You would be surprised how many games share a universe, even if they seem completely unrelated. Developers tend to hide little hints here and there, expecting players to connect the dots, but many have gone years before players realize.
You’ll likely look back at these series and be blown away by how many clues are hidden in plain sight.
12Watch Dogs/Assassin’s Creed/Far Cry
Ubisoft doesn’t justtake notes on how you play its games, it also connects them together. The most obvious proof is the death of Olivier Garneau. You may recognize him as the CEO of Abstergo inAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but he also appears inWatch Dogsas a target in a side mission for Aiden Pearce. Security camera footage inAssassin’s Creed: Originsconfirms that Aiden successfully killed Garneau.
The Abstergo corporation, which is a front for the Templars, is mentioned inWatch Dogs. Similarly, the Blume Corporation, the company behind the ctOS system, is referenced by Abstergo employees inBlack Flag. InWatch Dogs: Legion, you can even play as Darcy, an assassin from the Brotherhood who becomes part of DedSec.
WhileFar Cry Primalincluded some hidden references toAssassin’s Creed, like the assassin symbol made of dirt, these seem like fun easter eggs. However, if you think about the Bliss’s effects, it could be a Piece of Eden, giving the Seed family an unnatural level of control. Am I pushing it? Maybe, but there’s no way to say for certain.
11Control/Alan Wake/Max Payne/Quantum Break
Alan Wakeis a game focused on the main character, a writer named Alan Wake, fighting against the Dark Presence in Bright Falls. It turns out this is just one major Altered World Event, or AWE, a term you’ll hear a lot if you dive into the world ofControl. InControl, you take on the role of Jesse Faden, the director of the Federal Bureau ofControl. This secretive organization focuses on studying and containing supernatural phenomena.
10Kayne & Lynch/Hitman
InHitman: Blood Money, if you looked closely at the newspapers in the game, you might have noticed a short article about two bank robbers who escaped. There weren’t many details, but fans started guessing that these robbers were actuallyKane and Lynch.
Later, IO Interactive, the studio behind both game series, made the connection much clearer inHitman: Absolution. In that game, you can find Kane sitting in a bar, and Lynch is at a shooting range practicing his aim. These aren’t just random background characters, either. While this is one of the levels thatunexpectedly tests your puzzle skills, you can have Agent 47 eliminate the pair for fun.
9Judgement/Yakuza/Like A Dragon
If you are a fan of SEGA, you likely already know this, but theJudgementandYakuzagames (includingLike A Dragon) all exist in the same universe. The main link between them is Kamurocho, the fictional district that acts as the central setting for these games. You spend a lot of time there, getting to know its residents and exploring its well-known streets.
This isn’t just a recycled map; each game adds new spots and characters to Kamurocho, keeping it fresh while maintaining its role as a connecting element across the series. One area often mentioned in the series is Little Asia. If you remember, it was completely destroyed by fire inYakuza 6. In bothJudgementandLike a Dragon, you can see it’s still being rebuilt.
8Grand Theft Auto/Manhunt/Bully
Carcer City fromManhuntis mentioned multiple times on differentGTAradio stations and in other background elements. InGTA IV, you might come across a TV program calledI’m Rich!which makes fun of wealthy people. One episode of this show mentions Bullworth Academy, the troubled boarding school whereBullytakes place.
One of the most interesting connections is a particular house inBully’sBlue Skies Industrial Park. If you stand close to it, you may hear disturbing noises: a chainsaw starting up along with what sounds like a pig snorting. Many fans think this clearly references Piggsy, a major enemy fromManhunt.
7Doom/Wolfenstein/Quake
The hero ofWolfenstein 3D, William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, is officially stated to be the great-grandfather of Doomguy. This suggests a family line of fighting demons and a shared history, even if the details are complicated. TheWolfenstein RPGspin-off includes a story where Blazkowicz fights and defeats the Harbinger of Doom, a demon with mechanical limbs that looks very much likeDoom’sCyberdemon. The Harbinger threatens revenge against Blazkowicz’s descendants, strengthening the connection between the two games.
A character who might or might not be Doomguy is also a member of the Blazkowicz family. Doomguy also makes an appearance inQuake III Arena; though some fans believe this happens in a separate “multiverse” outside the main storyline, it’s still connected.
6Mass Effect/Dragon Age
Mass Effectisn’t justa game you’re able to get lost in, it’s related toDragon Age. One of the oldest and most talked-about clues is a statue of a darkspawn ogre found in a vault duringKasumi’s Stolen MemoryDLC forMass Effect 2. On the other hand, inDragon Age: Inquisition, a Krogan head is displayed as a trophy in the palace of Orlais.
These aren’t just slight changes or vaguely similar designs; they are clear nods to the other series. It’s as if they officially exist in both worlds. Additionally, the moon inDragon Age: Originsappears very large in the sky. Meanwhile, inMass Effect, you can visit a planet with a moon (Klendagon) that looks just as big and has a similar appearance, which could mean they share the same location in space.
5Portal/Half-Life
Even thoughHalf-LifeandPortalseem very different in style, they are clearly linked through Aperture Science and Black Mesa. Portal includes many references to Black Mesa, showing that the two research facilities are rivals. GLaDOS, the AI in Portal, even casually remarks about the Combine taking over Earth, a major event in the Half-Life series.
Half-Life 2: Episode 2makes this connection even stronger by mentioning the Borealis, a ship that vanished mysteriously from Aperture Science. Later, inPortal 2, players discover the dry dock where the Borealis was once kept, proving that the ship existed and tying the two stories closer together.
4ICO/Shadow Of The Colossus/The Last Guardian
One possible connection is the presence of the main characters with horns, which appears in bothIcoand the baby version of Wander fromShadow of the Colossus. The horns may represent a link to something magical or a sense of being an outcast. Another shared element is the shadowy creatures that appear as enemies in all three games.
Shadow of the Colossushas a more direct connection toIcosince baby Wander has horns, and the Queen’s Sword fromIcocan be unlocked inShadow of the Colossusthrough Time Attack mode. These overlapping details suggest that the games might share a common history or mythology. The size of the monster inThe Last Guardianblends well with the worlds, and its being from the same studio pushes the idea further.
3Final Fantasy 12/Final Fantasy Tactics/Vagrant Story
Just like how the games havemain characters who aren’t the heroes of the story, the worlds ofFinal Fantasy XII,Final Fantasy Tactics,andVagrant Storyare connected. Often called the Ivalice Alliance, the games have a network of linked details found across these games. These games, created by Yasumi Matsuno, share a unique visual style, repeated terms, and overlapping stories that build into one bigger, unified tale.
The clearest proof is in their world-building; all the games occur on the continent of Ivalice, even though the map and country borders change over time. Names that appear repeatedly, like “Valendia” and “Ordalia,” appear as important places in different games. Making the connection even stronger, words like “Kiltia,” “Riskbreaker,” and “Leámonde" are used in all three games and are part of their lore, tying together the cultures and histories.
