5 Creepiest Video Game Glitches Ever Discovered

As gamers, it's only natural for us to stumble upon a slew of game-breaking glitches over our otherwise long and glitch-free careers. It's something we almost expect in this day and age, especially with some of the smaller titles that emerge from unknown teams out in the wild. And that's okay. It even happens to the best of the best in the business. Take Cyberpunk 2077, for example. Who'd have honestly thought the minds behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt could crash and burn that hard?

As I said, it happens. Glitches are a small fraction of something much, much greater, and anyone who has so much as played a game will know that with every patched hole comes a stronger overall experience. Getting to that phase, however, first requires a great deal of cementing over potholes. And in this case, we're talking creepy, less jokey sort of potholes. You know, the ones that tend to linger on your brain for a few solid weeks after encountering one. Yeah, those sorts. Those are the sort of glitches we're talking about. Sorry, these…are the sort of glitches we're talking about.

5. MacBook Mother (Mafia 2)

As a way to stoke the fire between PC and Mac users, I thought it would be a great idea to hurl this delightful little nugget into the ancient feud. And before you think it, no, it isn't our way of assigning superiority status to the PC platform. It's just that, well, Mac users definitely felt the blow with this little nightmare. PC users, on the other hand, just laughed for all the while unfortunate Mafia 2 players had to tackle the nightmares thanks to one specific cinematic glitch.

After years away from home, you find yourself climbing the stairs to your mother's tattered apartment complex, ready to embrace her warmth and rekindle the lost mother-son relationship. The door opens and, oh wait, it's not your mother. I mean, it is. But it's more of a mannequin clone, rather than a loving bag of wrinkles and feelings. Sort of like a cheap Mike Myers bargain bin mask, or a knockoff Hanibal cosplay, maybe. Whatever it is, it's creepy. And, it's only for Mac users to enjoy. Lucky you.

4. Mannequin Roommates (Skyrim)

It's one thing to have static mannequins loitering around your newly furnished home — but to have them sprouting up in the middle of the night when you least expect it? Now that's horror material right there. And yet, we can't help but wonder whether or not Bethesda had something to do with its creepy conception. After all, it wouldn't be the first time the open-world kingpins have toyed with us via mismatched routes and outlandish easter eggs. Fallout: New Vegas pretty much bolsters that statement alone, to be honest.

But anyway, rounding back to Skyrim, it seems as though mannequins play an incredibly herty part in your home. Of course, the point of their existence is to fashion your outfits and give you an idea of what you'll look like wearing them. But in Skyrim, however, said mannequins have often been known to move when you're not looking. Think SCP: Containment Breach, only with more medieval than sci-fi settings and characters. It's creepy, that's all I'm saying.

3. Heads (Fallout: New Vegas)

Speaking of Fallout: New Vegas, another notable glitch that has been creeping out its players for years is no other than Doc Mitchell himself. Thanks to his rotating head that hangs upside down like something strewn from a nightmare, fans have been left fleeting to the safety of the title screen session after session, parched over the thought of encountering the contorted dweller.

Okay, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration on my part. Even still, clocking a few dozen upside down heads is still a pretty unsettling thing — even in the gaming world. It's something we don't come to expect when immersing ourselves into a story, which is why it makes it even more of a shocker when it spontaneously pops out of the blue. And while it's pretty normal for a horror game to feature such twisted expressions, it isn't in the slightest bit ordinary when it comes to the dear Doc Mitchell. It's unnatural. So very, very unnatural.

2. Alma the Stalker (F.E.A.R 2)

It's one thing to have to stare the bringer of death and endless terror in the eyes a handful of times over the course of a journey — but to have said eyes literally follow you out of some absurd glitch for an entire chapter? Come on, give us a break. Alma was perhaps one of the most horrifying antagonists ever produced for the 360 and PS3 era, and yet there we were — having to bat her away as she stalked our every slump through an entire level. Without attacking or even so much as talking, she just followed. Just…followed.

Although the majority of F.E.A.R relies on jump scares and building suspense accordingly, having the girl in red just present in general also turns out to be an equally as effective strategy. Of course, it is just a glitch, and it's rare you'll ever encounter it. But even still, it's pretty darn creepy through and through. And if you've ever seen the movie It Follows — then this will definitely give you similar vibes. It's basically one of those glitches you'd just rather not have to deal with, period.

1. “Manimals” (Red Dead Redemption)

Now, this one has been floating about for a while now. In fact, it's even managed to surface on countless forums over the years, with many lucky spotters flooding the columns with screenshots based on their own wxpedienced with the so-called Manimals featured in Red Dead Redemption. But what on earth is a Manimal, you ask? Well, think half human, half creature — and you've basically narrowed it down to a tee.

So, where do these supposed Maninals originate from, and more importantly — where can you find them today? Well, the good news is, you can still very much locate them, usually out in the wilderness where no other cowpoke collective would dare to venture. Somewhere there, in the midst of no man's land, you might just find one of the famous cougar men, or perhaps even a snake with human feautures. Basically anything disturbing. Dig deep enough, of course, and you'll probably unearth something pretty friggin' terrifying. Funny, but terrifying. It's a weird combination.

So, has any certain glitch stood out to you over the years? Let us know over on our socials here.

Had enough of glitches? Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

5 Weirdest Video Games You’ll Play This Year

5 Broken Video Games That Actually Released Worldwide