Video games have plenty of monster designs that aresupposedto be cute. Pokemon are some of the cutest powerful critters to ever fit in a gamer’s pocket. Goombas and Koopa Troopers are enemies, but they’re just so round and goofy-looking to be taken seriously. These monsters are basically begging to be made into collectible plush toys.
But then, there are monsters that game developers really didn’t expect anyone to find charming. Some of them are straight-up nightmare fuel that are meant to make players drop their controllers and burn them with fire. But let’s face it—gamers are sometimes weird like that. Sometimes, scary and cute aren’t all that different.
Theillithid racecertainly isn’t one to value appearances all that much, which is probably for the best. These aberrations are all about combining brains with tentacles, with mind-flayers looking like squid-faced wizards straight out of a marine biologist’s fever dream.
And yet, there’s something different about the intellect devourers. These small illithids are engorged brains walking around on four legs. While thatshouldbe gross, something about their childish voices and excitable nature makes them so endearing. They’re almost like a curious puppy if puppies were attached to a telepathic hivemind.
Most of the time, creepy little girls go right on a gamer’s “nope” list. Some of them are still traumatized from Alma Wade, most likely. But the point is, there’s just something inherently unnerving about a supposedly innocent child acting all scary. At least, that’susuallythe case.
Then there are theLittle SistersfromBioshock. These strange girls run around with sallow skin, glowing eyes, and perhaps most importantly, giant syringes. And yet, players find them more sad than scary. After all, it’s nottheirfault they’re not normal kids. Many good-hearted players end up sparing these lost girls, leading to the game’s more heartwarming endings.
TheMetroidseries is all about Samus Aran’s relentless fight against monstrous aliens in outer space. Herarm cannonhas vaporized countless creatures, including the gaunt pterodactyl monster, Ripley. Then, there are the Metroids themselves. Meant to resemble jellyfish, these little freaks use their sharp beak-like appendances to latch themselves onto Samus’s armor.
Now, usually, the idea of a violent alien entity attaching themselves to anyone is a scary thought, and yet that’s the only thing that’s really scary about Metroids. Design-wise, they just look like big, squishy green jellyfish bobbing through the air.
Headcrabsare the most iconic enemy of theHalf-Lifegames. These scuttling, four-legged alien critters are known to latch themselves onto humans and turn them into zombies. While they’re clearly designed after the infamous Chest-Bursters ofAlien, the headcrabs are far, far cuter.
Why? It’s anyone’s guess, really. These little guys don’t have the usual big, round eyes to make themselves cute (or any eyes at all, from the looks of it). Their behavior is also pretty similar to a predatory spider. And yet,Half-Lifefans just can’t get enough of these little weirdos!
TheFive Nights at Freddy’s franchiseall started because of the creator’s previous projects getting some major hate. The art of his family-friendly early works was seen as the stuff of nightmares. So, he took that feedback in stride and decided to make that scare factor intentional.
Now, the animatronics of Freddy Fazzbear’s Pizzeria definitely are scary, especially when viewed through a security camera late at night. Their designs are a masterful use of constructive criticism. Onlynow, fans of the franchise unironically love these mascots! Sometimes people really cannot make up their minds.
The homicidal headmaster ofHope’s Peak Academywalks a fine line between cute and scary. In fact, that line runs perfectly clear down the center of this robotic teddy bear. One half is soft and fluffy, while the other is jet-black with a malicious red eye.
Of course, as a teddy bear, Monokuma knowsexactlyhow cute and marketable he is. Players know it, too, and they often flipflip between joy and dread and the mere sight of him. After all, he’s the series mascot, but every time he shows up, something terrible is about to go down.
Undertalereally knows how to do a lot with very little. Many of the in-game sprites are in black-and-white pixel work, and yet each frame holds so much life and personality. Most of the monster designs of the Underground are fun and lovable, with very few making the player feel threatened at all.
Then, players go underneath Alphys’s lab and see the abomination she created during a failed experiment. These poor things are the results of monsters melting together after being filled with too much determination. They’re some of the game’s most disturbing characters, and yet even they are just adorable after learning they mean no harm. A special shout-out goes to Endogeny, the cat made ofothercats.
