Easter egg (video games)

In Video games, an Easter egg is a secret for players to find. It may be possible for players to find them playing the game, or they may have to go into the files or hack/modify the game to see them. The term is sometimes used for other media types as well.

They are named after Easter eggs, which are hidden for children to find.

Examples

• In DOOM 2, the final boss is actually a picture of developer John Romero’s head hidden behind the face of the “real” boss.
• In Portal and Portal 2, players can find hints and messages left by the character Doug Ratmann.
• In Undertale, the character W.D. Gaster can only be discovered through easter eggs, some of which can only be found by changing game files.
• In The Stanley Parable, the player can hop out a window into a white void outside the level bounds. After they do this the narrator will tell them it’s actually an easter egg.