Game Hacking: Developing Autonomous Bots for Online Games

You don’t need to be a wizard to transform a game you like into a game you love. Imagine if you could give your favorite PC game a more informative heads-up display or instantly collect all that loot from your latest epic battle.

Bring your knowledge of Windows-based development and memory management, and Game Hacking will teach you what you need to become a true game hacker. Learn the basics, like reverse engineering, assembly code analysis, programmatic memory manipulation, and code injection, and hone your new skills with hands-on example code and practice binaries.Level up as you learn how to:

• Scan and modify memory with Cheat Engine
• Explore program structure and execution flow with OllyDbg
• Log processes and pinpoint useful data files with Process Monitor
• Manipulate control flow through NOPing, hooking, and more
• Locate and dissect common game memory structures

You’ll even discover the secrets behind common game bots, including:

• Extrasensory perception hacks, such as wallhacks and heads-up displays
• Responsive hacks, such as autohealers and combo bots
• Bots with artificial intelligence, such as cave walkers and automatic looters

Game hacking might seem like black magic, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you understand how bots are made, you’ll be better positioned to defend against them in your own games. Journey through the inner workings of PC games with Game Hacking, and leave with a deeper understanding of both game design and computer security.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Tools of the Trade
Chapter 1: Scanning Memory Using Cheat Engine
Chapter 2: Debugging Games with OllyDbg
Chapter 3: Reconnaissance with Process Monitor and Process Explorer

Part II: Game Dissection
Chapter 4: From Code to Memory: A General Primer
Chapter 5: Advanced Memory Forensics
Chapter 6: Reading from and Writing to Game Memory

Part III: Process Puppeteering
Chapter 7: Code Injection
Chapter 8: Manipulating Control Flow in a Game

Part IV: Creating Bots
Chapter 9: Using Extrasensory Perception to Ward Off Fog of War
Chapter 10: Responsive Hacks
Chapter 11: Putting It All Together: Writing Autonomous Bots
Chapter 12: Staying Hidden