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10 Best Video Game Easter Eggs Worth Finding
Discover ten documented Easter eggs in released games, from playable Crash Bandicoot to Portal’s Borealis reference, with sources and light discovery spoilers.
A memorable Easter egg rewards you for paying attention. It might be a familiar character in an unlikely place, a playable nod to an older game, or a detail that connects two fictional worlds. These ten selections come from released games and documented discoveries, rather than predictions about what an unreleased game might hide. Expect minor discovery spoilers below. The ranking favors variety and the pleasure of recognizing the reference, not a claim that every example is secret enough to escape every player.
10. Super Mario RPG: Link’s Quiet Stay
Link’s appearance in Super Mario RPG is a small cross-series joke with an appropriately quiet delivery. A visit to the Rose Town inn after the relevant story progress can reveal the Zelda hero sleeping in another bed. It is a good example of an Easter egg that does not need a large reward or a new quest to work. The surprise comes from recognizing someone who belongs to a different Nintendo adventure. Choose it for a gentle discovery rather than a challenge. Follow a guide for the edition you are playing, because the original and remake should not be treated as identical walkthroughs.
9. The Witcher 3: The Sky-Cell Reference
The Witcher 3 places a body in a sky cell at Kaer Almhult that closely resembles a Game of Thrones reference to Tyrion Lannister. It is best described as a recognizable visual nod rather than a claim that the character literally exists in the Witcher universe. The location gives an observant explorer a small connection to another fantasy story without stopping the adventure for an explanation. Pick it if you enjoy finding details in places a main objective does not require you to study. The reference is about a scene and likeness, not a secret playable crossover campaign.
If you want to keep looking after this discovery, our guide to more Witcher 3 Easter eggs offers further references to explore, with additional spoilers.
8. Batman: Arkham City: Calendar Man’s Calendar
Calendar Man’s conversations give a visit to the courthouse basement a reason to change with the date. His holiday dialogue fits the character rather than feeling like an unrelated joke dropped into Gotham. It is a useful example of a discovery built into the rhythm of real-world time, with a calendar near his cell pointing to relevant occasions. Pick it when you want an Easter egg that can reward returning rather than immediately finishing another combat challenge. Edition and system-date behavior can affect the experience, so use a guide that matches your version instead of assuming every port triggers the same dialogue identically.
7. Borderlands 2: Minecraft in Caustic Caverns
The hidden Minecraft-inspired area in Caustic Caverns makes its reference immediately visible. Breakable blocks and Creeper-style enemies interrupt Borderlands 2’s usual visual language, giving you the satisfaction of finding a pocket of another game inside its world. Pick it if you like an Easter egg that offers interaction as well as something to recognize. Reaching the area requires exploring beyond the ordinary route, so it is worth following a location guide if you do not want to spend a long time searching. The joke is the changed presentation and encounter, not a claim that Minecraft itself is included as a separate playable title.
6. Cyberpunk 2077: Hideo Kojima at Konpeki Plaza
During The Heist, taking time to look around the Konpeki Plaza bar can reveal Hideo Kojima’s cameo. The encounter rewards a detour inside a mission that might otherwise encourage you to keep moving toward the next objective. Pick it for the contrast between a recognizable real-world game creator and the carefully styled fictional venue. It is a character cameo, not evidence that Kojima directed Cyberpunk or that a hidden mission is waiting behind every familiar face. Mission timing matters, so a location guide is more useful than searching every bar in Night City after the relevant part of the story has passed.
5. Death Stranding on PC: Companion Cube Deliveries
The PC release of Death Stranding includes crossover deliveries involving Portal’s Companion Cube and other Valve references. It turns the familiar cube into cargo, fitting the cameo into the game’s own delivery routine instead of simply displaying a logo. Choose it if you like a reference that gives you something to do. The associated messages and progression guide you toward the deliveries, with rewards tied to that side content. Platform and edition matter here. Check the release you own rather than assuming every original console copy contains the same crossover packages or that a random player-dropped object begins the intended sequence.
4. Astro Bot: The VIP Bot Homages
Astro Bot makes recognition part of its appeal through VIP bots modeled on characters from PlayStation’s history. The pleasure goes beyond spotting a familiar outfit: a pose, animation, or associated object can make the reference easier to identify. Pick it if you enjoy piecing together the source of a cameo rather than relying on an explicit label. These are deliberate homages within a released game, not promises that every franchise shown in concept art appears in the final roster. The official PlayStation feature gives useful context for several bots, making it a good companion when a costume looks familiar but its history escapes you.
3. DOOM Eternal: Classic DOOM on a Computer
DOOM Eternal hides a particularly appropriate bonus in the Fortress of Doom: a computer that can run the older games. Collecting the relevant cheat-code disks unlocks the original DOOM, while the password FLYNNTAGGART provides access to DOOM II. Pick it if you want an Easter egg that lets you spend more time with the series rather than admire a decoration. The password itself refers to the name used in the DOOM novels. It is a playful bridge between the modern campaign and its older identity. Check the guide for your version if the computer behaves differently, rather than confusing it with a separate commercial copy of the classics.
If the playable classics leave you wanting more of the series, our DOOM games ranked selection is a useful follow-up.
2. Uncharted 4: Crash Bandicoot on the Couch
Uncharted 4’s playable Crash Bandicoot moment is memorable because it makes an older Naughty Dog game part of the characters’ ordinary life. Instead of only placing a poster in the background, it asks you to spend a little time with the recognizable platforming sequence. Pick it for a reference that also changes the pace of the adventure. The scene works best when discovered in context, so avoid spoiling every surrounding story beat for someone who has not reached it. It is a contained recreation inside Uncharted, not an indication that the full Crash collection comes with every edition of the game.
For a broader look at Nathan Drake’s adventures, our Uncharted games ranked list places this game alongside other entries in the series.
1. Portal 2: The Borealis Dry Dock
Portal 2’s hidden Borealis dry dock connects Aperture Science to the wider world associated with Half-Life. You find a place where something significant is missing, with the name and setting doing the work of the reference. That restraint is part of its appeal: the discovery raises a question without turning into a long exposition scene. Pick it if environmental storytelling is your favorite kind of Easter egg. The Ship Overboard achievement recognizes the find, and a Chapter 6 guide can point you toward it. The reference is not a playable preview of a promised new Half-Life game.











