History Main / RoamingEnemy

* This tactic was very popular in the arcade era of video games where some arcade games would plop a NighInvulnerable enemy if a player takes too long to complete a level instead of the standard time limit.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Argorok, the dungeon's boss, is seen several times before actually being fought: first when he flies through and destroys a bridge, after which he can be seen flying around the dungeon's highest tower (which is where he's fought).

** This can be argued to be type 3, since it can be a literal type 3 if the player using the card is the one fighting (adding a creature to your own fight can earn you extra loot and levels). Even using it on one's opponents is a triggered event, just not triggered by the combatant.

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* The optional boss Mokura from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' is the Wanderer variant. It may appear randomly throughout Land's End and Belome Temple as a green cloud that seems to dodge the character. Unlike the other random encounters in the area, it is treated as a miniboss, with boss music and two forms.

* The robots in ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'', particularly in the first game, start doing this a certain amount of time after the level starts. Especially dangerous if those enemies are DemonicSpiders, and the level has alot of intersecting passageways, such as the first game's [[ThatOneLevel 11th and 19th levels]]. Oh, and later levels come equipped with {{Mook Maker}}s specifically for this purpose.

* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey''. Even in a boss fight! F.O.E.!

** The first ''[[FinalFantasyI Final Fantasy]]'' has the powerful [[BossInMooksClothing Warmech]], which roams the bridge leading to Tiamat in the Flying Fortress.

** And, in the ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGo Let's Go!]]'' games, ''all'' random encounters are now fully modeled and visible, ''Earthbound'' style.
* Deathguise / Death Gaze in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' will spawn in a random area - can only be triggered by airship - once you hit the World of Ruin. The annoying parts about this being that it's invisible on the map and prone to running.
** Ultima Weapon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. You can at least see him on the world map, but you'll be chasing him down for a while. You have to bump into him with the airship a few times, before he'll go to a certain point, and then you can fight him. He also goes to the same spot for the final showdown every time.

** A few of the [[SealedEvilInACan Dragons]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' will also roam their lairs, such as the [[PlayingWithFire Red]], [[LightIsNotGood Holy]], [[MakingASplash Blue]], and [[AnIcePerson Ice]] Dragons.

* Majima in ''[[VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} Yakuza Kiwami]]'' covers multiple. Usually he a Wanderer type who chases after you when he detects you, but sometimes he'll ambush you out of nowhere in the streets or while you're fighting someone else, sometimes he'll barge in while you're shopping or randomly challenge you to the mini-game you're playing, some of his more elaborate encounters need to be triggered, and there's that one time he unceremoniously slips into a fight in Chapter 3. It's called "Majima Everywhere" for a reason.

* Chris Walker in ''VideoGame/Outlast'' lurks across the asylum at multiple spots, chasing Miles on sight. At some points not being spotted is just unavoidable, at which Miles has to run away for dear life. Considering how strong and crazy he is, letting him catch you is a really bad idea.

* There's this guy in ''Baldur's Gate'' that, if you look at the right (or wrong...) gravestone three times, summons a load of exploding dudes with swords to kill you. They don't seem to ever turn up anywhere else.

* ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' had a variant, where roaming, generic-looking enemy sprites would start to appear in the overworld if you left the safety of the path, but would become [[ReallyFourMooks an entire miniature side-scrolling level full of mooks]] if touched.

* The mugger in the dark alley in ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry1InTheLandOfTheLoungeLizards''.
* ''VideoGame/TwilightPrincess'': Argorok, the dungeon's boss, is seen several times before actually being fought: first when he flies through and destroys a bridge, after which he can be seen flying around the dungeon's highest tower (which is where he's fought).

* In ''VideoGame/Haven2020'', Hornets appear both as Type 4 scripted encounters and Type 1 wanderers. The BonusBoss Lorudo normally wanders the LethalLavaLand islet Wakiri(the only one that can't be cleared of Rust), but can also randomly show up on any Rust-covered islet at night.

* In ''VideoGame/Haven2020'', Hornets appear both as Type 4 scripted encounters and Type 1 wanderers.

An enemy in a video game which appears randomly, with no specific point (save one or two to introduce them). Typically takes the form of TheDreaded and if optional may be [[RunOrDie too dangerous to fight]] when they first begin appearing, but much less so if they are encountered later in the game. Comes in several flavors which may overlap with one another;

* [[ImplacableMan Mr. X]] from the ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'' is always somewhere in the police station, and he's ''always'' actively looking for you. It's frightening enough when you'll hear his [[BadVibrations thumping massive footsteps]] and know he's nearby, it's even worse when you fire off a gun at a zombie and then you hear the thumping massive footsteps ''[[OhCrap getting closer]]'', and there's [[ParanoiaFuel always the chance you'll go through a door and run right into him]]. There are scripted encounters in the game where he appears no matter what, but he's also always somewhere in the police station systematically searching rooms and hallways for you.

#''The Wanderer:'' [[PatrollingMook Patrols a specific area in the game]]. They may actively stalk the player if they get too close or they might just move randomly until they find him. Distinguished in that the player may never even have to meet them.

* Majima in ''[[VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} Yakuza Kiwami]]'' covers multiple. Usually he a Wanderer type who chases after you if he detects you, but sometimes he'll ambush you from out of nowhere or while you're fighting someone else, sometimes he'll barge in while you're shopping or randomly challenge you to the mini-game you're playing. Some of his more elaborate encounters need to be triggered, and there's that one time he unceremoniously squeezes his way into a fight in Chapter 3. It's called "Majima Everywhere" for a reason.

* Majima in ''[[VideoGame/{{Yakuza}} Yakuza Kiwami]] covers multiple. Usually he a Wanderer type, but sometimes he'll ambush you from out of nowhere or while you're fighting someone else, sometimes he'll barge in while you're shopping or randomly challenge you to the mini-game you're playing. Some of his more elaborate encounters need to be triggered, and there's that one time he unceremoniously squeezes his way into a fight in Chapter 3. It's called "Majima Everywhere" for a reason.

#''The Wanderer:'' [[PatrollingMook Patrols a specific area in the game]]. They may actively stalk the player or they might just move randomly until they find him. Distinguished in that the player may never even have to meet them.

See also: Often overlaps with InstakillMook. RandomEncounters and PreexistingEncounters which tend to always be used for less unique enemies.

See also: Often overlaps with InstakillMook. RandomEncounters and PreExistingEncounters which tend to always be used for less unique enemies.

* [[ImplacableMan Mr. X]] from the remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' is always somewhere in the police station, and he's ''always'' actively looking for you. It's frightening enough when you'll hear his [[BadVibrations thumping massive footsteps]] and know he's nearby, it's even worse when you fire off a gun at a zombie and then you hear the thumping massive footsteps ''[[OhCrap getting closer]]'', and there's [[ParanoiaFuel always the chance you'll go through a door and run right into him]]. There are scripted encounters in the game where he appears no matter what, but he's also always somewhere in the police station systematically searching rooms and hallways for you.

* Nemesis in the original PS1 version of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3''. All of his encounters are predictable, though because of the branching paths that allow you to do certain events in whatever order you like, it's impossible to learn everywhere he'll appear on a single playthrough. Whenever an encounter with Nemesis is triggered, he'll chase you from room to room, but only in rooms within his designated area for that particular encounter (unless you down him outright with weaponry, in which case he'll reappear the next time you trigger an encounter).