Flycast reads cheat files from a specific folder on your computer

Flycast is a Dreamcast emulator that supports cheat codes through a file format called Dreamcast Cheat Code (DCC). To use cheats, you place a cheat file in Flycast's designated cheats folder, then enable the cheats you want from within the emulator before you start a game. Flycast does not come with cheats pre-loaded — you have to add them yourself by downloading or creating cheat files and putting them in the right location.

The process takes about five minutes and requires three things: the emulator itself, a cheat file for the game you want to play, and knowledge of where Flycast stores those files on your system. Once the file is in place, you enable individual cheats through the emulator's menu without restarting.

Key Takeaways

  • Flycast stores cheat files in a folder called cheats inside your Flycast configuration directory, which varies by operating system.
  • Cheat files use the .txt format and must be named to match the game's internal code — for example, a game with code MK-51050 needs a file named MK-51050.txt.
  • You can find existing cheat files on sites that host Dreamcast cheat databases, or create your own if you know the cheat codes and their memory addresses.
  • After placing a cheat file in the cheats folder, open Flycast, load a game, and use the menu to turn individual cheats on or off before gameplay starts.

Locating your Flycast cheats folder

The location of Flycast's cheats folder depends on your operating system. On Windows, navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Flycast and look for a folder named cheats. If the cheats folder does not exist, create it yourself by right-clicking in the Flycast folder, selecting New, then Folder, and naming it cheats.

On macOS, open Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open the Go to Folder dialog, and type ~/Library/Application Support/Flycast. Look for the cheats folder there. On Linux, the path is typically ~/.config/flycast or ~/.flycast, depending on your distribution and how you installed Flycast.

If you are unsure which folder is correct, open Flycast itself, go to Settings, and look for a line that shows your configuration directory path. That is the folder where you should create or find the cheats subfolder.

Finding or creating a cheat file for your game

Cheat files for Dreamcast games are hosted on several community sites that maintain Dreamcast cheat databases. Search for "Dreamcast cheats [game name]" along with the site name — common sources include sites dedicated to retro gaming and emulation. When you find a cheat file, download it and check its filename: it should match your game's internal code, which you can find by looking at the game's properties in Flycast or checking a Dreamcast game database.

The filename must be exact. If a game's code is MK-51050, the cheat file must be named MK-51050.txt — not MK-51050.rar, not Mortal Kombat.txt, and not with extra spaces or characters. If you download a file with the wrong name, rename it to match the game code before placing it in the cheats folder.

If you cannot find a cheat file online, you can create one yourself if you have cheat codes and their corresponding memory addresses. Open a text editor like Notepad, format each cheat with its code and address on separate lines following Dreamcast cheat syntax, save it as a .txt file with the game's code as the filename, and place it in the cheats folder. This requires knowledge of hexadecimal memory addresses and is more advanced, but it is the only way to use cheats that are not already documented online.

Placing the cheat file in the correct location

Once you have a cheat file with the correct name, move or copy it into the cheats folder you located earlier. On Windows, you can drag and drop the file directly into C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Flycast\cheats. On macOS and Linux, use your file manager to navigate to the cheats folder and paste the file there.

Do not place the cheat file in the main Flycast folder or in a subfolder within cheats — it must be directly inside the cheats folder with no additional nesting. If you have multiple games with cheats, each game gets its own file named after that game's code, all sitting in the same cheats folder.

After you place the file, you do not need to restart Flycast. The emulator reads the cheats folder each time you load a game, so the new cheat file will be available the next time you start that game.

Enabling cheats in Flycast before gameplay

Start Flycast and load the game you added cheats for. Once the game is running, open the Flycast menu — usually by pressing the Tab key or a button you configured in settings. Look for a menu option labeled Cheats or Cheat Codes. Flycast will display a list of all cheats found in that game's cheat file.

Each cheat appears as a checkbox or toggle. Click or press the button next to the cheats you want to use, and they will activate immediately. You can turn cheats on and off at any time during gameplay without pausing or restarting. If a cheat does not appear in the list, the cheat file is either not in the correct folder, not named correctly, or contains a formatting error.

Some cheats may conflict with each other or cause the game to behave unexpectedly — this is normal and depends on how the cheat was written and what the game does. If a cheat causes crashes or freezing, disable it and try a different one.

Troubleshooting when cheats do not show up

If you load a game and the Cheats menu is empty or missing, check these things in order. First, verify that the cheat file is in the correct folder by navigating there manually and confirming the file is present. Second, confirm that the filename matches the game's code exactly — including capitalization and hyphens. Third, make sure the file extension is .txt and not .txt.txt or another format.

If the file is in the right place with the right name and still does not appear, the cheat file itself may have a formatting error. Open it in a text editor and check that each line follows the correct syntax for Dreamcast cheats. If you downloaded the file from a source, try downloading it again or finding the same cheats from a different source.

Restart Flycast completely after making changes to the cheats folder — do not just reload the game. Close the emulator entirely, verify the file is in place, then open Flycast again and load the game.

Understanding cheat file format and syntax

Dreamcast cheat files use a plain-text format where each cheat is defined by a code, an address, and a value. The exact syntax varies slightly depending on the cheat type, but a basic cheat line looks like this: a memory address in hexadecimal, followed by the value to write to that address. Comments and cheat names are usually preceded by a semicolon or hash symbol so Flycast knows to ignore them.

If you are downloading cheat files from established sources, they are already formatted correctly and you do not need to understand the syntax. If you are creating your own cheats or editing existing ones, you will need to research the specific format that Flycast expects — this information is usually documented on the Flycast GitHub repository or in community forums dedicated to the emulator.

Most users never need to edit cheat files directly. Download a file, place it in the folder, and enable the cheats you want. The complexity of the file format only matters if you are writing cheats from scratch or debugging a file that is not working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find the game code if I do not know it?

Load the game in Flycast, then check the window title or look in Flycast's game information menu — most emulators display the game code somewhere visible. You can also search for the game name on a Dreamcast game database website, which will list the code alongside the game details. The code is usually a series of letters and numbers like MK-51050 or T-13156.

Can I use cheat files from other Dreamcast emulators?

Cheat file formats vary between emulators. A cheat file made for a different Dreamcast emulator may not work in Flycast without conversion or editing. Stick to cheat files specifically labeled for Flycast, or download from sources that provide Dreamcast cheats in a generic format and test them in Flycast to see if they work.

What if a cheat makes the game crash?

Disable that specific cheat and try others. Some cheats are poorly written, outdated, or incompatible with certain game versions. If multiple cheats cause crashes, the cheat file itself may be corrupted — try downloading it again from a different source or finding cheats for a different version of the game.

Do I need to restart Flycast after adding a new cheat file?

Yes, close Flycast completely and reopen it. The emulator reads the cheats folder when it starts, not continuously. Simply loading a different game without restarting Flycast will not pick up a newly added cheat file.

Can I have cheats for multiple games at once?

Yes. Place a separate cheat file for each game in the cheats folder, each named after that game's code. When you load a game, Flycast automatically shows only the cheats for that specific game.