Skyrim’s Pac-Man Easter Egg Explained

Skyrim is no stranger to Easter Eggs, but its nod to a world-famous arcade game takes the cake. While it’s easy to stumble past in the gameplay, a fleeting visual reference to Pac-Man is unmistakable.

While The Elder Scrolls has always been a successful franchise, Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim took the series over the edge. The release of Skyrim in 2011 sparked a movement as a generation of players took to exploring the game’s intricately designed world. One need look no further than a multitude of fan-made Skyrim world maps to show the passion that the 12-year-old game still inspires.

Skyrim Pac-Man Easter Egg

Yet there’s always room for mystery. Part of Skyrim’s enduring appeal is the sheer breadth and scale of its world, and hidden in many nooks and crannies are rare finds. One such find was a Pac-Man easter egg in Skyrim discovered in 2021. Nestled in the city of Markarth, the clear nod to the legendary 1980s arcade game is good evidence that Skyrim still has some tricks up its sleeve.

Markarth isn’t an obvious choice for a lighthearted visual callback to Pac-Man. A region known for its silver mines manned by convicts, the mountainous Markarth is as industrious as it is dangerous, yet it’s here, tucked away in silversmith Endon’s house, where the reference lies. Resting on a low shelf is a neatly sliced cheese wheel. Immediately to the cheese wheel’s right are three bulbs of garlic, followed by a small bowl of glow dust. Lying on the cheese wheel itself is a slaughterfish egg. The black egg is positioned on the wheel like an eye, whose slice makes it resemble the Program-And-Control player character from Pac-Man. The bulbs of garlic and bowl resemble the pellets that Pac-Man eats as he works his way through the maze.

Other Easter Eggs in Skyrim

While this reference to Pac-Man is certainly striking, it’s not without precedent in Skyrim. There are many easter eggs in Skyrim, including references to other games. Skyrim‘s Notched Pickaxe, a tool that boosts mining, is a direct reference to Minecraft’s creator, Markus “Notch” Persson. The pickaxe is located on top of the Throat of the World, lodged in rock adjacent to several ore veins. A motif in “Distant Horizons” from the Skyrim soundtrack is a cheeky nod to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which composer Jeremy Soule also scored.

Skyrim’s Influences

Skyrim‘s reference to a 1980s arcade game might seem a bit strange. After all, aside from the fact that both Pac-Man and Skyrim are among the best-selling games of all time, the two have very little in common.

Yet the reasoning is made clearer upon a look at Skyrim’s creators. Skyrim’s director, Todd Howard, came of age in the Wild West era of 1980s video gaming. A new sub-genre seemed to developed every few seconds, and it was in this environment that Howard first became interested in the possibilities of gaming. Among Howard’s favorites were RPG’s Wizardry and Ultima 3: Exodus.

Given Skyrim’s director’s 8-bit upbringing, it seems natural that his work would include a slick homage to the gaming world’s early days. And while Elder Scrolls 6‘s release may be years away, it’s fun to know that Skyrim can still offer fun moments of surprise. These innocuous nods to the past could be good omens for things to come in the future.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim is the fifth major game in the Elder Scrolls series. Considered one of the greatest games ever made, it has been released on several generations of consoles. Since its initial release over a decade ago, Skyrim has become one of the bestselling video games of all time.

Released

November 11, 2011

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Engine

Creation Engine

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

Expansions

Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard

How Long To Beat

35 Hours

X|S Enhanced

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)

Metascore

96

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium (Special Edition)