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A "Cheat Code" is a sequence of commands which turns on an undocumented, advantageous feature within a game. These are typically backdoors inserted during programming to facilitate testing by the designers. Since cartridge-based games used fixed memory locations, removing these backdoors after development was problematic (since their removal could lead to new unexpected bugs), so they were often left in for released versions.

Even after cartridges were replaced by CD-ROMs as the main videogaming medium, cheat codes remained popular.

A cheat code is a beneficial-in-game Easter Egg. If it's completely unrelated (like the flight sim in Excel, or the special room in the Atari 2600 Adventure cartridge) then it's an Easter Egg, but not a cheat code.

A few cheat codes have become so well known that you can expect to see homages in modern games. (Homages not from video games are listed under subpages of Shout Out.)

See Konami Code for one of the most famous cheat codes.

Some of the most well known Cheat codes are from the original "DOOM" (The aforementioned IDDQD and IDKFA). One of the other most common cheat codes is just typing the word "god" in the console.

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• The code 'XYZZY' was a magic word within the original Colossal Cave Adventure. In Colossal Cave itself it was not a cheat code, but part of the normal game; however, homages to the game have used it as a cheat code, and the hobbyist text-adventure development community traditionally includes a hidden 'xyzzy' command as a tribute to Colossal Cave.
  • Slightly less commonly used is 'PLUGH' which functioned the same way as 'XYZZY' in Colossal Cave.
  • Trying either of these codes in Zork causes the game to tell you "A hollow voice says 'Fool'." This in itself is commonly referenced.
  • In Deus Ex, this is one of the passwords JC Denton uses to attempt to get into Smuggler's place when he doesn't know the real one.
  • In the online text adventure game Grueslayer on Uncyclopedia, there will usually be an option to either pronounce or say 'xyzzy' or a variant with a different number of X's and Z's. Doing this at any time will kill you horribly.
  • Some versions of Windows Minesweeper used 'xyzzy' as a cheat allowing the player to identify whether or not a given square contained a mine by looking at the upper-left-most pixel of the screen.
  • Kingdom Of Loathing references this in the Leaflet Quest, a text-adventure parody in itself.
• "id" sequences - Doom had a number of cheat codes prefixed by the character sequence "id" (iD software created the game). The most popular of them were IDDQD and IDKFA. The first one gave the player immortality, the second – full megaarmor protection, all weapons, ammo and keys. Several later games, particularly FPSes, have carried on the tradition.
  • Speaking of other first person shooter games, the game Heretic allowed you to use IDDQD... but, in a case of Jackass Genie, doing so instantly killed you, with the words "Trying to cheat, eh? Now you die!" appearing on the screen. Likewise, IDKFA deprived you of everything except a staff ("Cheater - you don't deserve weapons!"). Players were especially likely to try these cheat codes at least once, considering that the game used the Doom engine.
    • Similarly, attempting to use the All Weapons cheat (one step forward, one step back, turn around three times, and jump back) from the original Tomb Raider in the PC version of Tomb Raider II would cause Lara to explode. The sequence could be performed safely (with its original effect) by holding a flare at the time.
  • If you put in any code from the original Doom games in the developer console in the recent Doom 3, a message would appear that said "Your memory serves you well!" and nothing more.
  • There was an unintended and unforeseen cheat code portability between Heretic and its sequel Hexen. If you entered the invincibility code (QUICKEN) and the all weapons code (RAMBO) from Heretic while playing Hexen, Hexen would pick up its own all weapons code (NRA) from the sequence: QUICKENRAMBO.
  • Using IDDQD in Mech Warrior 2 detonated your Battle Mech, with the message "This ain't Doom, bub"
  • In Activision's Windows release of Earthworm Jim, entering IDDQD and IDKFA would display two different credits screens.
  • Not many iD Software fans know the etymology of the legendary IDDQD and IDKFA. IDDQD is a combination of iD (from iD Software) and DQD, Delta-Q-Delta, the name of a three-person informal fraternity organized by Doom programmer Dave Tailor during his college days. IDKFA is similar a combination of Id and KFA, which is an acronym of "Kick Fucking ass".
    • More likely, KFA stands for "Keys, Firepower, Ammo," which is what the code grants. This fits in with the lesser-known code IDFA which, as could be expected, gives firepower and ammo but no keys.
    • IDFA only existed in later versions of the game for precisely this interpretation. One suggestion for the original meaning of KFA is "Killer Fucking Arsenal".
  • The original NOCLIP code for Doom was IDSPISPOPD. It was both a code and an in-joke, considering it was an acronym for "Smashing pumpkins into small piles of putrid debris."
    • One of the artifacts in Master Of Magic, a mace, is named the IDSPISPOPD.
    • Which was a reference to a fictional game which derived from online discussions prior to the release of Doom.
    • Not entirely a fictional game...
    • Lampshaded in the novel for Doom, where the Cacodemons are called Pumpkins by the hero(es) and after a particularly gruesome encounter, the Action Girl shouts, "OOH-RAH! Smashing pumpkins into small piles of putrid debris!"
    • An interesting aside to this, the BAND Smashing Pumpkins, in their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, supposedly use a sound clip sampled from Doom, if the credits are to be believed.
  • If you have one of the older versions of Excel that has the mini-FPS hidden inside it, try the code "EXCELKFA."
• JUSTIN BAILEY - A password beginning with this sequence lets a player start Metroid with an unarmored Samus and much of the game completed. Various theories arose as to who or what "Justin Bailey" was, but it was later proven to be a coincidence - the password system was coded so that many English word combinations produced valid results.
  • One theory stated that it was actually three words, "Just In Bailey", as, according to now discredited legend, a "bailey" was supposed to be outdated slang for a bathing suit.
  • A Metroid cheat code that was not a coincidence, but which remained undetected for years, is NARPASSWORD. The first three letters are thought to stand for either North American Release, or Not A Real (password). This hasn't stopped gamers from feverishly searching the game for a "Narpas Sword", due to the way the password was visually split.
  • Along similar lines, Kid Icarus (which used the same password system as Metroid) featured no less than five such passwords - 8 followed by a series of "you"s, DANGER ! TERROR HORROR, PAKING PAKING PAKING PAKING, ICARUS FIGHTS MEDUSA ANGELS, and MEDUSA FIGHTS ICARUS ANGELS. Whether or not any of these are 'intentional' is, as with Metroid's passwords, hard to tell.
  • The single greatest Metroid password ever is ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER.
  • Shadow Complex, another Metroid Vania has a Shout Out to this passcode - Completing the Master Level Challenge of collecting 100% of its items in under 2 hours gives you the title "Jason Bailey".
• In every Zelda game, the player can choose a name for the main character. If the player enters the name ZELDA (all caps) in the original NES game, the second quest can be played. In Link's Awakening, entering ZELDA treats you to a catchy remix of the Zelda theme song.
• And while it doesn't really count as a cheat code, the password "NNNNNNNN" in Ecco The Dolphin will bring you straight to Welcome to the Machine, the game's next-to-last level - one that would probably qualify as the Scrappy Level to end all Scrappy Levels. It's not a cheat, it's a one-way ticket to videogame hell.
• Sonic The Hedgehog has Up, Down, Left, Right, Then hold A + Start to activate level select. A variation was used to activate debug mode.
  • The same code was used as a level skip for the Megadrive's The Terminator, and many other games for the system.
• For layers of awesome, it's hard to beat Mortal Kombat's cheat code on the Sega Genesis to unlock actual blood. The code was ABACABB, which was quite likely reference to the album ABACAB by The Eighties rock band... wait for it... Genesis!
  • The Genesis version of Shadowrun has a variation—ABBACAB, most likely also referencing the band's album.
• In reference to a rumor in Diablo and an actual level in Diablo II, the password for an instant win in Starcraft is "there is no cow level."
  • There was also an user group in the Blizzard forums before the official release of Starcraft, known as "Operation: CWAL (Can't Wait Any Longer)"; as a Shout Out, the cheat code for super fast construction is "operation cwal".
    • Other Star Craft cheats include; black sheep wall; food for thought; power overwhelming.
• Such references are old hat in Blizzard games, especially the War Craft series.
  • In the first Warcraft, the code to enable cheat codes was "corwin of amber". The "god mode" cheat (making your units invincible and allowing them to kill enemies in one hit" was "it is a good day to die". "ides of march" took you to the last mission for the campaign, while "eye of newt" gave all casters all spell upgrades.
  • In Warcraft II, "on screen" removes the fog of war, "make it so" gives fast building/training/researching, and "it is a good day to die" makes your units invincible and capable of killing most enemies in one hit. Meanwhile, "there can be only one" results in instant victory, and "every little thing she does" upgrades your units' magic.
  • The instant win password in Warcraft III is "allyourbasearebelongtous"; the instant defeat password, meanwhile, is "somebodysetupusthebomb". The code to give yourself gold is "keyersoze n", where n is the amount you want. "greedisgood n" gets you n of both gold and lumber. "thereisnospoon" gives your units infinite mana. "strength and honor" prevents the computer from declaring your loss. "whoisjohngalt" allows research upgrades even if you haven't met the requirements (such as having a Workshop in order to research Long Rifles); WarpTen gives instant builds, and you get instant death attacks for all your units with IocainePowder. Finally, "iseedeadpeople" removes the Fog Of War.
• Quite a few games for Sega Genesis used the password B, A, Right, Right, A, C, Up, Down, A for some hidden feature; when abbreviated, this spells out "barracuda".
• The Sega Genesis game Skitchin' used B, A, Down, A, Start, Start.
• The Crusader games' cheat codes required an activation code to be entered. In the first, this was JASSICA16. In the second game, entering this would result in a message popping up, saying, "Of course we changed the cheats...duh." And then you were teleported to an open room with no cover to face down ten of the game's boss fight at once. (In No Regret, the "activation" code was LOOSECANNON 16, the game being the brainchild of...Loose Cannon.)
• The space combat game "Tachyon: The Fringe" had several cheats, but upon inputting any of them, the main character, voiced by Bruce Campbell, would voice his disapproval of cheating by making comments such as "Excuse me? Mr. Cheater? Why don't you try beating the game fair and square, huh?"
  • In Theme Hospital entering any cheat, of any kind, would result in the receptionist (on loudspeaker) saying "The Hospital Administrator is CHEATING!"
    • "A CHEAT is running the hospital!"
• The "Supreme Cheat" from the first Turok game was easy to remember if you knew what it stood for (and then removed the vowels + Y): NTHGHTHDGDCRTDTRK, which stands for "ON THE EIGHTH DAY GOD CREATED TUROK".
  • The Sequel had a cheat that also functioned as a Sequel Hook, bewareoblivionisathand.
    • Except for the PC port, which came out after Turok 3 had already been released. The password was changed to oblivionisamongus.
• Perplex City has a card whose objective was naming the games many of these codes were from.
• Sim City 2000 used "FUND", the cheat code to give you more money in the original, as a request for you to be loaned $10,000 at 30 percent interest a week. (This could be exploited by using it repeatedly until the ridiculous interest rate wrapped around and turned hugely negative.) As a Shout Out, entering "fund" in the cheat console of Sim City 3000 makes your news ticker scroll a message about "an ancient, arcane code".
  • And you didn't mention typing 'priscilla'? Go ahead, try it. Then use that lovely Debug option that appears.
  • Using that code in Sim Ant results in a message saying "Congratulations, you are now $10,000 richer. Unfortunately, money is useless in this game."
  • And using it in SimFarm donates the money to the nearby city, rather than to your own bank account. Rather than actually doing something useful with the money, the mayor squanders it all on a new car.
• The code dates all the way back to the original Sim City, where the code indeed gave you ten grand, no problem. And every fifth time you entered it, there was an earthquake. So Yeah.
• In Sim City 3000, with the code "Call Cousin Vinny" a shady-looking character would show up in a message offering a large sum of money. The offer would only work once per game, and if you rejected it, a cop would arrive congratulating you for passing a Secret Test Of Character, so you kinda won either way.
• Donkey Kong Country 2 featured two cheats on the game select screen that spelled words. "BARRALAX" removes the DK barrels, and "YASADLAD" gives you 50 lives (because if you need 50 lives to beat the game, YA have to be a SAD LAD).
  • The original DKC had "BARRAL" as the 50 lives cheat. The "BARRALAX" code was probably made to throw off those who were used to the DKC 1 cheat.
• Grand Theft Auto 3 on the Playstation 2 had a number of codes, including some (like making the pedestrians fight each other, or hate and attack you) that could not be disabled; if you saved, the cheat was restored/re-enabled when the game was reloaded. The only way to undo them was to restart the game, either from scratch or from a save game in which the cheat had not been enabled.
  • The PC version had memorable codes, too. gunsgunsguns gave you every weapon (repeating "guns" over and over gave you more ammo), giveusatank made the Rhino fall out of the sky, turtoise gave you 100 armor, gesundheit gave you 100 health, ilikedressingup made you look like a random pedestrian
  • And the eternaly entertaining BANGBANGBANG, which blew up every single car on your screen.
• Not really a classic cheat code, but in the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive, for those outside of North America) version of Pitfall The Mayan Adventure, the level select cheat was B, Right, A, Down, Right, Up, B, Left, A, Up, Right, A. Which, of course, makes one wonder just who Brad and Laura are...
• Heroes of Might and Magic III. Tab-nwcthisyear'sculturalreference. In all three versions of it.
• Similar to the Metroid example above, the Password system in the NES version of Metal Gear is coded in a way that it recognizes actual names and words. One of the most infamous passwords in the game is screwM E1111 11111 11111 11111, which takes the player directly to the final battle with Big Boss with no weapons in their equipment. The PAL version censored this by revamping the Password system so that it no longer uses vowels and certain consonants.
• Hype: The Time Quest has a bunch of these: thereyougo= all magic, houdini= infinite arrows, druidik= infinite magic, along with a bunch more.
• In the Virtua Fighter series, Dural was always selectable on the home consoles by pressing Down, Up, Right, A + Left on certain characters (usually the one on the furthest right or left), or D.U.R.A.L. However after 4, you either had to purchase Dural, or attain a certain rank to be able to fight as her.
• klapacius (later rosebud) from The Sims. Of course, finding how to get the cheat window to pop up is the fun part.
• One of the oldest cheat codes, and possibly one of the best-known, is "6031769" from the 1983 Sinclair ZX-Spectrum game Manic Miner (it unlocked a teleport system). This was later homaged in Grand Theft Auto (by British developers Rockstar North), which uses this as one of its cheat codes.
• Carmageddon has the fairly-questionable IBETYOUCANTPRINTCUNT code, which enables Cheat Mode and also gives the player debug access.

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