View source for Red herring

: ''For the UK text adventure fanzine, see [[Red Herring (fanzine)]].''
----


A notable or unusual [[object]] that seems like it will be potentially useful for solving a [[puzzle]], but actually isn't useful at all. This is distinct from commonplace furnishings and sundries that are included only for atmosphere. Red herrings may be in a game to mislead the player, to make the game [[world]] seem bigger than it really is, or just as a joke. Red herrings intended as jokes are often flagged with sly phrases like "crimson fish" or "scarlet eel".

For example, an ignition key for a helicopter is a red herring if there's no helicopter in the game, or, as a famous example, a chainsaw with no fuel in the game or vice versa. Also, a gold coin seen in a fountain (filled with crimson fish, of course) is a red herring if the coin turns out to be a worthless plastic disc when obtained.


==See also==
* [[Atmospheric message]]
* [[Babel fish puzzle]]
* [[Easter egg]]
* [[Objects,_out_of_reach|Out of reach objects]]

==Links==
* [http://jacl.game-host.org:8080/dfisher/ifgems/gems_2.html#2.8 Red Herrings] in the ''IF Gems'' review quotes collection (also available from the [http://mirror.ifarchive.org/if-archive/programming/general-discussion/IFGems.zip IF Archive]).
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.int-fiction/browse_frm/thread/ab6a15c2b98af8a8/e23ae068ad886499 A discussion on atmospheric messages and red herrings] on the [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.int-fiction rec.arts.int-fiction] newsgroup

[[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:Tropes]]