This is a list of references to other media in the Dead Island series. These references are generally pop culture references and other fun topics the developers placed into the game for the players to find, and which don't have any impact on the game's progression. They are also known as 'Easter eggs'.
General[]
- License plates read "D34D 1574ND", which translates from leet speak to Dead Island. However, in the Definitive Edition, they were changed to normal plates.
- On various bookshelves throughout the game, the player can find a book titled Dead Island: A True Story which is a reference to the real-world book Dead Island: The Book.
- The challenge "YA RLY" is a reference to the popular internet meme "O RLY?".
- In the beginning, when the player leaves their room and enters the one down the hall left of them, they will find the couple from the trailer — dead.
- Beer machines all over the Banoi Island (many are found in bars in the Resort area) have the "Heineken" logo on them, but instead read "Dead Islander".
- The Alcohol bottles in the game resemble Jack Daniels, but read "Carcass Lager Ale".
- The player can find packets of tobacco scattered around the floor (many can be located where they have to find flares in Act I) that are clearly modeled after Golden Virginia brand rolling tobacco.
- The Snacks and Extra Snacks have the name "Deimos" on their wrappers. This is a reference to the "Mars" bars, as Deimos is one of Mars' moons (the other being Phobos).
- In the supermarket, there are freezer boxes that read "Spirit". These are clearly modeled after the soda Sprite.
- A copy of "Fakt", the largest Polish tabloid, can be found in Act I. The headline on the front page says: "Ile ofiar zbierze zaraza?" ("How many victims will gather the plague?"). "Fakt" is known for publishing absurd articles, e.g. "I do not sleep because I'm holding the cabinet" ("Nie śpię, bo trzymam kredens") or "Quilt wanted to strangle me" ("Kołdra chciała mnie udusić").
- A poster with the face of Adrian Ciszewski, producer of Dead Island, and sign "VOTE!" can be found in many places throughout the island, e.g. in Mohakin's cabin in Act III (the poster in Mohakin's place has two diving knives sticks in both eyes on the poster, both of which can be taken). In the Definitive Edition, however, all posters have been replaced by an unknown woman.
- Nenja Samejon is tied to the bed in Act I in front of the cameras. If the player transposes the first "n" and "j" in her first name, and the "s" and "j" in her last name, it's Jenna Jameson.
- A man named Ted B. is kneeling in a blood-stained pool next to Sinamoi's bungalow. He is a reference to the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy.
- At all the gas stations that can be accessed, all the gas prices are 6.66, a reference to the number of the beast, 666. This has been changed to regular prices in the Definitive Edition, however.
- The main quest Chasing the White Rabbit is a reference to Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland, wherein the protagonist Alice chases the White Rabbit into a rabbit hole and ends up in Wonderland.
- The achievement/trophy "There and back again", where the entire island needs to be explored, is a reference to J. R. R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit.
- Likewise, the achievement/trophy "And Back Again" in Escape Dead Island is also a reference to The Hobbit.
- The main quest Titus Andronikus is a reference to the tragedy Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare.
- One of the movie posters in the Henderson cinema is an image of what appears to be Cthulhu perched on top of a skyscraper.
- In the Rending Claws Mod, it states the designer got the thought from a certain superhero. That hero is Wolverine of the X-Men.
- The achievement/trophy "Crossing the Rubicon" is a reference to the Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar and his famous crossing of the river Rubicon, creating a civil war marking the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic.
- The first quest of Ryder White's Campaign, The Eagle Has Landed, is a reference to the famous quote when the Apollo 11 Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), or simply Lunar Lander, touched down on the Moon on July 20th, 1969.
- The achievement/trophy "Wow Very Ninja Much Sneak" is a reference to the internet meme 'Doge' where an image of a Shiba Inu dog has wording on it such as "much wow" or "very great".
- The side quest Ashes to Ashes comes from a phrase from the Book of Common Prayer used in burial services: "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."
- The name of the side quest Lazarus Rising is a reference to the biblical story of St. Lazarus of Bethany. Jesus restored St. Lazarus' life after he had been declared dead four days earlier.
- The Heads of Cerberus side quest trilogy given to you in Moresby by Garett Grant is a reference to the three-headed dog named Cerberus from Greek mythology.
- The side quest Deus ex Machina comes from a Latin phrase, roughly translated as "god from the machine". This phrase is commonly used to refer to a situation where something completely new is suddenly and unexpectedly introduced to a story to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem.
- The achievement/trophy "Out of honey? Chew bees!" is reference to the internet meme "Courage Wolf", specifically this image.
- The achievement/trophy "First Do No Harm" is a reference the the Hippocratic Oath that doctors must swear by.
- The Escape Dead Island achievement/trophy "Deep One" is a reference to the Deep Ones created by H. P. Lovecraft, with the achievement/trophy picture strongly resembling the creature created by Lovecraft.
- Snapshot 44 in Escape Dead Island has the description "Remember the Alarmo!". It is a reference to the famous phrase shouted by Texan soldiers during the Texan Revolution, "Remember the Alamo!" The cry was revenge for the Battle of the Alamo, where the surviving Texan troops were killed by the Mexican leader after they surrendered to him.
- The Dead Island: Retro Revenge achievement/trophy "No Cat Left Behind" is a reference to the common unwritten military phrase and creed "No Man Left Behind".
- The achievement/trophy "School of hard knocks" is a reference to the phrase of the same name, which is a phrase that refers to the experience and education gained from surviving bad experiences, in this case it's a zombie apocalypse.
- In the Definitive Edition, many groups of books can be found on shelves. One of these books is titled "Career in Gamedev", whilst another is "Polish History". These are references to Techland, the developer of Dead Island, being a Polish game development studio.
- The Dead Island 2 achievement/trophy "Break a Leg" is a reference to the idiom of the same name, which is an idiom used to wish performers good luck before they go on stage to perform.
- The achievement/trophy "Git Gutte!" is a reference to the internet slang phrase "Git Gud" which is used to mock new players.
- The achievement/trophy "Friends Like These" is a reference to the phrase "With friends like these who needs enemies?"
- The achievement/trophy "Dr. Reed, I Presume?" is a reference to the famous quote "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
- The achievement/trophy "But Doctor, I Am Butcho" is a reference to the Watchmen comic series, where the character Rorschach is discussing the character The Comedian and says "But Doctor, I Am Pagliacci"
- The achievement/trophy "Not Even My Final Form" is a reference to the internet meme This Isn't Even My Final Form.
- The achievement/trophy "Variety is the Spice of Death" is a reference to the idiom "Variety is the spice of life".
- The achievement/trophy "Wilhelm" is a reference to the well known Wilhelm scream, which is usually used when someone falls from a great height.
- The original name of the main quest Serengeti Siren, Justifiable Zombicide, is a reference to the concept of justifiable homicide.
- The name of the collectible Journal Hot Feet is a reference to the phrase cold feet, something commonly used to describe someone pulling out of marriage at the last minute.
- The name of the collectible journal Hell or High Water is a reference to the common phrase 'Come hell or high water'.
- The name of the collectible journal For Whom the Nell Tolls is a reference to the 1939 novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
- The name of the Dead Island 2 side quest The Death of the Party is a play on the idiom "The Life of the Party".
Video Games[]
- The Achievement/Trophy "Right 4 Life" is a direct reference to the VALVe's video game series Left 4 Dead ("right" being the opposite of "left" and "life" being the opposite of "dead" ("death")).
- Likewise, the Achievement/Trophy "Together in the Light" is a direct reference to the series Alone in the Dark ("together" is the opposite of "alone" and "light" is the opposite of "dark").
- The Achievement/Trophy "Ah! Spoiled Meat!" is a reference to the Blizzard's video game Diablo. The Butcher was a boss early in the first game of the series who said "Ah! Fresh Meat!" when the door to his chamber was opened, and dropped a unique item called "The Butcher's Cleaver".
- There is a Legendary Weapon called Assassin's Greed, an obvious reference to the Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise.
- The Portal icon on the map/radar resembles the Aperture Science logo from VALVe's Portal series.
- The Achievement/Trophy "No Raccoons in Here" is a reference to Raccoon City from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 as it too was overrun by zombies and was eventually destroyed by a nuclear explosion.
- The Achievement/Trophy "Somebody set up us the bomb" is a reference to Zero Wing, a poorly translated video game that spawned the popular internet meme "All your base are belong to us".
- The side quest Big Daddy, Where Are You? is a reference to 2K Boston's BioShock game series.
- Calling herself "Annie" and having a teddy bear named Teddy, Anne Snider possibly could be a reference to the game League of Legends.
- In the Prison, there is a prisoner who wants medicine for a strong man and in the conversation he says, "He could rip your head off and shit down your neck". This is a reference to Duke Nukem.
- The Shocking Crowbar Mod was originally called the Gordon's Revenge Mod, Gordon refers to the Half Life series main Hero Gordon Freeman.
- The continuous quest Weeds might be a reference to Resident Evil as you use herbs to heal yourself.
- The "Blood Letter" throwing knife is a reference to the Diablo II weapon of the same name.
- The logo for Rehab Island in Grand Theft Auto V was based on the Dead Island logo.
- The city of Harran, the location of Techland's zombie game Dying Light, can be found as a destination on a tourist coach in the Resort in the Definitive Edition of Dead Island.
- The achievement/trophy "It's Super Effective!" is a reference to the Pokémon series of games, which often use environmental effects such as fire, water and electricity for the Pokémon moves. When they get a critical hit in battle, the text will read 'It's super effective!'
- The achievement/trophy "Gotta find'em all" is a reference to the Pokémon series, who's catchphrase is "Gotta catch'em all!"
- The Escape Dead Island achievement/trophy "Praise The Light!" is a reference to Dark Souls where a character in the game, Solaire, will often raise his arms above his head in a Y shape accompanied by the words "Praise the Sun". This is further reinforced by the achievement icon being a person doing that exact gesture to a sun in the background.
- The achievement/trophy "Karma-geddon" is a reference to a driving game series called Carmageddon, in which a point of the game was to run people over. As a result, the game was well known for it's violence against pedestrians, and was censored in some countries so the victims were zombies or robots.
- The achievement/trophy "Zombie Genociderer" is a reference to an ongoing in-joke between various zombie games and developers within the industry
- Originally this achievement started in Dead Rising Zombie Genocider Kill 53,594 zombies. (53,594 was the population of the fictional town)
- One year later, Valve releases Left 4 Dead with achievement Zombie Genocidest Kill 53,595 Infected.
- Dead Rising 2 responded with achievement Z-Genocider 2: Genocide Harder Kill 53,596 zombies. Two more games also has similar achievement Prototype Trail Of Corpses Kill 53,596 infected. and Rock Band 3 HOPO-cidal Maniac Kill 53,596 Hammer-ons and Pull-offs.
- 53,597 zombie kill achievement appears in 2 more games: Dead Nation Genocidiary Kill 53 597 Zombies and Dead Rising 3 Master of Massacre Kill 53,597 zombies.
- Dead Rising 4 has the achievement "Z-Genocider 4: The Return" which has the player kill 53,598 zombies
- With the newest update to Left 4 Dead 2, a achievement called Z-GENOCIDEST 2: EPISODE 2 was added, this achievement asks for you to kill 53,599 zombies
- It's been rumoured the idea of this achievement is to kill all the zombies and the player of the previous zombie game.
- Snapshot 70 in Escape Dead Island has the description 'If you wanted a person to roll this barrel, preferably midair, how would you phrase the request?'. This is a reference to the internet meme 'do a barrel roll', the original video of which came from the 1993 Nintendo 64 game Star Fox 64.
- The cake featured in Snapshot 47 in Escape Dead Island is a reference to the cake featured in the game Portal, as it is the same design as the cake featured in that game.
- The Dead Island 2 achievement/trophy "This is My Weapon" is a reference to the Team Fortress 2 "Meet the Heavy" short.
- During the Dead Island 2 main story quest Bel-Air Brawl, when the Slayer goes back inside of the house after closing the gate and killing the remaining zombies, if playing as Jacob, he asks Andrea "Where's the last of us?" This is a reference to the video game series The Last of Us.
- During the Dead Island 2 main story quest Blood Drive, after the Slayer uses the blood sampler and collects their blood sample, Dr. Reed jokingly asks the Slayer if there are "worm-like things" wriggling in the blood. This is a reference to the Devil Worm parasite featured in the first-person shooter Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead by Turtle Rock Studios.
Music[]
- The main quest Born to Be Wild is a reference to the song of the same name by the rock band Steppenwolf.
- The main quest Back in Black is a reference to the song and album of the same name by the Australian rock band AC/DC.
- The Legendary Weapon M.C. is likely a reference to the rapper MC Hammer.
- The Achievement/Trophy "Can't touch this" refers to MC Hammer's song, U Can't Touch This.
- The identically named achievement/trophy "Can't Touch This" in Dead Island: Retro Revenge is also a reference to the same song.
- The side quest One Last Breath is a reference to the song of the same name by Creed.
- The main quest Ram on Heaven's Door is a reference to the song Knocking on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan.
- The same can be said for the side ques Knockin' on Heaven's Door, which is also a reference to the song by Bob.
- The side quest Radio Ga Ga is a reference to a song of the same name by Queen.
- The chapter "Wheels of Steel" is a reference to the song of the same name by the band Saxon.
- The main quest Welcome to the Jungle is a reference to a song of the same name by Guns N' Roses.
- The achievement which is also called "Welcome to the Jungle" also is a reference to the same song.
- The Dead Island Challenge "Let the zombies hit the floor" is a reference to the song "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" by Drowning Pool.
- The Dead Island: Riptide challenge "Let the Monsters Hit the Floor" is also a reference to this song.
- The side quest Light My Fire is a reference to the famous song by The Doors.
- The achievement of the same name, Light my fire, is also a reference to the same song.
- Snapshot 84 in Escape Dead Island has the description 'Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin'. This is a reference to the song "Jump Around" by the band House of Pain, as that is the opening two lines to the song.
- The Dead Island: Retro Revenge achievement/trophy "99 Problems and a Zombie Ain't One" is a reference to the song 99 Problems by Jay-Z.
- The last line of the description of the Slayer Bruno from Dead Island 2: "his targets won’t talk about Bruno – no, no" is a reference to the song We Don't Talk About Bruno from the 2021 Disney film Encanto.
- The achievement/trophy "Sharpest Tool in the Box" is a reference to a line in the song All Star by Smash Mouth.
- The achievement/trophy "I Am the Resurrection" is a reference to the song of the same name by The Stone Roses.
- The achievement/trophy "I Got a Zombie Army and You Can't Harm Me" is a reference to the song Who Do You Voodoo by popular rapper Sam B.
- Likewise, the achievement/trophy "Who Do You Voodoo?" is also a reference to the same song.
- The achievement/trophy "Hotel California" is a reference to the song of the same name by the rock band Eagles.
- The achievement/trophy "Down with the Sickness" is a reference to the song of the same name by the heavy metal band Disturbed.
Films[]
- The Achievement/Trophy "Tis but a flesh wound!" is a reference to the famous "Black Knight" scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which King Arthur is fighting the Black Knight and is able to cut off both of his arms. When King Arthur declares victory, the Black Knight argues that the loss of his limbs is "just a flesh wound".
- The Achievement/Trophy "Cardio" is a possible reference to the 2009 American zombie comedy film Zombieland, as Columbus's first rule is "Cardio".
- More likely, the achievement/trophy "Rule 1: Cardio" is the true reference, as it list off a full part of the quote.
- While in the Jungle during Act III, a man named Jason can be seen fighting the undead with a machete while wearing a hockey mask. Jason is a reference to Jason Voorhees, the fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. Of further note, Jason's cabin references several other slasher films: the Chainsaw from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Boiler Room from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the stick puppet shrines from Blair Witch Project. The altar inside of the cabin is a reference to Jason Voorhees' shrine to his mother.
- The main quest Black Hawk Down is a reference to the book by Mark Bowden and the film of the same name.
- The Achievement/Trophy "How many days exactly?" and "28 days later" both are a reference to the movie "28 Days Later".
- During the final quest On the Edge, after a period of fighting, Ryder White will contact someone via radio, telling them to "execute protocol 66". This is likely a reference to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
- During Act IV, the player gets out of the sewer in a shower room full of dead bodies. This is a reference to the 1996 Michael Bay movie The Rock. However, they were actually killed by Colonel Ryder White (see Ryder White's Campaign).
- The Legendary Weapon Zed's Demise is a reference to Quentin Tarantino's 1994 classic Pulp Fiction.
- The main quest Full Metal Jacket is a reference to Stanley Kubrick's 1987 war film of the same name.
- The phrase what Logan Carter says after causing an explosion "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" is a reference to Apocalypse Now in which Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore says the same thing.
- The achievement/trophy "Banoi Redemption" is a possible reference to the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption (and the book of the same name by Stephen King).
- The main quest The Green Mile is a reference to the 1996 novel of the same name written by Stephen King and the film adaptation thereof.
- The side quest Toy Story might be a reference to the media franchise created by Disney and Pixar.
- The challenge "Undead Presidents", where the player has to loot a certain amount of money, is a reference to the 1995 crime film Dead Presidents.
- In the side quest Fallen Angel, the reward is the Pick of Destiny which is a reference to the 2006 movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
- In the first act, in the resort, in one of the Bungalows, there is a man with a knife that will attack you as you enter the room. His last name is Lecter, possibly a reference to the movie The Silence of the Lambs and "Hannibal Lector".
- In act two, in Moresby city, during the first mission given by mother Helen, one of the character's name is Antonio Margarete. That was also the cover name of a character in Quentin Tarantino's movie Inglorious Basterds.
- In Dead Island: Riptide, there is a desk and a radio with a corpse and a Golf Club leaning against it on the docks just before the Pinai Ferry Station. This is a reference to Robert Neville's desk on the dock in the film, I Am Legend. There is also a black SUV (hatchback in the Definitive Edition) with UV floodlights and luggage on top of it parked a distance behind the desk, which is a reference to the modified black Ford Expedition SUV which Neville used for travelling before using it in an attack against the Darkseekers.
- The Escape Dead Island achievement/trophy "Hatchet Man" is a reference to the film The Hatchet Man.
- The third quest of Ryder White's Campaign, One Bridge Too Far, is a reference to the 1977 war film, A Bridge Too Far in which Allied soldiers struggle to seize control of a bridge in order to allow the transportation of troops and supplies before the bridge is destroyed.
- The side quest Bridge Too Far in the main game is also a reference to this movie.
- The ninth quest of Ryder White's Campaign, It's a Trap, is a reference to a line in the film Return of the Jedi, in which Admiral Ackbar says "It's a trap!".
- The side quest My Precious is a reference to the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings. It is famously called "precious" by Gollum.
- The achievement/trophy "The Hurt Mine Locker" is likely a reference to the movie The Hurt Locker, which follows a bomb disposal team in Iraq, who disarm mines and IEDs.
- The carpet inside the building at the top of the Mountaintop in Escape Dead Island is a reference to the 1980 horror movie The Shining, as it is the exact same pattern at the carpet in the Overlook Hotel, the main setting of the movie.
- Snapshot 81 in Escape Dead Island has the description 'C.C. Call home.' This is a reference to the famous line 'E.T. phone home' spoken by the titular alien in the 1982 Sci-Fi film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
- Snapshot 79 in Escape Dead Island has the description 'Family Truckster. Wait, I'm way too young to drop that reference'. It is a reference to the 1983 American road comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation and the station wagon that is featured in the film which is called the 'Queen Family Truckster'.
- The original name for Dead Island: Retro Revenge was going to be "Dude where's my cat?". This name was likely to be a reference to the 2002 stoner comedy film Dude, Where's My Car?
- The Dead Island 2 journal Dude, Where's my Boat? is also a reference to this film.
- The achievement/trophy "Can’t Handle the Truth" is a reference to a famous line from the 1992 legal drama film A Few Good Men.
- The achievement/trophy "Gore Horse" is a reference to the film and book War Horse.
- The main quest Kwon With the Wind is a reference to the 1939 historical romance film and book Gone with the Wind.
- The main quest Michael Anders and the Holy Grail is a reference to the 1975 comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- The name of the collectible journal Fifty Shades of Mahogany is a reference to the 2015 erotic romance drama film 50 Shades of Grey, which was based on the 2011 book of the same name.
- The quote for the Pool Cue is likely a reference to the 2004 British romantic zombie comedy film Shaun of the Dead.
Television[]
- Two survivors, Jack and Bob, both reference the "Star Trek" series, specifically the famous catch phrase of Leonard H. McCoy.
- The Oceanic Flight 1012 plane crash and the opening of the hatch in the Lifeguard Tower are references to the TV Series Lost, where Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on a tropical island. Other TV shows also use the Oceanic Airways name.
- The entire side quest Nighthawk given by Monica Goldberg at the Lifeguard Tower is also a reference to the TV show, with an Oceanic Flight aircraft crashing on a tropical island, leaving no survivors.
- The Escape Dead Island achievement/trophy "Live Together, Die Alone" is also a reference to this show, referencing the title of the series 2 finale episode.
- The achievement/trophy "Everybody lies" is a reference to the catch phrase of Gregory House from the television show House.
- The challenge "It's WAY over 9000!" is a reference to the Japanese manga series Dragon Ball, specifically a meme spawned from Dragon Ball Z.
- In an abandoned house in Moresby, there is a door leading to a room full of undead. Next to the door the words "Don't Open, Dead Inside" are scrawled on the wall. This is a reference to the first episode of AMC's The Walking Dead, when Rick Grimes is in the hospital (itself a reference to the original comic). Also, Walker is the common term used by Rick Grimes' group for zombies in that series.
- This reference reappears during Ryder White's Campaign where, during the main quest It's a Trap (which in and of itself is a reference), a toilet can be found in a death row cell which has the same words written on the lower half of the toilet which is filled with blood and has a hand in it.
- The name of the Dead Island 2 main quest Boardwalking Dead is also likely a reference to The Walking Dead.
- At the marina in Escape Dead Island, you can find a pizza on the roof of the storage room. This is a refence to Breaking Bad, the second episode of season 3, where Walter White throws the pizza over his shoulder after being turned away by his wife who found out he makes meth. The pizza lands on the roof of the house.
- Whilst descending the rope from the Locker Rooms in the GeoPharm Labs during Mission 7 - Beauty and the Beast in Escape Dead Island, a totem of bodies can be seen in a room with a model train circling it. This is a reference to the TV show Hannibal, specifically Season 1 episode 9 where totems of bodies are found.
- The description of snapshot 61 is a reference to Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons and his catchphrase of 'Worst. [BLANK]. Ever.'
- The achievement/trophy "Max Headroom" is a reference to the character of the same name from the 1985 television series Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future.
- The achievement/trophy "Make it So" is a reference to the famous catchphrase of Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek.
- The achievement/trophy "Lawn and Order" is a reference to the well known American police and legal drama Law and Order.
- In Monarch Studios, a sitcom titled Friends Without Benefits was being filmed and produced at the time of the outbreak. The show is an obvious parody of the 1994-2004 sitcom Friends.