Ever since game developer Warren Robinett inserted his own name in a secret room in the1979 Atari Game Adventure, Easter eggs have become one of video game’s most longstanding and beloved staples. There has been no shortage of great and memorable Easter eggs throughout the past several decades of gaming history.
Related:Best Video Game Easter Eggs Of All Time
While many developers make their Easter eggs fun and lighthearted, sometimes they take a darker approach with them. More than that, they might put nightmare-inducing Easter eggs and secrets in non-horror games. Not only do these Easter eggs frighten, but they catch an unsuspecting audience entirely off guard.
10Slenderman Appearances - Runner 2
Back in the early 2010s, Slenderman was the talk of the horror town. Initially created for a photoshop contest by Eric Knudsen, this long-limped and pale-faced creature evolved into one of the most recognizable icons of the horror and creepypasta community.
Clearly, developer Choice Provisions is a fan of the monster, since it inserted him in the lighthearted platform side-scroller, Runner 2. In the forest level, Bushy Wacky, the ominous Slenderman can be seen in the background at four different points in the level, silently watching.
9Gyroid Face - Animal Crossing
TheAnimal Crossingseries is one of the most delightful and relaxing series of video games ever made. Praised and beloved worldwide, Nintendo’s critically acclaimed social simulation games are lauded for their cute graphics, wholesome characters, and nearly unlimited creative freedom.
This light-hearted tone makes Animal Crossing a perfect playground for some twisted Easter eggs. Originally and falsely classified as a glitch, the eerie Gyroid Face happens when you reset your GameCube when traveling to another village, leaving you with a stern warning about resetting.
8Alien UFO - Outlaws
In the 1990s, there was hardly a more hardworking developer than LucasArts. In 1997, the studio released Outlaws, a Wild West-themed FPS that attempted to compete with Quake and Doom in a hotly contested first-person shooter market.
Related:Best First-Person Shooters With No Sequels
What Outlaws is less known for is a spooky Easter egg that takes you inside a UFO. Once there, you can see a group of aliens experimenting on a cow. The aliens will then remove you from the ship, leaving you forever in the dark about their intentions.
7Screams From House - Saints Row: The Third
Known for its wacky humor and over-the-top gameplay, the critically acclaimed third-person open-world gameSaints Row: The Thirdis full of Easter eggs. While most of these secrets align with the outlandish tone, one is much more unsettling.
In Steelport’s lower neighborhoods, there is a mysterious and seemingly abandoned run-down house. If you stride up to the building, you’ll hear persistent torturous screaming. There’s no way to enter the home or stop the shrieking. All you can do is disregard it from your mind.
6Unown Radio - Pokemon Gold & Silver
For as long as thePokemonfranchise has been around, it’s been full of mysteries. From the famous urban legends like the Mew truck in Pokemon Red & Blue to the more recent hidden secrets, the series is awash in Easter eggs.
While there are a handful of bizarre secrets across the games, Pokemon Gold and Silver sports the most eerie. Travel underneath the Ruins of Alph and tune the radio to a specific frequency; you’ll hear crying from what sounds like the Pokemon Unown.
5The Witch - Payday 2
It’s hard to find a gamer who doesn’t hold fond memories of theLeft 4 Deadseries. Yet Payday’s developer, Overkill, decided to go one step further and create an entire mission set in the Mercy Hospital.
Related:The Best Co-Op Shooter Games
The mission, No Mercy, also received a remaster inPayday 2, which kept most of the secrets and references intact. One of the most noteworthy additions is the inclusion of a zombie witch, which can be found in a closet, waiting to jump-scare anyone who happens across it.
4Exorcism Dummy - Hitman 2
The long-runningHitmanseries is filled to the brim with Easter eggs. While most of the secrets are of the amusing variety, there are a few more mysterious ones, and inHitman 2, you can find the most chilling of them all.
In the Miami Level, if you head to the aquarium and look above the shark exhibit, you can see a dummy nailed to a cross with the words “Live exorcism in progress.” If you keep watching, the eerie dummy will turn its head.
3Scarecrow’s Boat - Batman: Arkham City
Before 2011’s Batman Arkham City, developer Rocksteady finally revealed in the previous game, Arkham Asylum, there was a hidden secret room in the Warden’s office that foreshadowed many of the plot points present in Arkham City.
Sure enough, Arkham City had its own secret room, teasing the story of the series' future entry,Arkham Knight. Travel to a lowly boat in the water, and you’ll uncover Scarecrow’s secret hideaway. It contains clues for his impending cruel scheme and fear-related objects that build an eerie atmosphere.
24:44 Television - Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town
2003’sHarvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Townis a cozy farming game fitted to eat away at your time. From the first entry on the Game Boy Advance to remakes on Nintendo Switch, there’s plenty of relaxation to be had.
Related:The Best Harvest Moon Games, Ranked
Yet, for all the pleasantry, a haunting Easter egg/glitch can be easily stumbled across in both the original and remake of Friends of Mineral Town. Suppose you decide to watch TV at exactly 4:44. In that case, your game will freeze, and the dialogue box will repeat the number four repeatedly.
One ofthe most chilling eventsinRed Dead Redemption 2is the fate of the Blackwater Athletics Team, who can be found in the mass grave south of West Elizabeth. While disturbing on its own, there’s actually a real-world connection here.
The demise of these ten young men parallels the real-life Los Maniceros massacre, in which 12 Colombian amateur football team members were kidnapped, with only one surviving. Much like the real-life crime, what truthfully happened to the Blackwater Athletics Team remains a mystery.
Next:Best Easter Eggs And Hidden Details In Baldur’s Gate 3
