If you don’t pay attention while looting, you might get surprised by a Mimic that has sharp teeth ready for you instead of valuable loot. We explain where these nasty traps originate from and why they exist in games.
What was actually the first Mimic? A Mimic is nothing more than a trap that takes the shape of another object. Today, it is typically thought of as treasure chests that come to life. However, they can also appear in many other forms.
The concept of the Mimic likely originates from the Trojan Horse. The Greeks feigned their retreat and left a huge wooden horse in front of Troy, inside which soldiers were hidden. The Trojans brought the supposed gift into their city, after which the warriors emerged at night, opened the gates, and Troy fell – a classic trap like a Mimic (cf. Wikipedia).
The idea of treasure chests and other objects coming to life can also be found in Japanese folklore. Tsukumogami are beings of Japanese popular belief (via Wikipedia). They arise when owners neglect their household items. According to the stories, the neglected objects come to life and show themselves as vengeful or benevolent, depending on how they were treated before.
However, the Mimics as we know them today in video games originated from Dungeons and Dragons.
Why does loot always have the same colors?
Dungeons and Dragons shaped the Mimics
How did Mimics end up in video games? The Mimics as we know them today were coined in 1974 by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax (via PC Gamer). More details about the creatures were provided in the following years in Dungeons and Dragons. Initially, they were considered shape-shifting underground creatures that dislike sunlight.
Thus, their form as a treasure chest was not yet manifested. Even today, the creatures can still appear in various forms. In D&D, they can be doormats, furniture, or even entire houses. In the cooperative horror game Lethal Company, Mimic doors can also be added to the game through the workshop; those who are not careful during their escape may be eaten (via thunderstore.io).
There are also Mimics in many multiplayer servers in Minecraft. Here, servers sometimes use them to expose cheaters. Players attempting to obtain diamonds by using x-ray vision might be shown false gems or those located in unreachable places to catch them (via papermc.io).
Why do developers implement such mechanics? One reason is the mentioned cheat protection, which is especially important with the increasing number of cheaters in online games. However, mainly, Mimics are used as gameplay elements by developers.
Earlier RPGs often incorporated Mimics to catch and punish greedy players. Similarly, you find the creatures in Dark Souls and other games by developer From Software today, but the motivations for their use have changed over the years.
Nowadays, Mimics often serve to slow down the player and ensure that they take a bit more time to observe their surroundings. An increased presence of the creatures at the beginning of a game might lead players to move more slowly through the levels because they don’t want to be attacked by a false chest (via kotaku.com).
A well-known example of this is the chests in Baldur’s Gate 3, which do not immediately eliminate your characters but trigger a battle you weren’t prepared for. Just like with the Trojan Horse, Mimics today primarily serve to present you with a surprise fight and break the tension in otherwise calm situations.
In one moment, your group is looting a house in Baldur’s Gate 3; perhaps you are still weakened from the last battle and just want to quickly secure the items. In the next moment, you suddenly find yourself in a fight with a chest that wants to take your valuables back (via YouTube).
Mimics are considered to be among the most iconic RPG creatures that exist. They are now found in many video games, tabletop games, and stories, consistently interrupting quiet situations with sudden action. In Elden Ring, there is a powerful talisman that is also related to Mimics: This is how you find the Mimic Tear in Elden Ring – Makes every boss ridiculously easy
