History Main / NoticeThis

** When you activate "elemental sight", on-screen enemies and objects that have an elemental attribute will be tinted with a specific color related to their element. [[SuspiciouslyCrackedWall Breakable walls]] are also highlighted with a vibrant color, while the Seelie Garden statues have a green mist that point to where their respective Seelies are stranded.

* ''[[TabletopGame/{{Traveller}} MegaTraveller]] 2: Quest for the Ancients''. When you entered an area, the NPC characters worth interacting with were colored differently from the filler characters.
* In the later ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' games, any item, person or monster you can interact with will have an indicator hovering above it. Extremely useful when giving gifts, since the indicator shows who receives it (and none shows if you would drop the gift on the ground).
* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': Plot-significant or interactable objects are highlighted with polychromatic floating particles if the PlayerCharacter's perceptiveness stat is high enough. In addition, the Auspex power makes the character more observant for a short time.
* In ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VII'', when a character with a high enough Perception skill is selected, parts of the scenery containing secrets are highlighted in red. A more subtle clue in the series is "special" ornamental items (like torches in walls) having capitalized names (due to the sublety, this is often LostInTranslation).

* In a particularly ludicrous example from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia,'' while in the Valuan sewers, if you investigate a certain patch of wall, Vyse will wonder if there's something about this bit of wall that's different from the rest, before dismissing it as his imagination. The "nothing" he dismisses? A patch of wall whose coloration is not unlike that of a patch of wall that has had the picture removed for the first time in a decade. Not long after, Vyse learns what the player has known since they first laid eyes on the wall: there's a secret passage behind it.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' lights up all dropped items and lootable areas if you hold down the Tab key. The first game didn't have this at all, which meant lots of pixel-hunting, even for common stuff like looting the bodies after a random encounter.
** You can, with the help of the internet, play the first game on the second game's engine. Doing so will let you find things that you were meant to PixelHunt for, like [[spoiler:the very valuable (by early game standards) diamond two screens out of Candlekeep. Or the [[DiscOneNuke Ring of Wizardry]] on the third map]].
* The ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' games put an exclamation point over the main character's head when he's near an (otherwise invisible) item on the ground.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' gives enchanted items a magical "sheen" with a slight glow. Given the game's propensity for [[AlwaysCheckBehindTheChair stashing hidden items in nooks and crannies]], this can help them be found more easily. They retain this feature even after you've picked them.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'':
*** The crosshair changes its shape when aimed at something you can interact with; e.g. a hand-shaped reticle means the item it's pointed at can be picked up.
*** The color also changes if it would be illegal to interact with it (e.g. stealing owned property or breaking into a house).
*** In an audio version of this trope, when you are near a Nirnroot, you will hear a little tinkling sound, like faint bells. It gets louder the closer you get to it.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** Nirnroot plants return and still glow as well as emit a sound a bit like a metal tube that's been struck, except the ringing doesn't die off.
*** Word Walls (from which you learn [[MakeMeWannaShout Dragon Shouts]]), begin glowing bright blue and you hear a chorus vocalizing as you get closer. The rest of your vision also darkens considerably, effectively making the word the only thing you can see. This is very handy, since the Word Walls otherwise don't look that special, and there are a few similar structures that don't do anything.
* ''VideoGame/FableII'' has a golden trail of light that [[NowWhereWasIGoingAgain leads you to most of your objectives,]] and when you get there, highlights them in a big shiny circle. Plus, there's your [[FairyCompanion ever-helpful dog]], who points at treasure chests and spots to dig.
** Unfortunately, the glowing path sometimes takes a while to load, making you think you just left the area you were supposed to find in a previous screen, backtracking, and then finding out the game is just having trouble figuring out what it's really trying to do.
** The first ''VideoGame/{{Fable|I}}'' also has items you can examine glow blue when you get near them, and people important for sidequests appear as green dots on the mini-map (and glow green when you get near them).
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' uses sparkles to indicate slain enemies that still have items on them. The same sparkles were added to many quest item pickups to make them easier to see, as well as herbs and veins if you are able to gather these. In addition, all characters are able to track most vital [=NPCs=], seeing them indicated on the minimap. In some cases with larger view distances, large red arrows are also used.
** ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsOnline'' does things similarly, with quest objects having their own (overly obvious) sparkle as well.
** This has become fairly standard for [=MMOs=], now. Some shine like [=WoW=] and [=LotRO=], others shine or glow like ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' or ''DC Universe Online''.
* Pressing the tab key in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' causes every interactive object onscreen to glow and display its name. This is very handy when you walk into a storage room and want to know which crates might be holding useful items and which crates are just window dressing. Also, the toolset contains a lot of visual effects -- sparkles, beams of light, and so on -- that can be superimposed over any object you want to be conspicuous in your module.
** The Infinity Engine D&D games (''VideoGame/IcewindDale 2'', ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'') did something very similar with the left alt key, highlight dropped loot, door and containers. A loading screen tip recommended keeping one's left pinky over the key while exploring and pressing it whenever nothing else was happening. There were also a handful of secret stashes that were flagged not to light up this way, the only clue to their existence being the mouse cursor changing to the 'loot' icon if you happened to cross the couple-pixel hotspot.
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' lets you hold down a key to make every item you can interact with glow and display its name. Containers and bodies that have loot will also sparkle, a feature that can be turned off in the options menu.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' has a search key that highlights all interactable objects nearby, including doors, collectible herbs and minerals, and loot. The same key is also used to search for hidden objects when their presence is indicated by the glow of the radar's outline.
* In ''VideoGame/EarthEternal'' objects you have to pick up or interact with as part of a quest are surrounded by floating sparks. The same sparks appear around the bag some slain foes leave behind, indicating that you can click it to 'loot the corpse'.
* In ''VideoGame/NeoSteam'' the position of your quest objective is indicated by a pillar of light.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Gothic}}'', interactive items will highlight and display their names when the protagonist is close enough to interact with them.
* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has all interact-able objects highlighted with glowing yellow, including breakable walls that would be quite hard to notice otherwise. However, the game does offer the option to turn the object highlighting off, which pleased the more critical fans of the original game.
* ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' uses either a dialogue window or a small glow for objects you need to collect on some side missions.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' doesn't normally do this, and sifting through wreckage to find a syringe full of Med-X among empty syringes or plasma rifle ammunition among shot glasses in the game's (many) ruins can be tough... but the ''Operation: Anchorage'' downloadable content expansion lets you into a military simulation where this is used to the point of being lampshaded, with anything in the simulation you'd want to pick up ''pulsing with a bright red glow.''
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has companions provide you with a perk while they are in your service. Boone's "Spotter" perk will highlight enemies in a red glow when you zoom in with your weapon. Rex's "Search and Mark" perk highlights containers/corpses that have weapons, ammo, chems, or caps.

* A strange [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration in-universe example]] in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2''. Objects you can pick up and doors you can open usually look just like everything else, but activating your witcher amulet makes them glow orange and wiggle a bit. The amulet's purpose in the story is as a sort of EverythingSensor that points out magic and other important things.

* ''VideoGame/PandorasTower'' shows anything Aeron can pick up as a flashing sparkle, white for sundry goods, red for books and texts. The manual actually uses this trope indirectly to explain why Aeron can occasionally find new things in the Observatory's cellar despite being the only one who goes down there: there's so much miscellaneous junk crammed down there that another perusal with fresh eyes is sometimes enough to spot something useful he previously overlooked.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Tabs (consumables that gave your character a permanent stat boost) sparkle if they are laying around on the floor not in a box. And at one point, you pick up such a shiny, only to be told to put it back because it's not ready yet.
* ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' has golden icons over collectibles and other interactive items such as ladders.
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'':
** {{Quest Giver}}s have a red speech bubble with an exclamation mark over their head. [=NPCs=] with general dialogue have a black speech bubble or 3 white sound lines popping out from around their heads.
** Using Joker's Third Eye ability will cause important things around him to start glowing. Gold indicates treasure, while blue indicates something that he can use to progress. In the real world, available Confidants will have huge glowing blue cards above their heads, and yen signs will appear at any shops. [[spoiler:This becomes extremely useful in the sixth Palace, because the party find themselves in a pitch-black labyrinth they must escape in order to progress. By using Third Eye, Joker can easily navigate the labyrinth, surprising the hell out of the Shadows guarding it since it isn't meant to be possible to beat.]]
* In ''VideoGame/RavenswordShadowlands'', chests and corpses that have loot in them emit a green glow when near.

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': When a player character walks by a hidden object, such as the site of a buried [[InexplicableTreasureChests chest]], and has a high enough Wits score to detect it, a distinctive sound effect plays and the object glows for a few seconds.
* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'':
** If a quest waypoint or marker is being tracked, a tall pillar of light will shine on its location when the player is still far away from it. When the objective is just close by, a sparkling trail on the ground leads to it instead.
** Objects that give a small shine can be investigated, usually yielding some items in the process.
** When you activate "elemental sight", on-screen enemies and objects that have an elemental attribute will be tinted with a specific color related to their element. [[SuspiciouslyCrackedWall Breakable walls]] are also highlighted with a vibrant color, while the Seelie Garden statues have a green mist that point to where their respective Seelies are stranded.
** If it's your first time visiting the edge of Cape Oath, the camera will automatically focus your attention to the floating wormhole in the sky.
** A complex puzzle in Liyue requires three crane statues to be rotated and face Qingyun Peak in order to activate a mechanism. While the game doesn't explicitly show the location of the statues on the mini-map, standing near the mechanism causes blinking lights to appear from a distance, hinting at the statues' locations.
** During the "Unreconciled Stars" event, the playable characters' Visions glow and produce a noise when they are near a meteorite shard.
** The "Lost Riches" event gives you a "Mini Seelie" that will help you locate the Iron Coins used to buy the items in the event shop. When you get closer to the coins' location, the Seelie will glow brighter; when the coins are nearby, the Seelie will emit blinking noises.
* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' Plot-relevant systems and planets give off a small pulse on the Galaxy Map, which can be helpful if the names don't pop up (which has been known to happen).
* Items that can be picked up, and bodies that can be looted, in the ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls''[=/=]''VideoGame/DarkSouls''[=/=]''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' meta-franchise have big glowing particles coming out of them that are visible even when they should be obscured by the item/body itself.
** 2022's entry to the meta-franchise, ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', also adds a big shiny orange light that turns on to tell you where to stand in order to get a CriticalHit on a stance-broken opponent.
* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsTheThirdAge'' makes the screen faintly glow when hero Berethor approaches a treasure chest. If you play the Xbox version on an Xbox 360, the effect is glitched and ''floods'' the screen with light.

* In ''FUEL'', whose whole premise was its huge open world, interesting objects like car wrecks were often many kilometres away behind the horizon. How does the game point them out? With smoke signals where possible, with a ''giant red laser beam from the sky'' where not.

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', the sprites for items were the same size as the PlayerCharacter.
* The first 3 ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' games have the items hover and spin. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' has items appear mostly realistically, but items, weapons and people are highlighted when using the Solid-Eye.
* The old, old eight-bit game ''VideoGame/TheLastNinja'' on the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} had this trope.
** In ''Last Ninja 2'', if you find a map, from now on all collectible items will blink the first time you enter a screen.
* In ''VideoGame/ThiefDeadlyShadows'', lootable items glint and sparkle subtly every few seconds to differentiate them from normal stage props. In essence, the message is, "Steal me."
** The previous ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' games had differences in colors to signify value. For example, a white plate has no value and can only be picked up, not stolen. A decorated gold-colored plate is likely of some value. Deadly Shadows was disliked quite a bit by fans of the previous games for, among other things, this mechanic.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
** Earlier games have important items stand out through [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkles]]. This is explained in the official books that they are well-used and thus cleaned items that show up against the filthy-un-used corridors, battle debris or blood-smeared walls.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'' has Jim Chapman possessing the ability to see any items available on a current screen by checking the map; they'll be unidentified until he goes to pick one up, but he'll know they exist before anyone else.
** Starting with ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'', the color yellow is used to direct you toward paths and objectives that otherwise wouldn't be obvious. If you see a broken window with yellow caution tape around it then you'll be able to climb through it, or if you see yellow debris around a wall you'll be able to crawl through an opening. Sometimes it's even as subtle as flashing signal light on a crashed vehicle, yellow advertisements and store signs, or yellow curbs and handrails funneling you toward your objective. Games like ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake'' also have the habit of using spashes of yellow paint on things that are interactable, breakable containers will have a yellow x, disablable explosives are wrapped in yellow tape, and green and red herbs often appear in a decorative plant pot with yellow stripes. Sometimes it can be as subtle as a treasure chest in 4 that has a garbage bag tied shut with yellow ribbons visible right behind it, or an item is framed by curtains tied back with yellow strings.
* ''Franchise/SilentHill'':
** Done as a result of something being DummiedOut, and possibly left in to [[TrollingCreator mess with the player]], in ''VideoGame/SilentHill''. The camera will fixate on the wheel of a boat and Harry will even stare at it. Try as you might though, the wheel does nothing and the boat can't be operated. There is absolutely nothing of note or value on the boat; not even a health drink or box of bullets.
** Beginning with ''VideoGame/SilentHill2's'' James Sunderland, the protagonists will turn their heads to look at anything that's collectible or interactive. Unfortunately, they also turn their heads to look at enemies and {{Death Trap}}s. Starting with ''[[VideoGame/SilentHill3 3]]'', the protagonist will even look at doors they can open, even when they shouldn't know they can yet. Saves a lot of time checking doors.
** In the later games, items (And save points in the first three) will gleam when you shine the flashlight at them.
** ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories'' doesn't have Harry looking at hotspots, but it does have the Shadow Girl, who will run in the direction you need to go when approached; this is extremely merciful on the developers' parts in some places, because indoors, the flashlight is your ''only'' light source, and without the Shadow Girl, the player is reduced to scouring the walls for subtle doors outside the flashlight's illumination. Also, when running around in the Nightmare, doors, climbable ledges, and fences are laced with gently glowing blue frost, so you can find your way even if you turn your flashlight off, and there is always a source of light such as a lamp or the moon hovering over your ultimate destination.

* ''VideoGame/MadMax2015'' uses the colours yellow and (to a lesser degree) red. Climbable ladders are yellow, ledges you can balance on are marked with a yellow streak, doors that can be kicked open have a yellow frame and a small red spot in the center, doors that can be opened via an explosion have a larger red splash in the middle, exposed fuel tanks are always red and so on. In general, yellow means "Go there", while red is "destory this".

* In ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'', objects and characters that can be interacted with take on a white outline when close enough to interact with.
* ''VideoGame/HarryPotterPuzzlesAndSpells'': If you let the game sit long enough, gems that make a playable move will highlight themselves and move slightly. Items will also do this if they are the only available move.

* In the Open World side quest areas in ''VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd'', certain items will have a hand icon floating over them. When the player gets close enough to them, a button will appear on screen that allows the item to be picked up or activated.
* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', wearing the [[TheOwlKnowingOne "Rasmus"]] mask will add a faint twinkling effect to hidden items across the map.

* ''VideoGame/MissingChildren'': Things you can interact with have a white arrow icon over them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'':
** The game has interactable objects glow with an aqua blue aura or sparkle silvery.
** You'll know when you can dig up an Arrowhead when Raz is looking at the purple smoke.
** This trope is the only way to find Deep Arrowheads. You can only dig them up when the Dowsing Rod is out and the higher the sound it makes, the easier it is to pull one up. If your computer is good enough to run it on the highest settings, there's also a distortion effect around the tip of the Dowsing Rod that increases along with the sound. When it's making things nigh-impossible to see, you're right on top of one.
* ''Franchise/TombRaider'':
** TheOriginalSeries made key items far larger than they would probably realistically be. ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'' and ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary'' have them large and glowing (and in all the games, Lara occasionally looks in the direction of important items).
** In ''VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld'', there's a distinctive "jingle" sound effect when Lara is near a treasure or a relic. The sound only plays the first time she approaches it, though. In the previous game, ''Tomb Raider: Legend'', Objects that the grapple can be used on shimmer.
** ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' uses white paint to highlight grabbable ledges, similar to how the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' series uses yellow.

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** Items and item expansions in the ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' make a mechanical humming noise; the hum gets louder as you approach. Also, in ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes Echoes]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Corruption]]'', if you use the [[EnemyScan Scan Visor]], anything you can scan or otherwise interact with is highlighted in either red or blue (if you haven't scanned it; red denotes plot-importance) or green (if you have). (''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' uses orange and red icons that serve the same purpose and turn semitransparent once scanned.)
** In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', objects that can be moved or torn away with the Grapple Lasso have a distinctive yellow shimmer to them; once scanned, the [[HeadsUpDisplay visor's HUD]] also superimposes a semitransparent grapple icon over them. Ledges that Samus will automatically pull herself up onto when she leaps at them similarly shimmer in green.

* In ''VideoGame/ShadowComplex'', the flashlight will make destructible things glow different colors according to what can destroy them.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' features the Imp familiar suddenly taking interest in two breakable walls/pushable levers. "What does THIS switch do?!" The hundreds of other secrets in the castle don't seem to catch his interest.
** At least two of the other familiars give reactions to hidden rooms. The fairy will float near a wall and tell you that there's something funny about it. The sword, on the other hand, skips the small talk and ''breaks the wall down for you.''

* Used heavily in ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'': items you can pick up are highlighted with blue sparkles, PlotCoupons with red.
* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', any item you can pick up but is not visible right away is marked with [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkles]].
* It requires active purchase and equipping by the player (literal purchase, as it's only available as part of a DLC pack), but ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' features an item called the Oculus of the Lost, which swivels to stare at a collectible (Bound Serpent, Legend, Vista, Plug Jump) that the player missed when they get within a particular (fairly large) range.

* In the various LEGO games, any objects that can be collected, destroyed, or otherwise interacted with are appropriately made of LEGO pieces, while the rest of the background is a standard non-LEGO environment.
* ''VideoGame/LANoire'' features a detective mechanic whereby Cole Phelps examines crime scenes for clues. When you navigate him close enough to items that can be picked up and given a closer look (some of which turn out to be {{Red Herring}}s), the controller vibrates, and a two-note piano chime plays on the soundtrack. This effect can be disabled. It can also be enhanced, as the player has the option of spending earned "Intuition Points" to highlight the locations of all of the important crime scene clues in the map section of the {{HUD}}.
* ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' uses Moiety daggers to get the players attention, particularly in two scenarios.
** The first one has you arrive at a wooden door sealed with a padlock. There are no keys to be picked up in the game. However, a dagger is visible on the ground. You click it, and- [[spoiler:surprise! You could just crawl under the door!]]
** The second one has a gigantic dagger engrained in a rock in the jungle. This, combined with the fact that your view is centered towards it instead of 90 degrees off the path, [[spoiler:leads you to discover a path towards it that nets you another animal eyeball.]]
* Some ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' games will mark your next MacGuffin or checkpoint with a pillar of light that goes all the way to the sky. Notice This, indeed.
* in ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'', collectibles and interactables have a circle close in on them when you point the camera in their direction from a good ways away.
* In ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'' things you can interact with are outlined in a messy doodle-like texture and have an arrow pointing to them, even from a distance, allowing the player to easily see what can be fiddled with in a given scene. [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm The prequel]] and [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the sequel]] also use similar effects.
* ''VideoGame/TheRadioStation'': Objects that can be interacted with have yellow question marks above them.

* Some objectives (documents to collect, places to plant explosives, weapons in the tutorial levels, etc.) in the ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' and ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' games glow golden.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife'':
** While playtesting ''Episode Two'', the developers realised that players kept losing their car. To help players notice it they made the car's hazard lights flash when the player leaves the car and eventually resorted to adding a compass that points to the car to the player's HUD.
** The commentary for ''Episode One'' mentions that play testers were not noticing a scripted scene in the Citadel which took place in the opposite direction the players were supposed to head. In order to draw attention to this, the devs added a small platform with a single soldier who would begin firing at you. The soldier was far enough away that he's essentially harmless, but players would turn around to fire at the soldier and then see the scripted event.
** A more subtle example is the use of coloured lighting: open, outdoor areas are often dark or lit with a cold blue light, while the path to the next area or a saferoom with item pickups will usually have a normal-sized doorway (or clean-edged hole of some kind) with warm orange light, to encourage the player to investigate it.
** In the ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' FanRemake of [[VideoGame/HalfLife1 the first game]], red emergency lights are often used to guide the player's path and make them notice doors or hatches.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead''
** Items have a blue halo around them, as well as displaying a pickup prompt when you approach them early in the campaign. In realism mode, these are disabled, but even then the characters will often clue the others in on their finds ([[MemeticMutation "Pills here!"]]), and if you keep your crosshair on the item for a few seconds, they will start pointing at it with their hands.
** ''Left 4 Dead'', with its low key setup, often uses lighting cues to direct attention to places you're supposed to go. They use car headlights a lot. This is a great solution because with few other light sources competing, the low-angle headlights are bound to be eye catching. And as a bonus, abandoned cars with headlights still on fit really well into the atmosphere of the game.
** The safe room doors also glow. If you're on your last "life" (got downed twice, the third one will result in death), items and the safe door are displayed in red, probably trying to tell you to find a med kit and heal up. The game tells you how to do certain commands the first time you encounter them (item pick ups, healing others, etc.) but will stop displaying them once you manage to do these several times on your own.
** The Witch glows bright red in the dark -- which is ''definitely'' a good thing, as shining a flashlight on her... well, let's just say it's a bad idea, to the point that most players will turn their lights off if they hear so much as a sob. Valve discussed this in the commentary. Every boss zombie and each survivor is designed to have a very distinct shape and sound so they can be identified quickly. Picking off priority targets first is half the challenge of ''Left 4 Dead''. The Witch was designed to be noticed, but not always easy to spot, since you're supposed to shut off your light. Valve wanted to add in a change of pace stealth element with the Witch.
* The fundamental reason for the cartoony art style of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is to make the classes, teams and weapons as distinctive from each other (and from the background) as possible. In a realistic game, like say, ''Counter-Strike'', you can't easily distinguish one soldier from the other, because soldiers wear uniforms and uniforms are well... uniform. The cartoony style gives [=TF2=] the freedom to do whatever they want to let you know about important events and objects at a glance. It also lets them get away with outrageous humour and politically incorrect characters.
** CaptureTheFlag mode features arrows on the HeadsUpDisplay pointing to each team's Intelligence, whether it's safe, being captured, or dropped, and if you're holding said Intelligence, the direction of your home base.
** A glowing team-coloured outline appears around the Payload Cart and the Intelligence briefcase that can be seen through any obstacle, so no matter where you are on the map you know exactly where they are.
** All items considered 'map' items instead of player items (that is, things like health and ammo pickups, briefcases, or various holiday-themed items as opposed to items like sticky bombs or the weapons of defeated enemies) are always spinning in place, and none of the items are perfectly radially symmetrical. This is intended to break up the object's outline against the background and encourage players to approach them due to their movement.
** Fallen weapons of the same class as yours now have a yellow outline when you hover your cursor over them. This indicates that you can swap your current weapon with the one on the ground, which can sometimes provide a tactical advantage... or just net you a pretty-looking gun for one life.
** Teammates now have outlines for the first few seconds after you respawn. This lets you see where they are in order to move towards the action. Incidentally, this also applies to spies disguised as teammates -- this lets you see if you're at risk of getting spawn camped and take the appropriate steps to avoid it.
* [=NetBat=] in the ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' series, based on real-life [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-centric_warfare network-centric operations]], is a means of putting icons on everything. In Battlefield's case, these would be the red diamonds/lozenges on enemies, and green circles on friendlies. Similar systems appear in other realistic [=FPSes=], like ''[[VideoGame/SOCOMUSNavySeals SOCOM]]'' and ''Creator/TomClancy's Ghost Recon''.
* According to ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'''s in-game commentary, the developers tried to design a level that required the player to reuse one of the Weighted Storage Cubes. But players kept leaving it behind, not realizing they would need it for later. So the developers gave it a different texture, had [=GLaDOS=] tell the player they needed it, and the CompanionCube was born.
** ''Portal'' includes many instances of this trope. Another example is the level where the player first acquires the Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device. Chell is forced to wait in front of a closed door next to a window through which the portal gun can be seen (and heard via [[CutscenePowerToTheMax its self-charging noise]]), to ensure that it's noticed. The excuse is that [=GLaDOS=] needs to acquaint Chell with the possible side-effects of the Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill.
** The developers also said on the commentary about the portal gun that they had to find a way to tell players what portals do without straight out telling them. They say that they added in a few levels before you acquire the gun, in order for players to grasp the concept of "go in one, walk out the other", seeing as how many of the test players found themselves believing that the portals sent them to different versions of a room or "auto warped" you somewhere. In actuality, the portals work on a basis of "what goes in must come out".
*** The commentary also notes how, when playing the "falling rooms" (where you must use falling to get flung forward), most test players thought that going through a portal while falling would cause you to go back to normal speed. For this reason, they added in the advice that [=GLaDOS=] gives.
--> "Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman's terms: speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out."
** ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' has a part in the final confrontation in which the player has to fire a portal onto [[spoiler:the surface of the Moon, which as just been revealed in the night sky thanks to the roof of the room getting a hole in it]]. The developers on the commentary noted how players would either not realize that there was a hole in the roof, or if they did, they didn't think of shooting the portal gun. For this reason, they made the camera automatically turn itself upwards towards the hole to give an indication to players that it was meant to be used for something. They however also faced another problem: due to how players had become used to instantly appearing portals, they still expected the portal to appear instantly, even though [[spoiler:due to the speed of light and how far the moon is away from the Earth]] it would take at least a few seconds before it appears. Many test players ended up thinking that the portal could not be placed as it did not appear instantly. So the developers ended up locking the player's view once they had successfully made the shot to solve this problem.
* Reality Bytes' all-but-unknown shooter ''VideoGame/SensoryOverload'' had a text window that would announce nearby objects as you walked past, punctuated with an audible "Wow!"
* In ''[[Franchise/DieHard Die Hard Vendetta]]'', a little-known FPS, any new objects picked up will have a "You have the [object name]" message.
** Weapons that can be dual-wielded (Revolver, 9MM, Submachine Gun, and the Tactical SMG, for some reason) will display the same message upon a second of those guns being picked up, considering how it's the same gun, only now you can fire two at a time.
* ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'' will make the next objective glow bright yellow, whether it's the door you need to breach, the turret you need to man, etc.
* In the first two ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' games, the powerups were represented with 2D sprite animations that were completely visible, even in pitch darkness. In ''Descent 3,'' they were replaced with 3D models that weren't as easy to spot. To compensate, the powerups now had a glowing "halo" effect on them to make them noticeable. Nearby shield orbs and energy sparkles will also make noise in D3 to make locating them a little easier.
* Items in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam 3: BFE'' glow with a colour dependant on what they are: armour glows blue, health items red, ammo yellow and weapons green. The further away the player is, the more noticable the glow.

* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' uses green lights to indicate the path forward. These take many forms, from light strips to light poles, to even green teleporters. ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' takes it a step further, and uses the color green to also indicate cracked walls and push buttons, that the Doom Slayer can [[MegatonPunch "interact"]] with.

* ''VideoGame/MetroLastLight:'' White {{bioluminescence|IsCool}} will often mark the way forward in outdoor levels.
* ''VideoGame/PrimalCarnage'':
** If your character has low health or low ammunition, the game will highlight all the health stations (first aid kits for humans, rotting carcasses for dinosaurs) or item pickups scattered around the map in glowing outlines visible through walls (a red outline for health, a yellow outline for items).
** Pterosaurs have the ability to "mark" any nearby humans with their screech, making them visible as glowing red outlines visible through walls anywhere on the map to all dinosaur players for several seconds. The Scientist also has the ability to do this to dinosaurs using her tracking mines or tracking arrows.
** The ''Oviraptor'' has the ability to mark humans as outlines with its roar, but only visible to itself. However, its ability differentiates humans with normal and low health, allowing the FragileSpeedster to prioritize attacking those which are already weakened. The Commando can also see teammates with low health to prioritize placing down temporary health stations.

* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}} Advance'' marked spots that triggered events with twinkling stars.
* When ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' encounters Meta Knight, there is ''always'' a sword that falls from the ceiling that you can touch to receive the Sword ability. As if, you know, a sword falling from the sky isn't unusual enough, there will also always be a giant blinking label reading "GET IT!" or "GRAB THIS!" with an arrow pointing to the sword. Yeah, designed for a younger audience, but still.

* ''VideoGame/RedFactionGuerrilla'' highlights scrap with a prominent shine that moves in a synchronised wave from left to right. The effect can be jarring: target arrows look like HUD symbols, but this is "in-world". Fallen guns are also highlighted this way.
* In the Wii ''VideoGame/ABoyAndHisBlob,'' any pathway covered in fireflies (Or their Bloblonian equivalent, fluttery rainbow... [[BuffySpeak thingamabobs]]) is very, very likely to have a treasure chest at the end.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Oddworld}} Abe's Oddysee]]'', secret passages were marked with small falling rocks. These were often [[GuideDangIt hidden]] [[DepthPerplexion behind foreground objects]]. ''Abe's Exoddus'' made it much simpler, by having giant piles of bright green [=SoulStorm=] Brew bottles next to every secret passage.

* In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' you have to find Cornifer the mapmaker in each area to get the area's map, but this can be difficult without...well...a map. To make things easier, a patch made it so that you can hear him humming when in the same room, and added a trail of papers a short distance away from him.
* ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon1998'', in order to get around the limitations of the [=PlayStation=], rendered everything far away at a much lower level of detail, as well as limiting how far you can see enemies and items. However, the little sparkles that gems have can be seen from anywhere, all the time -- making it easier to spot gems located off in out-of-the-way areas.

* Objects in most of the ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'' series appear as shimmering dots of light that must be picked up, in order to learn what they are. Until ''VideoGame/FatalFrameVMaidenOfBlackWater'', where healing items are shown in their actual form.

** ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' uses white paint to highlight grabbable ledges, similar to how the ''Franchise/{{Uncharted}}'' series uses yellow.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games have important items stand out through [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkles]]. This is explained in the official books that they are well-used and thus cleaned items that show up against the filthy-un-used corridors, battle debris or blood-smeared walls.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'' has Jim Chapman possessing the ability to see any items available on a current screen by checking the map; they'll be unidentified until he goes to pick one up, but he'll know they exist before anyone else.
* The ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'' uses the color yellow to direct you toward paths that otherwise wouldn't be obvious. If you see a broken window with yellow caution tape around it then you'll be able to climb through it, or if you see yellow debris around a wall you'll be able to crawl through an opening. Sometimes it's even as subtle as flashing signal light on a crashed vehicle, yellow advertisements and store signs, or yellow curbs and handrails funneling you toward your objective.
** The "bright yellow = something important" device is kept up in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', where environmental objects and breakable containers will either be marked with yellow tape/paint or simply be colored yellow to begin with.

* Important things in ''VideoGame/{{Perception}}'' will be green instead of blue when you use your echolocation on them, either serving as land marks or hiding places. Additionally, audiologs are easily located because they emit a constant humming sound that allows Cassie to "see" them.

-->-- '''VideoGame/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}''', ''VideoGame/SonicColors''

* ''VideoGame/MadMax'' uses the colours yellow and (to a lesser degree) red. Climbable ladders are yellow, ledges you can balance on are marked with a yellow streak, doors that can be kicked open have a yellow frame and a small red spot in the center, doors that can be opened via an explosion have a larger red splash in the middle, exposed fuel tanks are always red and so on. In general, yellow means "Go there", while red is "destory this".

* TheCaseOfTheGoldenIdol: The game has a mode (enabled by default) that puts a gold star over all clickable areas so that the player doesn't have to pixel hunt, with the star turning red once the player examines the area. Items with incompletely-examined descriptions or subsections (e.g. a person's inventory with multiple objects) will still have a gold star so the player doesn't miss them or can return to them later if they want to look at something else.

** Items found on the ground use a Poké Ball sprite (usually called an item ball), but quite a few items aren't represented at all, or are found in scenery. Some of the latter cases are easy to spot (such as being located under a rock in a cave or within a patch of tall grass on a square without tall grass in outdoor areas), while the rest rely on an item specifically for finding them, called the Itemfinder [[DubNameChange in the first three generations' English translations]] and the Dowsing Machine in the Japanese versions and the English translations of Generation IV and on.

* Team Slacker's primary function in ''VideoGame/BugFables'' is to clue players into nearby [[BonusBoss bounties]] and give them clues on how to find them.

* In order to get around the limitations of the [=PlayStation=], ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon'' rendered everything far away at a much lower level of detail, as well as limiting how far you can see enemies and items. However, the little sparkles that gems have can be seen from anywhere, all the time -- making it easier to spot gems located off in out-of-the-way areas.

* Played for laughs in ''VideoGame/{{Deadpool}}'' in a case of TheGuardsMustBeCrazy, where at some point the mooks will basically explain what you need to do with a blatantly parodistic tone of voice.

* ''VideoGame/NinetySix'': Anything Niles and Elise can pick up are indicated by a twinkle.
** [[spoiler:Meanwhile, the gun found in the gas station owner's house has a glowing aura.]]

* The ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' games mark interactive parts of the stage and scenery with a blinking point of light. It's small so as to not get in the way, but it's definitely noticeable.
** In the sequel, stuff you can destroy is shiny.

** Also from ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'', the Gold Skulltulas, which make a distinctive scratching sound when Link is nearby.

* Played for laughs in ''VideoGame/{{Deadpool}}'' in a case of TheGuardsMustBeCrazy, where at some point the mooks will basically explain what you need to do with a blatantly parodistic voice tone.

** The first one has you arrive at a wooden door sealed with a padlock. There are no keys to be picked up in the game. However, a dagger is visible on the ground. You click it, and- [[spoiler: surprise! You could just crawl under the door!]]
** The second one has a gigantic dagger engrained in a rock in the jungle. This, combined with the fact that your view is centered towards it instead of 90 degrees off the path, [[spoiler: leads you to discover a path towards it that nets you another animal eyeball.]]

** ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' has a part in the final confrontation in which the player has to fire a portal onto [[spoiler: the surface of the Moon, which as just been revealed in the night sky thanks to the roof of the room getting a hole in it]]. The developers on the commentary noted how players would either not realize that there was a hole in the roof, or if they did, they didn't think of shooting the portal gun. For this reason, they made the camera automatically turn itself upwards towards the hole to give an indication to players that it was meant to be used for something. They however also faced another problem: due to how players had become used to instantly appearing portals, they still expected the portal to appear instantly, even though [[spoiler: due to the speed of light and how far the moon is away from the Earth]] it would take at least a few seconds before it appears. Many test players ended up thinking that the portal could not be placed as it did not appear instantly. So the developers ended up locking the player's view once they had successfully made the shot to solve this problem.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Oddworld}} Abe's Oddysee]]'', secret passages were marked with small falling rocks. These were often [[GuideDangIt hidden]] [[DepthPerplexion behind foreground objects]]. ''Abe's Exoddus'' made it much simpler, by having giant piles of bright green SoulStorm Brew bottles next to every secret passage.

* Have a marker show up over it, or the player character if he's near it.
* Have the ExpositionFairy zoom off towards it.

* Collectible items in ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'' glow the same way as random event spots outside the colony, but [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing your Perception skill must be at least 30 in order to unlock this perk.]]