History Main / CantMoveWhileBeingWatched

* ''VideoGame/PoppyPlaytime'': The "Statues" game in Chapter 2. You're only allowed to move while the lights are off and the music is playing. The whole time PJ Pug-A-Pillar is slowly crawling up behind. Being caught by him is an immediate game over. So is moving when the lights are on, as PJ is a lot faster than you might think.

* In ''Fanfic/CameraShy'', Taylor is part of a [[ComboPlatterPowers cluster trigger]] with an observation-based shard in the mix. One of her powers is to enter some sort of "ghost realm" where [[TimeStandsStill time stands still]] while she can still move (even through solid objects), as long as she and those areas are not observed by anyone, basically giving her OffscreenTeleportation as a superpower.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest'', Tiger passes by a buffalo skeleton that rises up to pounce on him, only for Tiger to turn around and prompt it to revert to its prone form. It attempts again, but Tiger again turns around. He then repeatedly looks away until he catches it moving, at which point it performs a dance and then collapses. Only after Tiger turns away thinking it was a mirage does it finish the pounce and trap him. Turns out the skeleton was being was being controlled by a tribe of Native American mice.

* ''VideoGame/OuterWilds'': At the museum at the start of the game you encounter your first "quantum rock", which is on one of three tree stumps and randomly moves between them when you look away. There are a few quantum objects throughout the game, and learning some tricks you can do with them is, while technically optional, required for the GoldenEnding.

* ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles''. The Sleeper in the Pyramid on the Dead Plateau is an unspecified EldritchAbomination that's being held inside a pyramid ''on a distant planet'' by observer effect magic. The structure is surrounded by a Wall Of Pain of impaled victims that are just ''barely'' [[AndIMustScream alive enough]] to constantly observe it and collapse its wave function into a "captive in the pyramid and dormant" state. The RAF has a special Concorde that flies through a wormhole to do a flyby over the Plateau every once in a while, ''just in case''.

* For most of the part, the animatronics at ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' freeze when monitored and will only move onscreen when [[UnderCrank twitching]] or [[ScreamerPrank directly attacking the player]]. Staring at them won't completely stop them, however, as there are random intervals where the [[InterfaceScrew camera will glitch out]] and they will move.

* In some ''Franchise/MegaMan'' games, Mettaurs behave this way.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Boos turn invisible and/or hide their faces when looked at, stopping dead in their tracks. Some can even turn into solid blocks, opening a new way for Mario if baited into appropriate location. The Mad Boos in ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' have the opposite behavior, attacking Princess Peach when looked at and doing nothing when she turns her back to them.

--> "Look away," he told her. "They don't spawn when someone's ''looking'' at them. Just glance to the side."
* In ''Fanfic/CameraShy'', Taylor is part of a [[ComboPlatterPowers cluster trigger]] with an observation-based shard in the mix. One of her powers is to enter some sort of "ghost realm" where [[TimeStandsStill time stands still]] while she can still move (even through solid objects), as long as she and those areas are not observed by anyone, basically giving her OffscreenTeleportation as a superpower.

* Aren't immobile but captured [[{{Leprechaun}} Leprechauns]] in ''Film/DarbyOGillAndTheLittlePeople'' can't run away if they're being watched.

* The living shadows that come for Edwin in ''Literature/SevenStars'' advance towards the house whenever Catriona looks away from them. At one point, a shadow slips partway ''under'' the stair carpet, and Richard hastens to take up the carpeting while Catriona's gaze keeps it pinned; otherwise, the flat invader would be "free" to move all over the carpet-covered upper floor without being seen.

* The ''[[VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames Aladdin]]'' video game adaptation has enemies hidden in baskets, who will creep up on Aladdin while he's turned away and try to punch him when they get up close.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{DontStarve}} Don't Starve Together]]'', there exists a type of non-hostile mob known as the Stagehand: an entity that is attracted to light. In broad daylight or by firelight, it appears to be a normal but quite out-of-place end table in the middle of the forest. However, in complete darkness, it reveals a set of insect-like legs that it uses to scurry about in pursuit of a light source, playing an ominous music box tune the whole time. Unwary players may be alarmed when traveling by torchlight, as a nearby Stagehand may pursue them throughout the night only to appear as a misplaced set-piece to those unwary of its true nature. To make things even more unsettling, in spite of the fact that it cannot harm the player, the Stagehand itself is nigh-indestructible. It cannot be attacked or broken, and is completely immune to fire.

-->'''Coyote:''' All the others have been moving, but that one ''[pointing to a gnome Ellie is holding a mirrored tray to]'' hasn't. So what if... they can't move when they're being looked at?\\
'''Ellie:''' Like that situation that [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor]] guy told us about!\\

** The Bracken tries to sneak up on the player and break his neck. If you manage to spot him, he will retreat and try again later. But stare at him for to long and he will kill you regardless.

* In ''Fanfic/CameraShy'', Taylor is part of a [[ComboPlatterPowers cluster trigger]] with an obseravation-based shard in the mix. One of her powers is to enter some sort of "ghost realm" where [[TimeStandsStill time stands still]] while she can still move (even through solid objects), as long as she and those areas are not observed by anyone, basically giving her {{Offscreen Teleportation}} as a superpower.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In "[[WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty Rick Sanchez]] vs [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]]", the two combatants briefly end up in a location surrounded by Weeping Angels. Unlike most instances in the latter's series, the Doctor intentionally gives Rick (who's trying to kill him) the worst possible advice against them -- [[SchmuckBait "Well, blink as much as you can. They're scared of rapid movement."]] Naturally, Rick following this "advice" causes a Weeping Angel to close in on him, making him realize he's been tricked.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In "[[WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty Rick Sanchez]] vs [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]]", the two combatants briefly end up in a location surrounded by Weeping Angels. Unlike most instances in the latter's series, the Doctor intentionally gives Rick (who's trying to kill him) the worst possible advice against them -- "Well, blink as much as you can. They're scared of rapid movement". Naturally, Rick following this "advice" causes a Weeping Angel to close in on him, making him realize he's been tricked.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In "[[WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty Rick Sanchez]] vs [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]]", the two combatants briefly end up in a location surrounded by Weeping Angels. Unlike most instances, the Doctor instead gives Rick (who's trying to kill him) the worst possible advice against them -- "Well, blink as much as you can. They're scared of rapid movement". Naturally, Rick following this "advice" causes a Weeping Angel to close in on him, making him realize he's been tricked.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In "[[WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty Rick Sanchez]] vs [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]]", the two combatants briefly end up in a location surrounded by Weeping Angels. Unlike most instances, the Doctor instead gives Rick (who's trying to kill him) the worst possible advice against them -- "blink as much as you can. They're scared of rapid movement". Naturally, Rick following this advice causes a Weeping Angel to close in on him.

** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'': The Endo-bots in the basement only move when Gregory isn't looking at them. Unfortunately, they're very fast when unobserved and can converge in groups.

* Many predators that stalk their prey, such as cats, try to do this.
** This is often cited as the explanation for the "deer in the headlights" phenomenon: A deer in the path of an oncoming car will see it as an approaching predator, and look at it to signal "I can see you, stop wasting our time ambushing me when I can run away at any time". Unfortunately, the MotiveMisidentification and the fact that the car moves faster than any animal means the deer gets run over.
* Animals that rely on camouflage, such as praying mantis, also do this.
* This is probably why many insects feature some eye shaped patterns on their back or wings: to confuse predators who do this.

* During the Korean War, when China was sending large units of soldiers into North Korea, in order to avoid detection by the Americans they only moved at night. When dawn approached, everyone dug in and stayed out of sight and motionless until nightfall. Anyone caught moving was immediately executed on the spot.
* The classic children's game "Red Light, Green Light". Someone stands far away, facing away from a line of people advancing on them. When the person turns around and shouts "red light" the line stop, and if the single person sees anyone move the moving people are disqualified. Then the single person says "green light", turns around, and the line advances. The single person wins if they get everyone disqualified, and the line people try to win by touching the single person.

* In ''VideoGame/{{DONTLOOKAWAY}}, the main conceit of the game is that the Entity cannot move while the survivors are directly looking at a [[MurderousMannequin mannequin]] it is possessing. However, each of the mannequins has a "frustration meter" that fills up while they're frozen. Once filled, the mannequin can activate a rage state that lets them move freely for a short time.

* AsymmetricMultiplayer spinoff ''VideoGame/SCPSecretLaboratory'', much like ''Containment Breach'', doesn't allow SCP-173 to move freely whilst being observed by human players (its fellow SCPs can view it just fine). Instead of a blink meter, 173 instead has the [[FlashStep "Blink"]] ability, letting it teleport short distances (snapping the neck of the closest unlucky soul in range in the process).

-->-- '''The Tenth Doctor''' on the [[Characters/DoctorWhoWeepingAngels Weeping Angels]], ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Blink"]]

A stock enemy that freezes and/or stops attacking when looked at, but will attack when line of sight is broken. It is fairly common in the {{Horror}} Genre, as it is a good source for ParanoiaFuel, especially when said mook tries to [[NobodyHereButUsStatues blend into the scenery]]. Also very common in VideoGames, though it's much less likely to be played for horror if (as pictured above) the thing moves whenever the player character looks away, even if the player can still see them from beyond the fourth wall.

* ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'' features a very ''Wiki/SCPFoundation''-style take on this with [[ArtifactOfDoom an "altered" item]] known as the Arctic Queen, an innocuous-looking refrigerator that will "deviate" and kill people if it isn't being watched at all times. When [[PlayerCharacter Jesse]] comes across its containment cell, a hysterical RedShirt has been stuck staring at it for over a day since his replacement never showed up. [[YankTheDogsChain If you offer to help him, he turns away for a split second]], to which point the fridge [[LudicrousGibs erupts the poor bastard into a bloodstain on the floor]] and thus puts supervision duties on Jesse, [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration causing her to rapidly take damage if isn't in full view of the camera.]]

* ''Videogame/SCPContainmentBreach'', which is based on the Wiki/SCPFoundation, has SCP-173, who tries to [[NeckSnap break the player's neck]] when they look away or blink. The game has a "blink" mechanic, where you can only force your eyes to stay open for so long. That moment when you finally have to blink and the meter recharges may be your last.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has a few SCP objects that will move when not looked at:

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Weeping Angels have SuperSpeed, but turn into stone when looked at because they are "quantum-locked". Pointing a camera at them doesn't work either as "anything that holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel", meaning the picture on the screen will ''come to life and kill you''.

** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' has bandage-covered enemies that stop when looked at.
** The Scarfy enemies is a cute little floating blob that means no harm... unless you turn your backs on them, in which case they turn into one-eyed large-jawed monstrosity that tries to fly straight at Kirby, only to turn back to their usual self if Kirby faces them again.

* Boos from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series turn invisible and/or hide their faces when looked at, stopping dead in their tracks. Some can even turn into solid blocks, opening a new way for Mario if baited into appropriate location.
** The Mad Boos in ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' have the opposite behavior. They attack Princess Peach when looked at and do nothing when she turns her back to them.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Eldritch}}'', the Strange Statues in the second world behave this way.