20 HIDDEN Secrets in Tomb Raider Games

20 Hidden Secrets in Tomb Raider Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re uncovering some of our favorite Easter Eggs and other secrets hidden throughout the “Tomb Raider” series!

The Ark of the Covenant

“Tomb Raider” (1996)

The “Tomb Raider” series clearly takes a lot of inspiration from Indiana Jones and his big screen adventures. So much so that before Lara Croft was invented, the original character design for “Tomb Raider” looked an awful lot like the famous archaeologist. Naturally, that means there have been a lot of nods to Dr. Jones throughout the series. In the original game, inside Lara’s home right by the front door, you can find the Ark of the Covenant, the artifact Indy searches for in his first movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” We’ve seen what that thing can do, Lara. Maybe don’t just leave it lying around.

Iconic Inscriptions

“Tomb Raider: Anniversary” (2007)

Another reference to Indiana Jones comes in the remake of the first game, 2007’s “Tomb Raider: Anniversary.” Inside the Tomb of Qualopec, part of the Peru level, you’ll find a room with a ramp going upwards. After you start to walk up it, a boulder will come careening down, prompting you to get out of the way. It’s hard to make out, and might end up killing you if you try to see it. But on the boulder are Indy’s hat and whip, two features that define his iconicity.

Famous Idol

“Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft” (1998)

Another Indiana Jones Easter Egg, and one that specifically references “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” can be found in “Tomb Raider III.” Inside Croft Manor, you can press a series of switches to unveil Lara’s treasure vault. Here, you’ll find items from Lara’s adventures such as the Dagger from “Tomb Raider II” and, above the fireplace, the mounted head of a T-Rex, a recurring boss in the old games. However, you’ll also see what appears to be the Golden Idol that Indy finds and takes during the memorable opening sequence to Indy’s first adventure. Hm. Wonder how she could have gotten that.

A Fallen Explorer

“Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation” (1999)

This is the last Indiana Jones Easter Egg we’ll talk about, I promise. The first level of the fourth game, “The Last Revelation,” takes us back in time to one of Lara’s earliest explorations, in Cambodia. While the young heroine cuts her teeth, you can find a set of spikes and a skeleton on the ground in between them. Look closely, and you’ll notice the remains are accompanied by a fedora and a whip. It seems in the “Tomb Raider” universe, Indy wasn’t too careful when it came to exploring here.

Friendly Competition

“Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris” (2014)

While we’re done with the Indiana Jones references, how about one for Nathan Drake? “Uncharted” took inspiration from “Tomb Raider,” which in turn was inspired by it for a heavy focus on set pieces in the 2013 reboot. It wasn’t long before everyone was pitting Drake vs. Croft, and so developer Crystal Dynamics had a bit of fun with it for the 2014 spin-off, “Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris.” Inside the first level, the Pyramid of Osiris, you’ll come across the remains of Nathan Drake with a sword sticking out of his chest. While he doesn’t have a recognizable hat and whip like Indy, the body’s clothing is the same and he has the same side holsters for his guns.

Kraken Plushie

“Tomb Raider” (2013)

Alright, enough of other characters. Let’s get some Easter Eggs for Lara’s adventures. The 2013 reboot follows Lara after her ship crashes and she’s forced to survive on a deadly island, with an even deadlier, Japanese goddess-worshipping cult hunting her. At a certain point, she makes it back to the shipwreck, where you can go explore her quarters. Inside, you may notice the plushie of a Kraken. It looks like the same one she fights in 2008’s “Tomb Raider: Underworld,” nicknamed ‘Underpus’ by fans. The same plushie can be found once again in the sequel, “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” in several hidden locations.

Natla Industries

“Tomb Raider: Legend” (2006)

After 2003’s “Angel of Darkness” flopped, Eidos Interactive took the reins away from original developer, Core Design, and gave them to Crystal Dynamics, whose first entry was 2006’s “Legend.” But that team didn’t forget Lara’s roots. Inside the Bolivia Redux level, you’ll find several crates marked ‘Natla Industries.’ This referenced Jacqueline Natla, the villain from the original game. However, it grew to be more than a mere Easter Egg. The next game the studio worked on was “Anniversary,” the first game’s remake that brought Natla back and made her the overarching villain of this trilogy, culminating with “Underworld.”

Nessie

“Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft” (1998)

Alright, this one’s just fun. For the “Lost Artefact” expansion of “Tomb Raider III,” the first level takes Lara to the Scottish Highlands. Naturally, given the series often showcases the supernatural and mythical, the developers didn’t miss the opportunity to include a nod to the most famous creature of Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster. If you wait a bit in the outside area, you can make out Nessie, floating in the water. It’s a bit hard to make out in the original version, but still unmistakable. And you can get a clear view of Nessie’s new, 3D model using the photo mode in the 2024 remaster.

Locked in the Freezer

“Rise of the Tomb Raider” (2015)

In “Tomb Raider II,” many players loved tricking Winston, Lara’s creepy butler who followed her around her manor, by locking him inside the walk-in freezer. It became a running joke among fans, and its fame was referenced in “Rise of the Tomb Raider.” While Winston himself doesn’t appear in the game, you can find letters written by him in the “Blood Ties” DLC. One, written to Lara’s father, mentions a time where a young Lara locked him inside the walk-in freezer, just as many of us used to do. Only, while we got a kick out of it, Winston believed Lara to be acting out due to missing her father while he was away.

Hint to Giza

“Tomb Raider I-III Remastered” (2024)

Fans were happy to get remasters of Lara’s first three adventures in 2024. And the team at Aspyr put in a clever secret to let them know more was coming. Inside the High Security Compound, the second level of the Nevada section in the remaster of “Tomb Raider III,” you can find a screen with the date February 14th, 2024, the day this remastered collection was released and Lara Croft’s in-universe birthday. More exciting, the screen also shows coordinates that, when looked up on a map, point to Giza in Egypt. This is the setting of the fourth game, “The Last Revelation.” Many fans guessed a remaster of the game was coming, which did with “Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered” in 2025.

Ah ha!

“Tomb Raider” (2013)

In the older games, whenever Lara found a secret item, she would exclaim “Ah ha!” and a little chime would play. It’s obviously a small thing, but it’s something players grew to love and rely on. Since it was an origin story, the 2013 reboot took the character in many different directions, but the developers still made room to pay homage to this small, lovable detail. If you manage to find all GPS caches hidden across the game, the final one will be accompanied by the same chime and with Lara giving a little “Ah ha!”

Lost Souls

“Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft” (1998)

“Tomb Raider” obviously has several references to other characters in pop culture and video games. This isn’t even the last one we’ll talk about, but it’s definitely unexpected. In the Nevada Desert level of “Tomb Raider III,” some of the enemies you’ll come across are men wearing denim vests. Stitched onto the back of these vests are horned, flaming skulls. These are actually enemies from “Doom,” known as Lost Souls. And honestly? It’s a pretty cool thing to stitch onto a vest.

Level Editor

“Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered” (2025)

The Windows version of “Tomb Raider: Chronicles,” the fifth game in the series, came with a mode where you could build and edit your own levels. It wasn’t in the console versions, nor is it in “Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.” But the latter does include a nod to it. In the 11th level, called ‘The 13th Floor,’ you can find a sleeping guard next to a computer. Looking closely at the screen, you’ll notice it shows the level editor mode from the Windows version of “Chronicles.”

Kain’s Legacy

“Tomb Raider: Legend” (2006) & “Tomb Raider: Anniversary” (2007)

Before taking on the world of “Tomb Raider,” the biggest franchise Crystal Dynamics had under its belt was “Legacy of Kain.” And so, with 2006’s “Legend” and 2007’s “Anniversary,” the developers paid homage to their past. In both games, inside Lara’s manor, you can find a portrait of the series’ central character, the vampire Kain, in his human form, which comes from 2003’s “Legacy of Kain: Defiance.” Additionally, the franchise logo appears in “Anniversary,” on the front of the Sola diving suit outfit Lara can wear.

Hiding the Truth

“Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft” (1998)

Clearly, the Nevada section hides all the best secrets in “Tomb Raider III.” We’ve already talked about the area’s first and second levels. Now let’s talk about the third, Area 51. Here, you’ll easily spot crates marked ‘MJ-12.’ Players into conspiracy theories will know this is shorthand for the Majestic 12, a rumored group supposedly started by President Harry Truman in 1947. This group was said to be made up of world leaders and experts brought together to research and conduct experiments with alien technology. While many believe the group never actually existed, it’s a fun reference to include in a level centered around Area 51.

The Golden Rose

“Rise of the Tomb Raider” (2015)

Another Easter Egg that can be found in the “Blood Ties” DLC concerns Lara’s great-grandmother, Rose Croft. Players can find her headstone along with a golden rose, which Lara states was her nickname due to her perfect reputation. However, old school players will recognize the golden rose as a nod to “Tomb Raider: Chronicles.” In that game, Lara could find them scattered around the world. By collecting them, you’d unlock behind-the-scenes artwork and storyboards for the game and its upcoming sequel, “Angel of Darkness.”

FeeFee the Crab

“Tomb Raider” (2013)

The 2013 reboot was revealed in a trailer called ‘Turning Point.’ About two minutes in, a map was shown, hinting towards the game’s setting. However, what some players latched onto, was a crab with a heart-shaped mark on its back, crawling next to the map. They even gave it a name, FeeFee…for some reason. Crystal Dynamics heard about the fan love for this crab, and decided to include a secret, morbid joke in the game. Back at the shipwreck, on the Eastern section of the map, you can find a group of crabs. Only by killing the correct one, FeeFee, would you get the hidden trophy or achievement, named ‘Crab Cakes.’

A Novel Connection

“Rise of the Tomb Raider” (2015)

Lara has had many adventures outside of her games, and “Rise of the Tomb Raider” included several nods to them. At the end of the game, among Lara’s notes, you can see the picture of a man named Kennard Montez. This is an antagonist and Trinity operative from the novel, “Tomb Raider: The 10,000 Immortals,” which takes place between the 2013 game and this one. There are also several Easter Eggs on Lara’s corkboard, detailing her investigation into Trinity, which is seen in the opening cinematic and on the main menu. While a mass shooting at Oxford and the death of Professor Babbington also reference the book, a note about a suicide on the London Tube is a nod to the Darkhorse comics.

Mark of Fame

“Tomb Raider I-III Remastered” (2024)

‘Nightmare in Las Vegas’ is a famous, and odd, bonus level from “Tomb Raider II.” It naturally returns in “Tomb Raider I-III Remastered,” and includes a cool new Easter Egg. You can find a black van, labeled C-NET in the original, that is now marked CORE, a nod to the franchise’s original developers. Behind this van, on the ground, is a star design bearing Lara Croft’s name. This is identical to the real-life one that can be found in Derby, a city in the UK where Core Design was based when it first created the character. It’s a small, but loving tribute to Lara’s origins.

Rest in Peace

“Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered” (2025)

The title screen of “Tomb Raider: Chronicles” showcases multiple graves surrounding a chapel. And in the remastered version, this is a treasure trove of Easter Eggs. One gravestone, which the menu will give a close-up on, reads ‘Core Design 1988-2006.’ Others require using a free cam to see. One is marked ‘Melissa Croft 2005-2006.’ This is a nod to Lara’s would-be sister, which Core was planning on introducing in a tenth anniversary title they were working on before they were taken off the series. Two others are for Hawk Manson and Ben Jackson, two characters from “Fighting Force 2,” a beat ‘em up also developed by Core. The deepest cut is a grave for Arthur Hamilton Graves, noted as The Chaos Raider. Hamilton was the leader of the Chaos Raiders, a group of villains present in an early draft of the first “Tomb Raider,” before Natla replaced them.

Of course, “Tomb Raider” has a long history of secrets and Easter Eggs. So, if we left off one of your favorites, let us know about it in the comments. And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!