Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games

From Bigfoot to Mothman, we've got a running tally of the top 5 creepy cryptids in video games when good ol' zombies just aren't cutting it on Fear Factor anymore.
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In an age where everyone’s keen to dress up as a monster for Halloween, just going all fangs and claws doesn’t really cut it anymore when it comes to what we find, well, scary. Vampires? Neutered. Werewolves? We love dogs too much to be terrified of these now. If you’re really wanting a good scream, check out our list of the top 5 creepy cryptids in video games. For something more lowkey, we’ve ranked the top 10 spookiest Pokemon too.

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Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games – Jersey Devil from The Wolf Among Us

According to cryptid lore, the Jersey Devil lives in the Pine Barrens and its legend involves being the cursed, thirteenth child of a family that was born with hooves, a tail, and well, a goat’s head.  What was once a ghost story turned into more when people started to report seeing the monster around, and it’s become somewhat of a horror staple. In the Wolf Among Us, the Jersey Devil dons its trademark skeletal face, complete with a hulking sinewy form that’s both lethal and malevolent. Can we say, though: those horns are rather fetching.

Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games – Bigfoot from Red Dead Redemption

Sure, Bigfoot sounds relatively benign in the scheme of things but doing some research on this cryptid actually reminded us that he’s pretty, well, horrifying. They’re meant to originate from a nocturnal race of humanoids that kidnaps children in the night and kills them! Wild! Somehow, a “less terrifying” version of that myth is that, well, they’re descendants of a group of cannibals. Bigfoot, mate, you’re doing yourself no favors. In Red Dead Redemption, your encounters with Bigfoot-esque creatures are more forlorn and fleeting than anything, but they’re definitely rooted in some of those old legends. 

Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games – Mothman from Fallout 76

Even if you’re not familiar with Mothman, you can probably guess what he looks like. Big dude, moth wings, probably screeches a lot, and flies. Mothman has apparently made off with entire dogs and other livestock, and once he even collapsed a bridge or something? That’s one swole dude, and frankly, that’s the scary part: insects are plenty freaky on their own, so imagine a giant one that’s got guns to rival Reinhardt from Overwatch and an uncanny thirst for creating human suffering. That’s Mothman. Getting up close and personal to him in Fallout 76 nearly gave us a heart attack. 

Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games – Yetis from Uncharted

So, yeah, y’all probably know exactly what we’re talking about. The yetis from Uncharted 2? Black teeth, horn things, tasked with defending something super secret and therefore immensely deadly to you because they can take an entire clip of bullets to the head and be totally fine? Those assholes. Yeah. The fact that they instinctively communicate via intimidating the living hell out of things is buckwild. Also, they’re armed with bombs? Who approved this workplace health and safety nightmare in Shambhala?

Top 5 Creepy Cryptids in Video Games – Gooigi from Luigi’s Mansion 3

Gooigi is probably the scariest entry on this list. Why? We know pretty much nothing about the scale of power of this man. We don’t even know the composite materials that make up Gooigi. What’s Gooigi’s density? Is he solid enough to hold items? Could he hold a gun? Could he shoot a gun? Or is he the sort of insidious, liquid fear that slides under cracks in a door and reappears at the foot of someone’s bed, always ravenous, always looking to absorb more prey? Gooigi is a mystery and all confirmed sightings of him have just led to confusion and mass hysteria, which cements his position as the Creepiest Cryptid by our reckoning.


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About the Author

Ginny Woo

Ginny hails from just south of Mordor, and when she's not debating others about the One Ring then she's probably glued to an MMO or a JRPG. With Final Fantasy XIV, Destiny 2, and World of Warcraft on her plate, she's always got something to chat about and a sneaky guide up her sleeve. If writing's not on the cards, then she's probably drinking way too much coffee.