History LookBehindYou / Videogames

* Played straight in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderChronicles''. Larson doesn't look, and gets killed (though [[BackFromTheDead that's not the end of him.]])

* Used in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' where Yosuke distracts Rise's stalker, who threatened to throw himself in front of any car if threatened further, for 'interrogation'.
--> '''Yosuke''': ''"Look, a Martian!"''

* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3'': Played straight a few times; seems to work every time. Later aliased as "[[PersonAsVerb pulling a Bubbleman]]", after the first character to use it.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheFighters'': One of Amy's special attacks is named "Look Over There!" or "Hey! What Is That?" [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin I'll give you three guesses what it does.]]


* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', a weakened [[spoiler:Master Xehanort]] resorts to this when Terra is about to finish him off. Terra, refusing to become a sucker ''or'' tempt fate, is very, very cautious as he checks to see what's behind him... only to wind up throwing that caution to the wind because of ''what'' he saw. It actually ''was'' intended to be a distraction, and he turns around to find [[spoiler:Xehanort stabbing ''himself'' in the chest with a Keyblade, which shocks him so badly that he's able to do nothing to defend himself against Xehanort's freed heart until it's too late.]] Needless to say, [[PlayedForDrama it's probably one of the least amusing uses of this trope ever.]]
* This exchange in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance 2'':
--> '''Shocker''': How much more do you think you can take, hero? Now don't keep telling you came in here alone. Where are the others? Huh?\\
'''Comicbook/MsMarvel''': Right behind you.\\
'''Shocker''': ''(scoffs)'' C'mon! You really think... ''(turns around and sees the team)'' ...{{Oh|Crap}}.
* The introduction to ''Interstate '82'' has Groove Champion escape from being held at gunpoint with this. His captors want to know who he's told some secret. He tells them that the only person he's told is "Dan", pointing behind them. They turn around and see a bottle of whiskey branded as "Dan Jackal's", at which point he knocks over the table with his ashtray on it to create a smoke cloud and escape.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/KidDracula'' for the Famicom as an ending stinger.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonRanger'': Guardian Signs does this; after beating the second boss, one of the Pokemon Pinchers say, "Hey, look! A flying pizza!" Then, the Pokemon Pinchers make a run for it while the guy that has electricity looks.
** Also happens in the past story, in which after you clear ''all'' of the levels in the Ice Temple before the final level of the Ice Temple, after the cutscene of the level, Ravio wants to get into the door, but Kira says that Ravio is too young. Then Ravio says that he will have Celebi on Ravio's side, but Kira refuses to let Ravio enter the door. Ravio then says to Kira, "Hey, look! A flying pie!" Kira falls for it, and Ravio and Celebi manage to get to the door, much to Kira's surprise when she realizes that Ravio and Celebi are entering the door.

* In ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', [[DastardlyWhiplash Mogami]] [[CombatPragmatist Yoshiaki]] has this as one of his moves. It only works on Mooks though.
* ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny'' has Vivio using this to get away from Yuuno after she realizes that [[TimeTravel she's been sent back to the past]] and should get away before she reveals too much about the future. Though she probably should have used a less incriminating distraction...
--> '''Vivio''': Ah! [[KidFromTheFuture Nanoha-mama]] [[HasTwoMommies and Fate-mama]] are coming here!
* ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople'':
** In "Homestar Ruiner", if you click on The Cheat in the basement of Strong Bad's house, Strong Bad does this to The Cheat so that Strong Bad can kick The Cheat into the dryer. It works even if Strong Bad tells The Cheat to "turn around."
** After winning the trophy and using it on Homestar Runner, Strong Bad also does this to Homestar by saying, "Look at that... thing over there." Homestar falls for it, saying, "A thing? Where?" and Strong Bad hits Homestar on the head with the trophy. When Homestar regains consciousness, Strong Bad convinces Homestar that he won the Race to the End of the Race himself.

* ''[[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush Adventure]]'' uses this before the final boss, in which Tails tricks Captain Whisker by saying, "Aha, look! There's the Jeweled Scepter!" Captain Whisker falls for it, allowing Sonic, Blaze and Tails to go save Marine.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 6'' had Mick and Lan pulling this off on Plata the Penguin by making it seem as though Blackbeard either escaping arrest or was already parolled in order to get away from Plata (there was no other way to leave her back at the aquarium, as Plata had hopelessly bonded with Mick).
* In ''VideoGame/TheSimsMedieval'' the Spy tells people to look behind them as a distraction before pickpocketing them.

* In ''[[VideoGame/SilentHills P.T.]]'', [[HauntedTechnology the voice on the radio]] tells you to do this at one point. [[spoiler: If you do so, you get a jump scare and die.]]
* The homeless man in ''VideoGame/{{Jazzpunk}}'', who shows up on two separate occasions, will say "You gotta look behind you" when he's run out his list of lines. Doing so -- and indeed turning away from him at all at this point, which you will inevitably do if you want to continue the game -- will cause him to disappear with a cartoony running-away sound effect and dust cloud.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon'', when you decide to enter the mine to bring some red stones, your partner does this to the three Drilbur guarding the entrance to the mine by saying, "Hey, all you Drilbur! Look at that! A delicious-looking Apple tree just sprouted up over there!" Surprisingly, despite the three Drilbur suspecting that trick, the three Drilbur just decide to check anyway. As a result, it works, and you and your partner go into the mine.

* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Haru distracts the Phantom Thieves with one of these in order to get away from them. It works, and Yusuke in particular complains about how they fell for one of TheOldestTricksInTheBook.
* In ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'', one of the 4-star variant of Star Lord's abilities is this. The animation played when activating the ability is even Star Lord pointing past his opponent, then sucker-punching them. The ability is even called "Oldest Trick in the Book."

* In a cutscene in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', [[spoiler: Bowletta tricks Luigi, disguised as Peach, into revealing his identity by saying "AACK! BEHIND YOU! A HUMONGOUS COCKROACH!!!"]]
* In Chapter 3 of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel The Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel III]]'', an informant pulls this by telling the team a "super-hot naked babe" is behind them. Rean briefly glances for a second, while Sara states she won't fall for it til [[CutenessOverload Angelica]] diverted their attention when she frantically looks around.
-->'''Angelica:''' I still don't see a naked girl anywhere.\\
'''Sara:''' You two! Don't fall for the oldest trick in the book!\\
'''Rean:''' Sorry! (He got me for a split second.)
* The ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series has a RunningGag involving the phrase, "Look behind you! A three-headed monkey!" Part of the gag is that every time the distraction ''doesn't'' work, there actually is a three-headed monkey.
** Subverted in the first game, where Guybrush tries this ploy to get away from some cannibals who have him cornered. They ''do'' look behind themselves...but only for a split second, not enough time for Guybrush to get away.
** ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'' requires you use this to distract a pair of chess players so they make bad moves, thus getting them too busy arguing with each other to notice Guybrush has stolen their chess clock. One of the players is easy to distract, but the other is only distracted by the prospect of seeing Brittany, the BrainlessBeauty bank teller he has a crush on.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'' lets you keep trying to distract a couple of pirates as much as you want, but eventually Guybrush runs out of ideas.
--->'''Guybrush''': Look! A distraction!\\
'''Pirate''': Oooh! ''(turns to look)'' What's it distracting?
** And later on you meet a master thief who will indulge any attempt at this, no matter how insubstantial, just so he can reciprocate any theft you perform on him.
** In ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice: They Stole Max's Brain!'', Sam distracts Sal by pointing and saying "Look at what those three monkeys are doing to that head!", a slight spin on a ShoutOut to ''Monkey Island''. Appropriately, after Sal turns back around, he points out that all of the monkeys have been locked downstairs with the fine leather jackets.

* Played straight in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderChronicles''. Larson doesn't look, and gets killed (though [[BackFromTheDead that's not the end of him.]])
* In the first level of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', "Basic Braining", Bobby does this to Raz in a cutscene as part of a prank:
-->'''Bobby:''' I'm not stupid, ''you're'' stupid. The coach is stupid. The whole camp is stupid! ''(points)'' That thing flying at you is stupid!\\
'''Raz:''' What's flying at me? ''(Bobby kicks him off a ledge)'' Woah!\\
'''Bobby:''' A-ha-ha-ha-ha! Bobby Zilch's foot, that's what!
* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' has an item called the "Made-Ya-Look." It causes the enemy to turn around, exposing their back to reduce their defence and making them waste a turn to face you again [[spoiler:(except for Mecha-turtles)]]. It also allows you to see their back sprite, which is essential for someone that wants to complete the Battle Record.
* At one point in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', the party encounters Queen Zeal's underling Dalton. He tricks the party into turning around. Then he shoots you in the back and you start a PrisonEpisode.
* In an omake for ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', Sonic and Chip are fighting over a meat bun, and Chip tries to have Sonic look the other way so he can jack it. This is subverted in that Chip is much smaller than Sonic and doesn't have the strength to wrest it away from him.
** That and Sonic was just acting distracted when he turned around.
* Used in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' where Yosuke distracts Rise's stalker, who threatened to throw himself in front of any car if threatened further, for 'interrogation'.
--> '''Yosuke''': ''"Look, a Martian!"''

* Various "distract" abilities for several classes in ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' are carried out by the player's character shouting something at random at their opponent to distract them, most often some variation of this trope. Occasionally lampshaded with "Look! It's the oldest trick in the book!"
* ''CavemanUghlympics'' uses this as a battle tactic for the Clubbing event. If a meteor is passing by, the player's caveman will scream at his (or her) opponent, driving them back considerably and possibly to a ring out.

* In ''[[VideoGame/ChzoMythos 7 Days a Skeptic]]'', after Angela locks John in the brig and holds him at gunpoint, he warns her that captain Chahal is sneaking up on her from behind. Since the captain is supposed to be dead, she mocks him for such a pathetic ruse and refuses to turn around. This ends badly for her, because John wasn't lying. (Made even more JustForFun/{{egregious}} since John was locked up and of no threat to her, so she had no real reason to not take her eyes off him.)

* In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', the player character occasionally does this as a finishing move against Hobbes. It is always effective. All the funnier because it's slowed down slightly.
* The Colonel pulls this on Conker in ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' after clearing away a crashed plane blocking a transport vessel, and it is implied that he did so in order to have Conker unwittingly participate in the war.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Eversion}}'', one of "level start" messages on deeper everson layers says "[[spoiler:[[ParanoiaFuel BEHIND YOU]]]]".

* The "Your shoe's untied" ploy seems to be an endemic weakness of Paladins in the ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'' universe, given how many of them were defeated by opponents who told them just this.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'' has Kazooie doing this in the intro while Banjo and friends are playing Poker. During the game of Poker, when Banjo says that Kazooie is not getting her birdseed money, she replies, "Don't be so sure, Banjo..." Then, Kazooie points and says, "Hey! Look outside, everyone! Grunty the witch is coming!" Then, dramatic music plays as everyone else looks. Kazooie then makes her move and takes Bottles' gold and snickers. Bottles then says, "W-Where, Kazooie? I can't see her!" Kazooie then says, "Oh... Er, false alarm, Bottles. Must've been some shadows."
* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'', during Taokaka's story, when Ragna tries to exit the house, Taokaka stops Ragna and challenges him to a fight and upon winning, Taokaka tells Ragna that "now you have to stay here until you're all better." However, Ragna tries a second attempt to exit the house by saying, "Wait a second Taokaka! What's that?! There's a steak flying through the air!" Taokaka falls for it, and Ragna bolts out of the house.
** In the ''Extend'' version of the same game, during Valkenhayn's Joke Ending, Taokaka herself does this when Ragna denies having something in his pocket, which is done by Taokaka meowing in alarm and saying, “Behind you, good guy! Some creeper’s reaching for your meat-buns!” Ragna turns around, (in the process, it is implied that Jin pinched Ragna’s rear end various times) allowing Taokaka to take his smartphone he had in his pocket.

* Dizzy's Dust animation in the ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' series has her black wing Necro tap her on the shoulder to get her to look away while he knocks the opponent skyward, with Dizzy only noticing just when it's too late. The same thing happens when Necro attempts Dizzy's Instant Kill in ''Xrd -Revelator-'', this time by firing a Gamma Ray while Dizzy looks away. This time Dizzy notices just as he's about to fire and tackles him to alter the trajectory and cause it to barely miss the opponent, though the ensuing mushroom explosion that happens in the background is enough to make the opponent '''SURRENDER'''.

* In ''VideoGame/DinkSmallwood'' mod ''Crowns of Stone'' Martridge uses this to get out of fixing a literal BrokenBridge.
-->'''Martridge:''' OH MY GOSH! WHAT IS THAT BEHIND YOU?
* In the second chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', after calculating the odds of trying to fight against a party of four and concludes that her ass will get kicked, Queen uses this trick and bolts using [[SillyWalk a ridiculous running animation]].
* ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'': ''Galaxy'' introduces the hissatsu technique "Look! An UFO" which is used to distract the opponent with this statement.
* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', two hostages who are held at gunpoint by a {{Mook}} say this to said mook, who only scoffs and says that he won't fall for this. Unfortunately for the mook, there ''is'' something behind him - namely, [[PlayerCharacter Batman himself]].

* In the second chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', after calculating the odds of trying to fight against a party of four and concludes that her ass will get kicked, Queen uses this trick and bolts using a ridiculous running animation.

** And later on you meet a master thief who may have the single most menacing, sarcastic indulgence of this trope to date.

* Subverted in the ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3''. Geralt acquires the attention of a small attachment of guards at a rock quarry that warn him to leave immediately or face hostilities. While attempting to reason with the guards, Geralt notices several monsters appear from a nearby mining tunnel and promptly warns the guard. Expressing disbelief but ultimately taking stock of his surroundings, the main guard is surprised to find that there is indeed something behind him, for which Geralt quickly dispatches.

* In ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner,'' if you click on The Cheat in the basement of Strong Bad's house, Strong Bad does this to The Cheat so that Strong Bad can kick The Cheat into the dryer. It works even if Strong Bad tells The Cheat to "turn around."
** After winning the trophy and using it on Homestar Runner, Strong Bad also does this to Homestar Runner by saying, "Look at that... thing over there." Homestar falls for it, saying, "A thing? Where?" and Strong Bad hits Homestar on the head with the trophy.

** In the ''Extend'' version of the same game, during Valkenhayn's Joke Ending, Taokaka herself does this off when Ragna denies having something in his pocket by meowing in alarm and saying, “Behind you, good guy! Some creeper’s reaching for your meat-buns!” Ragna turns around, (in the process, it is implied that Jin pinched Ragna’s rear end various times) allowing Taokaka to take his smartphone he had in his pocket.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'': Cloud tries to confront Sephiroth in the Shinra building, but Sephiroth smirks and looks to the side. Confused, Cloud turns, sees nothing, then turns back and finds Sephiroth gone.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', one of Zidane's thief skills is actually called "What's That!?", and makes enemies turn around temporarily to allow for a back attack. Also, during an early battle in the game, some of the characters tell Steiner that there is a massive Bomb behind him. He refuses to believe them, and, in accordance with this trope, the bomb is actually there, and explodes in a spectacular fashion.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', after calculating the odds of trying to fight against a party of four and concludes that her ass will get kicked, she uses this trick and bolts using a ridiculous running animation.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', one of the things Wheatley tries to get the player to turn around is to point out another robot plugged into the wall. Whether or not this works is up to the player.
** Later in the game, [[spoiler:Wheatley]] attempts this during the boss fight. Subverted in that it doesn't work.

* The first episode of Telltale's ''VideoGame/BackToTheFuture'' has Marty doing this to Kid Tannen so he can steal his hat. It gets quite a bit of use in later episodes, too, with various victims but Marty always the perpetrator. [[spoiler: With the exception of Episode 5, where Edna uses this to distract Officer Parker and flee when she's exposed as the speakeasy arsonist.]]

** This is attempted on Geralt himself. He maintains eye contact with the person and calmly informs them that if there was anything behind him worth turning around for, his [[SuperSenses Witcher senses]] would have detected it.

* In ''[[VideoGame/ChzoMythos 7 Days a Skeptic]]'', after Angela locks John in the brig and holds him at gunpoint, he warns her that captain Chahal is sneaking up on her from behind. Since the captain is supposed to be dead, she mocks him for such a pathetic ruse and refuses to turn around. This ends badly for her, because John wasn't lying. (Made even more {{egregious}} since John was locked up and of no threat to her, so she had no real reason to not take her eyes off him.)

** Later in the game, [[spoiler:Wheatley]] attemps this during the boss fight. Subverted in that it doesn't work.
* In BlazBlueContinuumShift, during Taokaka's story, when Ragna tries to exit the house, Taokaka stops Ragna and challenges him to a fight and upon winning, Taokaka tells Ragna that "now you have to stay here until you're all better." However, Ragna tries a second attempt to exit the house by saying, "Wait a second Taokaka! What's that?! There's a steak flying through the air!" Taokaka falls for it, and Ragna bolts out of the house.

* The "you're shoe's untied" ploy seems to be an endemic weakness of Paladins in the ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'' universe, given how many of them were defeated by opponents who told them just this.