Introduction
Video game developers love to hide surprises in their games—whether it’s a secret level, a hidden message, or an inside joke. These hidden elements, known as Easter eggs, have been a part of gaming culture for decades. Some are funny, some are creepy, and some are just downright bizarre. In this article, we’ll explore the weirdest Easter eggs ever discovered in video games.
1. The First Video Game Easter Egg (Adventure – 1980)
Easter eggs in video games started with Atari’s Adventure (1980). Due to the company’s strict policies, developers weren’t credited for their work. Programmer Warren Robinett secretly included a hidden room in the game that displayed his name. Players could find it by touching an invisible pixel, leading to what is considered the first Easter egg in gaming history.
Why It’s Weird?
At the time, this was an act of rebellion against Atari’s corporate policies. Robinett snuck his name into the game without anyone knowing, setting a precedent for future hidden secrets in games.
2. The Hidden Alien Face (Halo 3 – 2007)
In Halo 3, players found a secret message hidden inside a ring structure on July 7th, 2007. If you played the game on a specific date and zoomed in on a certain part of the level, you could see an alien-like face inside a structure. This face was actually a tribute to Adrian Perez, a Bungie employee, whose wife had left him a secret birthday message hidden inside the game’s textures.
Why It’s Weird?
Most Easter eggs are placed for fun, but this one was a heartwarming personal message hidden deep inside a game.
3. The Ghost Girl in Pokémon X & Y (2013)
Pokémon X & Y had a surprisingly creepy Easter egg. In Lumiose City, when players enter a certain building, the screen flickers, and suddenly, a ghost girl appears behind them. She doesn’t have a walking animation—she just slides toward you and says, “No, you’re not the one.” Then she disappears.
Why It’s Weird?
Pokémon games are usually lighthearted, but this unexpected horror-style encounter scared many players, leading to multiple fan theories about who she was and why she appeared.
4. The Exploding Cow Mystery (Red Dead Redemption 2 – 2018)
Rockstar Games is known for hiding some of the strangest Easter eggs in gaming. In Red Dead Redemption 2, players discovered a bizarre event—a flying cow randomly explodes in mid-air near a railway track. There’s no explanation, and the event doesn’t seem to trigger anything else in the game.
Why It’s Weird?
Many believe this is a reference to a physics glitch from Grand Theft Auto V, where random cows would sometimes appear and explode. Whether it’s a bug or an intentional Easter egg, no one really knows.
5. The Secret Alien Base (Grand Theft Auto V – 2013)
Speaking of GTA V, Rockstar loves hiding UFOs and aliens in their games. Players have found multiple UFOs hovering over Los Santos, and if you go to a certain part of the ocean, you’ll even find a sunken alien spaceship. But the weirdest one? Inside Mount Chiliad, there’s a secret alien base, only visible if you follow an in-game mystery that requires playing at 3:00 AM during a thunderstorm.
Why It’s Weird?
Rockstar never confirmed the purpose of the alien base, leaving players to speculate about hidden government experiments and conspiracies inside the GTA universe.
6. The Creepy Mannequins (Call of Duty: Black Ops Series)
In the Nuketown multiplayer map of the Call of Duty: Black Ops series, if you shoot the heads off all the mannequins within two minutes, something disturbing happens. In some versions of the game, the mannequins turn into zombies and start attacking you. In others, they follow you when you’re not looking, similar to Doctor Who’s Weeping Angels.
Why It’s Weird?
A simple multiplayer map hides a nightmare-inducing Easter egg, making players fear mannequins forever.
7. The Time-Traveler in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there’s a random NPC who predicts the future. If you talk to a certain Gossip Stone, it tells you “They say that one who wears a strange mask will be the one to rule the world.” Years later, in Majora’s Mask (2000), Skull Kid wears a cursed mask and nearly destroys everything.
Why It’s Weird?
Nintendo predicted the next game’s plot in an Easter egg before the sequel was even announced!
8. The Secret Doomsday Device (Batman: Arkham City – 2011)
In Batman: Arkham City, players discovered a hidden room in Wonder Tower years after the game was released. Inside, you find a blueprint labeled “Gotham Doomsday Project”, which hints at the events of the sequel, Arkham Knight (2015).
Why It’s Weird?
The developers hid a secret teaser for the next game in a place that took players years to find.
9. The Terrifying Bigfoot Hunt (Red Dead Redemption – 2010)
The Bigfoot Easter egg in Red Dead Redemption was one of the strangest and darkest surprises in gaming. After years of rumors about Bigfoot existing in GTA: San Andreas, Rockstar added a Bigfoot hunting mission in Red Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare DLC. However, when you find the last Bigfoot, it speaks and begs for mercy.
Why It’s Weird?
Instead of being a fun secret, the Easter egg turned into an emotional and disturbing moment, making players question their actions.
Conclusion
From exploding cows to hidden ghosts, video games have some of the weirdest and most unexpected Easter eggs. Developers love hiding these secrets for dedicated gamers to find, making gaming history even more exciting. With the rise of open-world and AI-driven games, who knows what insane Easter eggs future titles will hide?