20 Games that Trolled the Cheaters & Pirates

Some developers do more than lock you out when you cheat or pirate their games. They bake in sneaky tricks that make the experience confusing or downright hilarious until you figure out what is going on. From invincible enemies to drunken cameras and vanishing resources, these surprises often look like bugs at first. Here are some famous examples of games that quietly turned the tables on rule breakers.

Game Dev Tycoon

Players using cracked copies see rampant in game piracy ruin their virtual studio’s profits. The mechanic mirrors real world issues by making later projects unviable no matter what you try. Reviews still come in and development continues but money dries up fast. The only fix is to play a legitimate version where normal balancing applies.

Serious Sam 3 BFE

Pirated builds spawn a super fast unkillable arachnid like enemy that chases you relentlessly. It keeps you from progressing by interrupting fights and sprinting after you across open maps. Weapons do nothing to it so players assume the game is broken. Legit copies never spawn this creature in regular play.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Illegitimate copies disable Batman’s glide so he cannot cross the first big gap in the story. Everything else works which makes the issue look like a strange movement bug. Players hit a progression wall when a puzzle requires a glide launch. Support threads quickly exposed the cause once users described the symptom.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Cracked versions apply a heavy drunken camera effect that wrecks driving and shooting. The wobble begins early and never really stops which makes missions feel impossible. Controls respond but aim is erratic and vehicles fishtail on straight roads. Licensed copies run with a stable camera from the start.

Crysis Warhead

Some pirated builds turn bullets into harmless chickens that squawk when fired. Weapons still cycle and recoil normally so the gag is not obvious until you test damage. Enemies ignore the projectiles and fights stall out. The visual and audio cues make it clear you are not using a legitimate copy.

The Sims 4

Unlicensed players get an expanding mosaic censor that grows until the whole screen is obscured. It starts when a Sim showers and then spreads to cover the lot. Menus still exist underneath but you cannot see to play. Buying the game removes the effect and restores normal visuals.

The Talos Principle

Cracked releases trap players in an early elevator that never reaches the next area. The doors close and the ride loops forever without an error message. Nothing crashes which makes it feel like a soft lock. Retail versions reach the next puzzle as expected.

Garry’s Mod

Pirated copies display a specific error prompt that includes identifying details. Many users posted screenshots asking for help which revealed their situation to the community. The game itself runs poorly and throws that message repeatedly. Legal versions do not show the prompt and function normally.

Spyro 3 Year of the Dragon

Anti piracy triggers cause collected items to vanish and progress to corrupt later in the game. Some minigames behave strangely and certain doors refuse to open. The problems escalate the longer you play which leads to a dead end save. Authentic discs keep collectibles stable and progression intact.

EarthBound

Countermeasures increase random encounter rates dramatically for unauthorized copies. Battles take longer and resources drain fast which makes leveling a slog. Reaching the final boss can trigger a forced reset that wipes the save. A legitimate cartridge avoids the encounter spike and the save deletion trap.

Operation Flashpoint and Arma Series

Bohemia’s FADE system slowly degrades weapon accuracy and performance in unlicensed installs. At first shots feel a little off and then spread becomes extreme. Vehicles handle poorly and mission results make no sense. Properly activated games retain normal ballistics and controls.

The Settlers III

Copy protection makes iron smelters produce pigs instead of usable metal. Without iron you cannot field an army so expansion stalls. The economy looks healthy until military buildings demand resources you can never craft. Genuine versions output iron normally and allow standard progression.

Alan Wake

Unauthorized PC builds add a pirate themed eyepatch to the protagonist in game. A friendly message points players toward a store page while everything still runs. It is a visible reminder rather than a hard lock. Buying the game removes the accessory and keeps saves.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Anti piracy checks on some flashcarts and emulators block experience gain after battles. Teams stop leveling which halts story progress past early gyms. Players may grind for hours with no results and assume a glitch. A proper cartridge or patched setup restores experience as expected.

GTA Online

Rockstar places modders and cheaters into segregated pools where they only meet one another. Matchmaking quietly moves flagged accounts to these sessions without notice. Progress and unlocks still exist but the player base changes. Appeals and clean play are required to rejoin the regular lobbies.

Max Payne 3 Multiplayer

The game routes suspected cheaters into a dedicated cheater pool for all modes. Reports and automated checks decide who gets moved. Matches continue but you no longer play with the main population. Verified clean clients return to normal playlists after review.

Dark Souls II

FromSoftware applies softbans that connect offenders only to similarly flagged players. Summons and invasions still work yet the pool is limited. The system keeps the broader community stable while leaving the game playable. Clearing the flag requires compliance and a clean record.

Fall Guys

The developers experimented with a hidden cheater island where only cheaters could qualify. Flagged users thought the game was bugged when every lobby was full of impossible jumps. Clips eventually surfaced that confirmed the isolation. Updates later replaced the island with stricter detection and bans.

No Time To Explain

The studio released a special pirate build that swaps sections with a ridiculous cannon wielding version. Levels break in silly ways that make progress impossible. It looks like a chaotic joke level rather than a real campaign. Official builds keep the intended structure and difficulty.

Far Cry 4

Players without the day one patch lacked a field of view slider which sparked complaints on forums. The developer pointed out that only illegitimate copies were missing that option. The base game still ran but visual comfort suffered for many users. Applying the update on a purchased copy restored the setting.

Share your favorite examples and the funniest reactions you remember in the comments.