9 Powerful Video Game Side Stories You Probably Missed

3. Ratman Dens - Portal

Ratman Portal 2
Valve

The story behind Portal and the mysterious Aperture Science facility is fascinating and a big part of that is injected by Doug Rattman.

This is the guy who originally stated the cake is a lie and the first to realise something was amiss with GlaDOS. An ex-employee of Aperture Science, Doug Rattman’s scribblings can be found in various hidden rooms located within Portal and Portal 2. The man himself doesn’t make an appearance but the evidence of his investigations can be uncovered in his scattered homes or dens where he’s tried to take refuge from the evil AI. In his writings he describes the events that transpired around GlaDOS’s mass murder of almost everyone in the facility and subsequent torture of the survivors.

Portal has plenty of secrets, most of which are only alluded to, and very few are companion cube brand friendly and sweet.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.