A Very Visible Credit Roll
Game developers, publishers, and creators have been putting themselves into games for years. Sometimes your favorite BTS hero hides in Easter eggs, and sometimes they just can’t help but show up as full character cameos. And do you know what makes their appearances even cooler? The internal reward of finding said cameo, especially when some of them are hidden so far in the code that you can spend more time on the hunt than on mission completion. Come with us as we explore some of the coolest pop-ups in our favorite series!
1. DOOM II — John Romero
In DOOM II, John Romero appears as the famous hidden "Romero's Head" Easter egg. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like; you can find it in MAP30, "Icon of Sin," where his head is placed behind the final boss structure. It’s not easy to spot, though, and you can only uncover it with cheats or by examining the hidden space behind the demon face wall.
id Software: John Romero, Dave Taylor, John Cormack on Wikimedia
2. Game Boy Camera — Nintendo Developers
“Who are you running from?” (Apologies to anybody we just triggered!) Curious kids everywhere got the shock of their lives with the Game Boy Camera, which had actual photos of Nintendo staff members inside the software. Though, given their mangled faces, it’s probably best you don’t poke around.
3. Mortal Kombat II — Dan Forden
Mortal Kombat II already has groundbreaking action, but did you know that it also features Dan Forden in the famous "Toasty!" pop-up cameo? You can spot him when certain uppercuts trigger his face to appear briefly on screen in the corner while he says the line.
4. Mortal Kombat 4 — Dan Forden
Hey, what’s a composer to do when faced with the chance to appear twice? Mortal Kombat 4 brought the beloved easter egg back with the updated "Toasty 3D!" version of the same cameo. You can find it during gameplay when the hidden trigger causes his face to flash on screen again in its newer form.
NetherRealm Studios on Wikimedia
5. Max Payne — Sam Lake
Believe it or not, in the original Max Payne, Sam Lake appears by serving as the facial model for Max himself. You can see his likeness throughout the game, especially in the graphic novel panels that tell the story between action sequences.
6. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne — Sam Lake
Well, you can’t have one without the other. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne includes Sam Lake once again, only this time in appearances on an in-game television. You can find him by watching certain TV programs that play within the game world, where he appears on screen in live-action segments.
7. Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Stan Lee
Okay, you’re obviously not going to have Marvel with its father! Spider-Man: Miles Morales includes Stan Lee through a statue placed in the city. You can find it outside Mick's diner, where his likeness stands as a visible tribute within the open world.
8. Undertale — Temmie Chang
Look, if we made this game, we’d want dibs on cameos, too! For those who don’t know, Undertale includes Temmie, a character based on developer and artist Temmie Chang. You can find Temmie in Temmie Village, where the character appears as one of the weirdo residents.
Toby Fox and/or Temmie Chang on Wikimedia
9. Deltarune — Temmie Chang
Deltarune also includes Temmie Chang, also as the character Temmie. You can once again find Temmie in the classroom setting, where the character appears among the students in Kris's world.
10. Five Nights at Freddy's — Scott Cawthon
The original Five Nights at Freddy's includes Scott Cawthon through his Animdude persona. You’ll need to sleuth a little for this one, as his appearance can be found in the game's hidden or meta-related material. If you spot it, you’ll see the creator's stand-in show up as part of the internal imagery.
11. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 — Scott Cawthon
Oh, you thought we were done? We don’t think so! Five Nights at Freddy's 2 only continued that self-insert with another appearance from Animdude. Once again, it’s tucked away, and you can find it in the game's hidden material and series-connected secrets.
12. Ultimate Custom Night — Scott Cawthon
Just about every gamer knows FNAF, but not everyone knows that Cawthon’s Animdude also appears in Ultimate Custom Night. As you can probably guess, it’s also in the game’s hidden content, where his stand-in is part of the broader Five Nights at Freddy's self-referential lore.
13. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes — Hideo Kojima
Okay, you might not be able to meet Hideo Kojima in person, but you can see him in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes! Kojima’s actually the rescue target in the "Intel Operative Rescue" mission on certain versions of the game. You can find him as the VIP prisoner who needs to be extracted from Camp Omega.
14. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 — Stan Lee
It wouldn’t be an ultimate alliance without Mr. Lee, would it? You can find him as Senator Lieber during the story as an on-screen non-playable character. Yes, the cameo is Stan Lee himself, so it’s a pretty cool nod to the master of Marvel.
15. Adventure — Warren Robinett
Wow, we wonder what’s inside the room literally labelled “Created by Warren Robinett.” All jokes aside, this Adventure tidbit is actually one of the earliest known video game Easter eggs! You can find it by carrying the hidden gray dot into the secret chamber near the Gold Castle in the appropriate game variations.
16. Final Fantasy XIV — Naoki Yoshida
Final Fantasy XIV has a lot to sift through, but you might want to make more time for scouting ‘cause the game includes producer and director Naoki Yoshida as an in-game NPC. You can find him in event quest content tied to The Rising. However, the cameo’s only found in certain editions.
17. Marvel's Spider-Man — Stan Lee
No, we’re not done with Stan Lee yet—and we don’t want to be! Marvel's Spider-Man gave him a hilarious cameo as a short-order cook. If you want your eggs done by the man himself, you can find him during an early restaurant scene involving Peter and Mary Jane.
18. Alan Wake II — Sam Lake
We know Lake’s appeared a couple of times already, but can you blame him for hiding inside Alan Wake II? He appears directly in an in-game talk show sequence and also provides the likeness for Alex Casey. You can find his talk show appearance during the live-action stuff.
19. The Amazing Spider-Man — Stan Lee
Okay, okay, last one we promise! We saved this one for last because in this Spider-Man, Lee’s actually a playable character! You can access him through bonus or unlockable content, moving through the game world as Stan Lee instead of Peter.
Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
20. Death Stranding — Hideo Kojima
If you go poking in Sam's private room, you might just spot Kojima. Of course, if you’re not the type to snoop, you can also find him through hologram-style cameos. In any case, it’s pretty brief, but it happens, and therefore it's infinitely cool.
