Video games are meant to be fun, adventurous escapes from reality that take us to new and amazing worlds. They are meant to be filled with world-shattering plots, galaxy-expanding exploration, and emotional connections. They're also opportunities to bring players together and build teams to battle it out over the multiplayer landscape. Franchises continue to build upon stories that span time and space. Heroes are born, and villains are made. The line between good and evil blurs and the player has more control over the outcome of a game more now than ever before. However, there is a darker side to the video game industry. This dark side has ghosts, creepers, and imagery that would disturb anyone, even the most hardcore and seasoned gamers out there.

The decease lurk around hidden rooms, waiting to be uncovered. Attackers run rampant in what should be family-friendly games. The original ideas for iconic games nearly destroyed them before they were brought to life. Monsters lurk in worlds that lack the supernatural, and real-life tragedies and demise inspire the most disturbing easter eggs that one can find in the video game world. This article is going to explore some of the creepiest secrets in the world of video games that you will wish you had never known.

19 A Sea Of Deceased Me

The incredible story of Bioshock Infinite and the subsequent DLC, Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea, has some of the most incredible storytelling and plot gamers have ever played. The character of Elizabeth has quickly become a fan favorite in the Bioshock franchise. Moreover, her role in the Burial at Sea DLC brought together the entire franchise in a beautiful yet tragic way.

After discovering a [SPOILER] person in the game, Elizabeth flashes back to a time where the Lutece twins of the game were rowing her on the same boat that the main character Booker was riding in the original game's opening scene. While the player is notably distracted by the conversation of the twins, a quick look into the ocean you are rowing on will reveal a gruesome sight. There are dozens of deceased Elizabeths, floating in the sea like discarded dolls. This disturbing easter egg will make more sense once you play the game, but it's a shocking image, to say the least, especially for Elizabeth herself.

18 Elevator Ghost Of Pokémon's Past

In Pokémon X&Y, there is a strange scene that appears that has disturbed and continued to haunt players who get the rare glimpse of her. In Lumiose City in a random building, you will ride the elevator up. However, as you step out of the elevator the lights will flash, and a previously unseen ghost girl will appear behind you. As if that's not creepy enough, the girl will stop by you and say, "no, you're not the one," before disappearing.

This is definitely one of the weirdest scenes to ever appear in a Pokemon game and players have been inquiring as to who or what this character is for years.

17 Planet Of The Apes

One of the most popular games in video game history has to be Halo 3. The franchise's third game that ended the first set of trilogies found the Master Chief fighting to end the war with the Covenant and the threat of the Flood. The Flood was a creepy enemy, but an even creepier encounter is hidden on the level Sierra 117. After eliminating all of the Jackal snipers in the level, and at the end, you will find a ledge that the player can jump onto. On the wall to your left follow the path until you find a mysterious family of monkey people. Resembling a part of the evolution of man, the lead creature is holding a teddy bear, and while they cannot be destroyed, shooting the creatures will reveal them to bleed. Are they living beings, or are they already deceased, a relic of humanity's past and doomed future? A truly creepy, silent, and out-of-place experience outside of the action-packed game.

16 The Infinity Mystery

Another incredibly creepy easter egg awaits in GTA V. If you take a break from gunfights and intense reunions long enough to notice it. There is a shocking discovery to be made in the Sandy Shores neighborhood of Blaine County. Home to Trevor Phillips, the player can find a message scrawled onto a boulder in the neighborhood. It reads, "THERE WILL BE 8", and is scrawled out in creepy handwriting to bout. This is a message from the Infinity Killer, a serial life-taker who perished in prison.

The message is accompanied by an equally disturbing poem recounting his slayings, and following the trail left behind by the madman will lead you to the bodies of his victims. While demise and monstrous life-enders aren't anything new in this game, (you even play as one of those madmen), the sight of these victims and the disturbing poem from the criminal is spine-chilling.

15 The Haunting of Call of Duty

When you think of scary horror games, Call of Duty isn't exactly on this list. However, the creators of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, decided to insert their own brand of horror in the form of a hidden room. Players can find this room by going into the Underground Passage mission, and, in this level, you'll find a tunnel with an impassable door.

Throw a couple of grenades at the door, go up to it, and press the action button (and then throw one more grenade) and the door will blow open. Inside is a ghost room, filled with a human-sized rat in a cage, creepy photos of smiling kids, and an empty crib that soon houses a ghostly boy that looks at you before walking off. In the midst of fighting German forces, this room is a hidden horror gem.

14 Shadow People Haunt Mario

The Nintendo brand is not known around the world as one of the best providers of disturbing imagery in video games. However, one of the most notorious claims when it comes to real-life hauntings in our world has to do with shadow people. These shadowy specters haunt places and reveal themselves through silhouettes. Whether or not this phenomenon is real is up for debate, but apparently, the creators of Super Mario Galaxy 2 wanted to bring this discussion into their game.

While in the Shiverburn Galaxy, players can spot three shadow people watching Mario on a ledge, never moving and unable to be reached at all in the level. Further research into the game's files revealed that the creators dubbed this phenomenon "HellValleySkyTree," with Hell Valley being the Japanese term for the Shiverburn level of the game. Who are these shadow people and why do they haunt Mario? Definitely creepy...

13 The Ghost Of Mount Gordo

In GTA V, many supernatural and sci-fi level easter eggs await discovery. Whether it's cults trying to lure you in with promises of spiritual awareness from alien overlords or Bigfoot roaming the hills of Los Santos, there are many strange sightings to be had. However, one of the most disturbing sights one may find is the ghost of Mount Gordo.

This ghost is that of the deceased Jolene Cranley-Evan, who was slain by her husband Jock when he pushed her off of a cliff during a mountain hike. At the spot of her slaying, you can find the word JOCK written in blood and at night her creepy and deathly spirit can be seen haunting the area where she perished. Did she ever get justice, or is her spirit trapped in the mountains, doomed forever to roam in pursuit of the man who murdered her? Just be careful not to approach her.

12 The Man In The Mirror

The Hitman franchise is one filled with bodies, murder, and mayhem. Yet among all the carnage of the franchise, there has never been a more disturbing piece of imagery than this one. In the game, Hitman Contracts, players will find Agent 47 coming across the strange sight of a ghost. In the level "Traditions of the Trade," players will find a locked door that can be picked by Agent 47.

After finding a hidden portion of the hotel, a police officer will run by telling the player that a terrible accident has occurred. When entering the hotel room, he will find a bloody body with a knife pinned to the wall. In the bathroom of the room, the player can find a bathtub full of blood, and in the mirror, they will spot a ghostly apparition floating behind you. Is the ghost that of the victim, or the cause of the victim's demise?

11 Renaissance Monster

A disturbing monster lurking in water is nothing new, but finding it in the highly acclaimed and fan-favorite Assassin's Creed II is a shock. Exploring tombs belonging to ancient Assassin ancestors is one of the many side quests Ezio can undertake in the game. The final Assassin tomb of the game called "Visitazione's Secret" houses a series of platforms near the water of the tomb and a lever to activate the platforms.

Upon using the lever, if you move Ezio to be looking out over the water, players may be shocked to see a large Octopus-like creature swimming by with one glaring eye. If you hit the lever again and look out once more, players will be treated to a jump scare that is so far outside of the realm of Assassin's Creed events that it makes the player question what this creature is and how it appears in their favorite Assassin game.

10 Don't Fear The Reaper

The Gears of War franchise is one of those games that skirts the line between action and outright horror, exploring a world filled with bloodthirsty monsters looking to take over the world. However, a shocking ghostly easter egg in the series is the one found in Gears of War: Judgement — the prequel to the Gears of War series. This easter egg comes after a series of tricky maneuvers. If you throw a grenade at the ceiling (and shooting pieces of paper to light up a series of orbs) in the right spot, on the eighth attempt, the player will see a Reaper emerge from a painting.

Not just that, but it begins to read a book — What!? It will return to the painting eventually, but if the player shoots the painting before the reaper returns, you will be transported to a secret level to fight the Reaper one on one. Talk about a fight to the death.

9 Luigi's Mansion Madness

Continuing the unexpected disturbing imagery found in the otherwise family-friendly world of Nintendo, Mario's brother Luigi has shown that dark and creepy spirits haunt his life, and are eager to push him over the edge of sanity altogether. In Luigi's Mansion, after the boss battle in Area 3, Luigi will go answer a ringing phone. During his conversation, a series of flashes of lightning will appear. During one flash a shadow figure that happens to look a lot like Luigi will appear.

As if this isn't creepy enough, the shadow figure will appear to be hanging from the ceiling from. The implication of either like-taking or life-ending is dark, especially for a Nintendo game featuring Mario's brother.

8 Weeping Statues

In the highly acclaimed The Witcher 3, a side quest in Velen will conclude, and players will have the option of returning to its start. While there, players will find a couple of statues, and those statues will move on their own when not being viewed. Doctor Who fans are sure to love this nod to the weeping statues. These statues are terrifying as the player is helpless to stop them from moving. Are the statues possessed, or are they simply inanimate objects brought to life by some dark magic? What are their intentions and purpose? Little is known about why these statues exist in the game, but this nod is a fun easter egg for Doctor Who fans and a disturbing sight for gamers.

7 The Demise Of Paper Mario

In the Japanese version of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, there's a house hidden in the back alley of Rogueport's Main Square. In the building, players will find a gruesome slaying being investigated, with the chalk outline of what looks like a Toad's body and blood on the floor. The implication of the slaying in this world and the mystery of which Toad perished and who eliminated him are disturbing to think about, which is probably why this was cut from the international version of this game. Nintendo is slowly proving that there are a lot more disturbing secrets hidden within these family-friendly games than most players and consumers would be lead to believe. Horror fans will love to hear this, but for other casual gamers, this scene is definitely a shock.

6 Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Fallout 4 is full of creepy moments within the game's story and side quests, but there is a hidden location that will creep out any Bostonian or 80s sitcom fan. The creators of the game have created and hidden a bar called Prost Bar, and within that bar, you will find an apocalyptic version of the bar made famous by the TV show Cheers. In the bar, you will find baseball memorabilia, a layout exactly like that in the show, and skeletons dressed in the clothes worn by characters on the show.

Needless to say, this indicates that the bar where everyone knows your name didn't survive the nuclear fallout, and this once cheery watering hole has become the sad tomb for Sam, Frasier, and the others. What was the ultimate fate of Sam and Diane in this apocalyptic vision of Cheers? Was your character a regular at the bar? No one will ever know.

5 Robbie The Rabbit

Some of the creepiest moments in video game history have stemmed from the famous horror franchise Silent Hill. How can they not when there are villains such as Pyramid Head roaming the foggy town of Silent Hill? One such moment came when the player in one of the games met Robbie the Rabbit. Appearing in Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4: The Room, this character's cameo in the fourth game has become legendary for its creepiness.

The game features the player trying desperately to escape his apartment, and in one instance in the game, the player can be weird and look through a "special" peephole to watch a neighbor. Your curiosity is rewarded when you spot a Robbie the Rabbit doll on her bed, and after looking at it, the doll becomes bloody and starts pointing one paw at you, as if seeing you through the peephole.

4 Late Night Viewing

The game Animal Crossing is a pretty tame game and life simulator. You can customize your character, your home, and the entire town in which you live in. However, there is one thing that resides out of your control. It's something disturbing and weird as this game is not the place you'd expect alien broadcasts about world domination to occur. Yes, you heard me right. Alien overlords are contacting the citizens of your town and spewing plans for world domination to them.

If you happen to be awake in the game hours of 3:33 am, the player can turn on a television and spot an inhuman figure. The figure's eyes are staring back at you and it seems to be communicating in some alien dialect to anyone who happens to be awake at that late hour. It's a strange and disturbing sight in this innocent game.

3 Plea for Help

One of the best examples of a cult classic video game has to be Half-Life 2. The game has inspired legions of gamers to spend their lives developing theories on the time frame and likelihood of a third game and features some of the best examples of character development and plot. It also features a fantastically creepy character called the G-Man, but he's not the creepy thing we want to talk about.

In this game, some of the creatures you have to fight are zombie-like monsters that head crabs have taken control of. They howl and try to eliminate you pretty regularly, but if you listen to what they are screaming carefully, players will find that tragically the people these zombies used to be are screaming for help, almost as if they are continuously reliving their last moments in life. It's a sad and dark piece of the story that sometimes goes unnoticed.

2 The Hounds Of Hell

The town of Tumbleweed in Red Dead Redemption is the creepiest location in the game, and is literally and figuratively a ghost town. While players may argue that the DLC "Undead Nightmare" is a true horror game, most players don't know about the actual haunting you can explore within the main game itself. Throughout the town, players can hear the phantom sound of hounds barking, yet it's never seen.

The barking grows the loudest in the town cemetery, and in the nearby church players will find a scrawled message in black on the pulpit. It reads, "The devil has got into that beast" and will immediately send shivers down your spine. Is this a case like Stephen King's Cujo, where a dog contracted a disease, or has something more monstrous occurred, allowing a demonic presence to possess a simple dog and turn it into a town-destroying beast from hell?

1 FEAR ALMA

In the F.E.A.R. franchise, the first game started as a manhunt for a serial killer named Paxton Fettel, who had escaped a government facility and showed signs of psychic power. However, the game quickly becomes much scarier with the appearance of a ghostly girl named Alma. Her story is revealed throughout the game, but one interaction with her early on can be found secretly in the abandoned hospital level.

Encountering a set of double doors, the Point Man will push strongly on the doors and only manage to open it an inch. However, some static appears on his headset, and the doors fling themselves open to reveal Alma, standing in the room's corner and staring at you. She soon vanishes, and when the player tries to exit through a nearby door she can be heard screaming "I hate you daddy" before you appear back in front of the double doors, revealing a disturbing vision has just occurred.