Located on a peninsula tip Northwest of the Isle of Spires boat launch is a small mat for the player to sit on and a note to read. When interacted with, Aloy sits down and recites a poem from the note:


This is both a tribute to the late producer of the original Horizon Zero Dawn game, Patrick Munnik, and is also a reference to Ghost of Tsushima where players can frequently find small tatami mats to sit on and make haikus for a reward.

There is a reference in Horizon Forbidden West to the 1994 DOS game Jazz Jackrabbit in the form of two rabbits sitting side by side. One on the left named Jazz and the other to the right named Jack.

Located Southwest of Thornmarsh is a small hill with an Inari Shrine on top. In the same area, there is a small unkillable fox creature called an "Inari" that will lead you up to this shrine if you follow it. These are both references to Ghost of Tsushima in which you are frequently guided by Inari foxes to Inari Shrines for a reward.

Found to the left of the Western Exit for Sunken Cavern: Sheerside Mountains there is a small hut where a small wooden figurine called the "Totem of War" can be found in the snow below the overhang. The hut is modeled after Kratos' home in God of War and the wooden figurine is of Kratos himself. This figurine is part of a side quest to obtain a God of War-themed face paint.

Found on a road to the West of the Shrouded Heights Vista Point is a small wooden figurine called the "Totem of Youth". This is modeled after Atreus, the son of Kratos, from God of War. This figurine is part of a side quest to obtain a God of War-themed face paint.

Found in a small triangular pit on a small island to the South of the Latopolis Exit is a small wooden figurine called the "Totem of Brotherhood". This wooden figurine is modeled after Sindri and Brok, two Dwarf brothers from God of War. This figurine is part of a side quest to obtain a God of War-themed face paint.

There is a special God of War-themed face paint that can be unlocked by collecting three separate totems that reference God of War characters. These include:

• Totem of War representing Kratos.
• Totem of Youth representing Atreus.
• Totem of Brotherhood representing both Sindri and Brok.

After entering the First Forge, if the player drops down into the first large chamber, they will come across a crashed minecart spilling out bananas, a few broken barrels also spilling bananas, and in one of the barrels a red cap with an elongated bill. These are all references to the Donkey Kong Country series, with bananas being the main collectible item, the minecart referring to minecart-themed levels that show up throughout the series, and the red cap referring to the iconic hat of Donkey Kong's faithful sidekick, Diddy Kong.

On the first level of the underground area, Latopolis, the player can find a room with a gun rack full of modified versions of the LSR44 Spoor. These guns are featured in another Guerrilla Games release, Killzone: Shadow Fall.

Found slightly southeast of Riverhyme is a sword stuck in a large rock and Aloy will make a remark about how it reminds her of an old story from an ancient data point. This is a reference to King Arthur in which he pulls a sword from a stone and becomes the king of England.

There are four locked cauldrons (KAPPA, CHI, IOTA, and MU) found in the game that have a golden triple triangle symbol above the door, and each one can be unlocked by inputting this combination on the D-Pad: Left, Up, Right, Left, Up, Right.

These are both references to The Legend of Zelda series. The symbol referencing the iconic Triforce seen throughout the series and the other referencing the inputs needed to play Zelda's Lullaby in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

There is another reference that happens when entering your first cauldron of this type. When looting the supply crate inside she says this: "It's dangerous to go alone without supplies. Might as well grab these." This is of course referencing the old man from start of the original The Legend of Zelda who says a similar phrase when giving you the sword.

Found near the Restless Weald Relic Ruins is an old railcar with a few symbols on it. One being the Guerilla Games logo and the other being the flag of Ukraine with a red heart between them. This is a show of support for Ukraine as they defended against the invasion of their country by Russia that began in 2022.

Found just North of the Northwest Aerial Capture in the Burning Shores DLC is a memorial to Lance Reddick, the actor/voice actor for Sylens, who passed away in 2023.

Found following the road west of the NPC Gildun is an obtainable item called the Toy Bow. This is a reference to The Last of Us Part II where the character Abby uses a similar toy bow in a minigame.

Located to the left of the West Aerial Capture is an area with a locked chest and a wall with several pans across it. Hitting these pans to the tune of Aloy's theme will unlock the adjacent chest.