Some of the best games ever made have important plot points, characters, and unexplained events that are shrounded in mystery.

Despite the many fans that have come together in a bid to solve them, they remain mysteries until a developer confirms these theories. While players will just have to keep waiting and collecting evidence until a definitive answer comes, it can be fun to speculate and read between the lines.

Who Is the Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption?

The Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption is a mysterious figure who appears without warning to test John Marston’s sense of right and wrong. The last encounter is especially unsettling; after a strange and unclear conversation, the Strange Man shoots John but is completely unharmed, hinting at John’s coming death.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, you can find more clues about him in a cabin in the swamp. Inside, there’s a rotting alligator, a poem that changes depending on whether you helped or harmed Jimmy Brooks and eerie writing on the walls that suggests the Strange Man knows everything. Most players believe he is some kind of supernatural being, possibly representing God, Death, or even the Devil.

What Is the G-Man’s True Identity in Half-Life?

The G-Man, the mysterious suited character in the Half-Life series, is still one of gaming’s biggest unsolved puzzles. He shows up at important moments, pulling strings and seemingly deciding the fate of Gordon Freeman. The most widely accepted and interesting theory involves the Shu’ulathoi, a race of dream-creating beings from the Combine’s defeated homeworld. Before their planet was taken over, they built entire worlds inside their shared minds.

G-Man may be one of these Shu’ulathoi, having broken free from the Combine’s control and now secretly working against them, though in a manipulative and morally gray way. In the game, you notice how he quietly steers Freeman, stepping in to make sure certain things happen, all to slowly weaken the Combine’s hold on Earth.

The Five Jars With Mysterious Symbols in Skyrim

Five jars hold different insects (a bee, a butterfly, a dragonfly, a moth, and a torchbug), and each jar lid is marked by strange symbols in Skyrim. The most popular, but ultimately unconfirmed, theory was that the symbols were some kind of runes. Maybe you tried translating them using different historical runic alphabets, testing out possible combinations and meanings.

You might have even matched the symbols to real runes and their meanings, only to end up with gibberish or strange, meaningless phrases. The truth could be that these symbols could be part of a quest that was cut from the game or maybe just a visual idea a designer had that was later dropped. We just don’t know!

L Is Real in Super Mario 64

The most popular and long-lasting theory is that “L is Real 2401” refers to Luigi in Super Mario 64, one of the best 3D Mario games. Luigi was originally meant to be a playable character but was removed before the final version of the game. This theory became widely accepted after players found unused files in the game’s code that seemed to include a fully designed Luigi, complete with textures and animations.

Game files that were dug up contained unused models and voice clips for Luigi, as well as early advertisements that suggested Luigi was meant to be in the game but was later dropped. Unfortunately, despite unused content, including Luigi’s assets, we don’t know what “2401” really means. So, the theory isn’t the answer to this puzzle.

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What’s the Deal With the Mount Chiliad Mural in Grand Theft Auto V?

A strange painting is found inside a cable car station at the top of Mount Chiliad in GTA V, the highest mountain in the game. The painting shows a simplified drawing of the mountain with eight boxes. Three of these boxes are easy to recognize: one shows a UFO, another shows a cracked egg, and the third shows a person wearing a jetpack.

The remaining boxes only have slash marks. Similar symbols can be found around the mountain and at a nearby hippie camp, including the “eye” symbol that stands out in the painting. The most popular theory about this painting is that it connects to a bigger story involving aliens, government secrets, and mysterious creatures, but Rockstar hasn’t confirmed anything.

Tawna Goes Missing In Crash Bandicoot

It is strange that Tawna, who was a prominent side character in Crash Bandicoot, ends up missing as the games go on. Apparently, Sony Computer Entertainment expressed worries about Tawna’s appearance and personality, especially in the Japanese market. Because of this, Tawna was given a new design, but the developers at Naughty Dog were not pleased with the changes.

As a result, they chose to completely remove her from the second game, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. However, no in-universe explanation was given for the removal, and her eventual replacement with Coco Bandicoot leaves more questions than answers.

Is the Wizard Abigail’s Father in Stardew Valley?

A long-standing mystery in the popular Neighborvania, Stardew Valley, centers on who Abigail’s real father might be. Abigail is a lively and quirky villager who loves all things dark and mysterious, and she has bright purple hair. She lives with Pierre and Caroline in their general store, but her personality doesn’t match theirs at all. Pierre comes across as grumpy and strict, while Caroline is a caring but somewhat anxious mother. Abigail, on the other hand, is bold, adventurous, and deeply interested in magic and the supernatural.

The most common theory is that her real father is the Wizard, M. Rasmodius. Abigail and the Wizard share many of the same interests, and the game’s dialogue suggests Caroline and the Wizard might have had a secret connection in the past. Even Caroline admits that she used to visit the Wizard’s tower alone, which raises questions. Even Pierre sometimes wonders if he’s really Abigail’s father, adding more doubt to the situation.

How Did Anderson Beat Shepard to the Crucible in Mass Effect 3?

In the last moments of Mass Effect 3, Harbinger attacks you, knocking you out. When you wake up, you are suddenly much closer to the Citadel beam than you were before passing out. Even more surprising is Admiral Anderson being there, already at the Citadel control panel, even though he says he followed you. This inconsistency is a big reason why the “Indoctrination Theory” remains popular.

This theory suggests that everything after Shepard gets hurt is not real but instead a hallucination created by the Reapers as a last effort to control your mind. It’s one even I believe, because the lame excuse “he was just beamed up to a different area” makes little sense.

What Happened to W. D. Gaster in Undertale?

Hidden within Undertale is what happened to Dr. W.D. Gaster, the Royal Scientist who came before Alphys. You never meet Gaster directly. Instead, you find hints about him through strange notes in the True Lab, the mysterious warnings from the River Person (“Beware the man who speaks in hands.”), and the brief appearances of his followers, known as the G Followers.

The leading theory about Gaster’s fate suggests he wasn’t just lost or destroyed but broken apart across different timelines. The theory suggests that Gaster while conducting risky experiments with “Determination” ended up breaking himself apart. His essence scattered across countless timelines, with pieces of his consciousness lingering in Sans and Papyrus.

What’s in the Black Box in Kingdom Hearts?

The Black Box in Kingdom Hearts is a strange and fancy black leather chest with thirteen red locks and decorative heart designs. It has the words “X-Super” written on it. Nobody knows what’s inside, but it’s clearly a very important part of the Master of Masters’ big plan.

This series is one of the best crossovers, and has many theories. The best one is that the Master’s plan involves keeping a backup of important data, specifically, the Dandelions, who were the Keyblade wielders that survived the war. This Data Daybreak Town might be how they survive, meaning the Master kept his promise to protect them.

There are so many mysteries that still need to be confirmed. By this point, I think there should be a rule to reveal mysteries if a game doesn’t have entries after a certain number of years. Hopefully, we’ll see some answers soon.