10 Obvious Video Game Traps You Definitely Fell For

They did warn you.

By Zoë Miskelly /

Usually, when a trap is used in a game, it's used in one of two ways. Either it's made as obvious as possible, so you can easily dodge it, or it's made a little more complex so you can feel smart when you finally work it out.

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Or, at least, that's how it's supposed to go. Even with the best laid intentions, though, easy traps can still kick your ass. Ironically, this is often because the more obvious a trap is, the more likely players are to want to see what happens if they trigger it - even when it's pretty clear that the only thing that will happen is their own deaths.

And even when this isn't the case, sometimes you just don't register a trap until it's too late, despite how clear the whole thing seemed in retrospect.

While it always feels a little embarrassing, dying to a clear trap isn't anything to be ashamed of - especially as it often gives you an experience many other plays would never have gotten. Because they all had the common sense to avoid it, true, but maybe don't focus on that for too long.

10. Wheatley's Trap - Portal 2

While there are many nefarious traps you have to deal with in the Portal series, relatively few of the challenging ones are crafted by Wheatley, your sidekick who goes rogue when he gets control of the Aperture facility in the later part of the game.

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Wheatley was created to counter GlaDOS by dampening her intelligence when attached to her, and this becomes even more apparent when you see the first proper trap he sets up when he's trying to kill you.

Under the guise that more spikes equals a better trap, Wheatley surrounds you with crushing walls. It'd almost be intimidating, if it weren't for the one spot you can clearly make a portal to, taking you totally out of harm's way. When a plan can be defeated by a woman cryogenically frozen and then hastily brought back, and a talking robot potato, you know it might not have been the absolute best.

Hilariously, though, because you get an achievement for jumping into Wheatley's death trap after you've escaped it, you'll still likely die at least once in order to get that sweet sweet trophy. The completionist in you will thank you - even if what's left of your dignity won't.

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