SQLite is lightweight, fast, and incredibly useful in Unreal Engine — but it comes with an important caveat:

SQLite databases are just files. If they live on the client, they can be edited.

This article isn’t about pretending local data can be made “unhackable.” It’s about realistic security: making tampering harder, detecting it when it happens, and knowing when SQLite isn’t the right tool at all.

First: Set the Right Expectations

If your game is:

• Competitive
• Online
• Monetized
• Progression-heavy

Then local storage should never be authoritative. The server must be the source of truth.

SQLite security techniques are best suited for:

• Single-player games
• Offline progression
• Editor tools
• Prototypes
• Local caching

With that in mind, here’s what actually helps.

1. Encrypt the Database

The most effective first step is encrypting the SQLite database.

Without encryption, anyone can:

• Open the .db file
• Change values
• Save it back
• Relaunch the game

Using an encrypted SQLite build (such as SQLCipher) prevents casual inspection and editing.

Reality Check

• Encryption will not stop a determined attacker
• It will stop most casual cheating and save-file editing

Encryption is about raising the bar, not making cheating impossible.

2. Never Hardcode the Encryption Key

The hardest part of encryption is key management.

If your encryption key is:

• Hardcoded in C++
• Stored in plain text
• Easily extracted from the binary

Then encryption provides limited value.

Better Approach

• Generate a unique key per installation
• Store it using the platform’s secure storage:
  • Windows: DPAPI / Credential Manager
  • macOS / iOS: Keychain
  • Android: Keystore
• Derive the actual DB key from that secret

This makes copying or swapping database files much harder.

3. Add Integrity Checks (Tamper Detection)

Even with encryption, you should assume data might be modified.

A common approach is to add integrity validation:

• Generate a hash or HMAC of important fields
• Store it alongside the data
• Recalculate and verify on load

If the values don’t match:

• Reject the data
• Reset it
• Flag it for review
• Fall back to defaults

This turns silent cheating into detectable tampering.

4. Avoid Storing “Final Values”

Instead of storing values like:

• Coins = 99999
• Level = 50

Store:

• Events
• Inputs
• Minimal state

Then recompute derived values at runtime.

This makes simple edits much less effective and helps catch unrealistic changes through sanity checks.

5. Sanity Checks Go a Long Way

Basic validation catches most naive tampering:

• Value ranges (no negative currency)
• Progression rules (level requires XP)
• Time constraints (no 10 hours of progress in 2 minutes)

These checks are cheap, effective, and easy to maintain.

6. Obfuscation (Optional, Low Value)

Obfuscation alone is not security, but it can help:

• Avoid obvious table and column names
• Split values across columns
• Apply reversible transforms

This mostly deters automated scripts and casual poking.

When SQLite Is the Wrong Choice

SQLite is not suitable for:

• Competitive multiplayer
• Shared economies
• Ranked progression
• Anything with real-world value

In those cases, local databases should be treated as caches only, with validation happening server-side.

Final Thoughts

SQLite can be safely used in Unreal Engine as long as you understand its limits.

You can’t fully secure client-side data — but you can:

• Make tampering harder
• Detect when it happens
• Design systems that don’t rely on blind trust

Used correctly, SQLite is still a powerful and practical tool in Unreal projects.

Design for reality, not perfection.