels or get powerful armor can spoil the fun of exploring and progressing naturally. In the game, Geralt is meant to be a skilled monster hunter who carefully prepares for each job by collecting supplies and crafting oils. But if a player instantly becomes max level and has the best equipment, that preparation feels pointless. This diminishes the immersive world and the feeling of danger that are central to the game experience when the player is too powerful.

‘God of War’ (2005)

A glitch involving infinite orbs lets players max out Kratos’s skills and weapons right at the beginning of the game. While the combat is meant to be engaging, encouraging skillful combos and rewarding players for defeating certain enemies, this glitch bypasses that system. This makes the game feel less challenging and diminishes the sense of progression, ultimately making Kratos’s journey feel less meaningful because his power isn’t earned naturally.

‘Final Fantasy VII’ (1997)

Recent versions of the game include features that give players unlimited health and incredibly high damage with just one button press. While these features let people experience the story quickly, they simplify the game’s intricate Materia system. A key part of the combat is strategically building your characters and finding the best spell combinations. By skipping this, tough boss battles lose their challenge and feel much easier than they should.

‘Batman: Arkham City’ (2011)

Using cheats to instantly unlock all of Batman’s gadgets and abilities takes away the game’s core exploration experience. The prison environment is meant to be discovered slowly, with new areas becoming accessible as Batman gains tools. Unlocking everything at once ruins the fun of finding new equipment and figuring out how to solve puzzles. Becoming the powerful Dark Knight feels rewarding because you earn those abilities throughout the story.

‘Metal Gear Solid’ (1998)

The stealth camouflage item allows Snake to become nearly invisible, which removes the challenge of carefully hiding and watching enemy movements. This turns exciting, tense infiltration missions into straightforward runs through enemy bases, focusing on reaching the next cutscene. While enjoyable as a bonus for experienced players, it ultimately disrupts the core gameplay of this tactical espionage game.

‘Need for Speed: Most Wanted’ (2005)

Using cheat codes to instantly unlock all cars and upgrades breaks the natural progression of the game. The game is designed so you begin with a simple car and earn your way up by winning races against increasingly difficult opponents. Starting with a high-performance vehicle removes the challenge from early races and police pursuits. It also lessens the desire to progress through the game and get your original car back.

‘Spore’ (2008)

Activating the money cheat during the space phase lets players immediately purchase entire star systems and tools to change planets. While the late game is designed to be a complex experience focused on managing trade and relationships between stars, unlimited money lets players quickly colonize the galaxy without needing to strategize or overcome challenges. This makes the vastness of space and the intended gameplay much easier than intended.

‘Zoo Tycoon’ (2001)

The “Shift Four” cheat gives Zoo owners unlimited money, letting them create incredible exhibits without financial worries. Normally, a key part of the game is managing the zoo’s finances and keeping both the animals and the park profitable. But with unlimited funds, players don’t have to think about costs like enclosures or staff, turning the game from a management simulation into a purely creative building experience.

Share your favorite memories or the cheats you regret using in the comments.

2026-02-20 20:17