Save editing vs cheats vs trainers: which one you should actually use

When people say "cheats" they usually mean one of three different things: an in-game code you type at runtime, an external trainer that patches memory, or a save editor that changes the file on disk. Each has real trade-offs, and picking the wrong one is how you either lose progress or waste an afternoon.

In-game codes and console commands

The safest option. When the developer built the cheat in, they built it to be undone. Type tgm in Skyrim and toggle it off two hours later — nothing about your save is permanently changed, only the runtime state. Achievements might be locked for the session, but the file itself is clean.

Use in-game codes when:

• The developer shipped them intentionally (Bethesda titles, most Rockstar games, Sims games).
• You want to try something and undo it easily.
• You care about your save's long-term integrity.

Do not use them when:

• The game explicitly disables saves after cheat entry (some titles do this).
• You need a change that the built-in command set does not support.

External trainers

Trainers are separate programs that patch the game's memory while it runs. WeMod, Cheat Engine tables, FLiNG trainers — all the same category. They are more powerful than built-in codes because they can hit anything in memory, not just what the developer exposed.

The trade-off is that memory patches can crash the game if the pointers are wrong, and every patch update invalidates the trainer until someone releases a new version. Trainers also get flagged by anti-cheat on multiplayer titles, so you have to be sure the game is fully offline before running one.

Use trainers when:

• The game has no built-in console or cheat menu.
• You want features the game does not expose (unlimited crafting materials, one-hit kills, teleport).
• You are playing an older or heavily-patched title that has a stable trainer.

Do not use trainers when:

• The game has any online component.
• You are on a version the trainer does not explicitly support.
• The game runs alongside an anti-cheat you have not disabled.

Save editors

Save editors open the file on disk and let you rewrite it. This is the most powerful and the most dangerous option. You can give yourself anything in the game, but if the editor writes an invalid value the save is corrupted, and if you upload the edited save to a cloud service the platform may flag it.

Use save editors when:

• You want a change that persists between sessions and does not need to be toggled.
• You are locked out of an achievement or item by a bug.
• The game has no runtime cheat surface at all.

Do not use save editors when:

• You have not backed up the original file (always back up first).
• You play the game online or sync saves to cloud storage.
• You are on a version the editor was not built for.

The order to try things

Our default recommendation for any single-player title:

1. Look for a built-in console or cheat menu first. If it exists, that is the answer.
2. If there is no built-in option, look for a reputable trainer for your exact game version.
3. If a trainer does not cover the specific thing you need, look for a save editor as a last resort.

Following that order almost always gets you what you want without breaking anything. Skipping to save editing first is how people lose 60-hour playthroughs to a bad hex value.