How to Find Glitches

Glitches are bugs in a game (computer, video, app, etc.) that cause strange things to happen that are not supposed to form part of the game.These glitches can sometimes be used to your benefit. For example, perhaps you find an enemy and he runs away when he's not meant to or maybe your enemies have turned into holograms and can't attack you. Usually glitches are a nuisance or something to avoid.

Sometimes though, glitches can actually help your game play or they're just fun and in this instance, you may actually want to find them––happy bug hunting!

Notice things happening in the game that aren't supposed to be there. For example, weapon switches when you thought you were holding one type of weapon, clothing changes when you didn't request a change or an entire change of scenery or location when you weren't expecting it. Perhaps gravity doesn't seem to exist anywhere, when it ought to, or maybe your tools, weapons or objects are doing something they wouldn't normally do. To know whether this is part of the game, or a glitch, there are ways to find out:

• Read the game synopsis accompanying the game. If it's detailed enough, this might help you.
• Ask a friend who has already played the game. He or she might know whether what you're encountering is normal or not.
• Go online and check out the forum for the game. See if someone else has raised the possible glitch. Or, do a search for "X glitch" on a search engine if you suspect it is a known glitch.

Find out or ask about glitches in general. Check out the specific site, forums, discussion pages or other information source related to your game. There may already be discussion threads or tutorials for finding current glitches in your game.

• YouTube will often have video tutorials of glitches in popular games.
• Always check the date of posting of the glitch information. While glitches may remain for some time, they usually won't last more than a few months in live games, as the programmers will patch them eventually.
• Equally, always read what can go wrong when exploiting a glitch––some glitches can destroy your game or lose items for good.
• There are some sites dedicated to outing as many glitches in games as possible. Some of these include funny glitches that are worth a good laugh but not much more.

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Be careful not to abuse glitches in shared gaming. Glitching isn't appreciated in many multiplayer games as it is considered a form of cheating or modifying gameplay in an undesired way and may impact other players unfairly. Read your live game's terms and conditions before getting carried away with overusing a glitch. You may be better off reporting a glitch than using it.

There are some fairly standard areas where glitches tend to occur. If you're hunting them down, here are some pointers to help you.

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   Ledge climb. If you can get onto a climbable ledge, then keep going on it as far as you can. See if it takes you anywhere. Possibly there is a point at which the programming got sloppy and you fall or climb through into something else of interest.Try to pass through walls. In some games, walls become transparent when certain things happen, such as when moving items, interacting with players or using special actions such as teleporting or decorating. Perhaps there are particular joins or fissures in walls that create weak spots where you can pass through what is normally solid.
   • If you notice that your weapon, tool or other object that you're holding can go through a wall, then try to go through as well. It could be a sign of a way to glitch into the wall or out of the zone, level, map or area that you're currently in.