At first glance they look cute. Fluffy cartoonish friendly faces all smiles and big eyes. But look harder and look closer. Harder. Closer. You see? They're not squishy lovable cuddlies. No. They're the disturbing denizens of night-time head terrors. Sinister villains parading themselves as candy-coloured pleasantries.  Look harder closer at the following and - with our creative guidance - you'll see them for the horror beasts they really are. For these are the cutesy characters that are actually... creepy as hell. <cue dry ice, high-pitched scream and wolf hoooooowl>

Creeping us out in: Nights into Dreams, Nights Journey of Dreams
A cross between Michael Jackson and Freddy Krueger, this gender mysterious, pretzel-legged, child grooming, jester-a-like dream botherer creeps us out in every possible way. We shudder with dread as those delicate hands of twinkle dust play up and down the shaft of the invisible flute. Insomnia is a good thing.

Creeping us out in: Pikmin, Pikmin 2
We know what you're thinking - "How can Pikmin be on the list? They're, like, soooooo cute." But you're wrong. They have staring, dead fish eyes. They follow you around in silence with the unhealthy persistence of a serial killer. They're happiest when they're mob-handedly murdering something to death. Never mind the flowers sprouting from their heads, Pikmin are a bunch of creepy, belligerent and blood-thirsty stalkers.

Creeping us out in: Ms. Pac-Man
We've never been able to shake the uncomfortable feeling that Ms. Pac-Man is just Pac-Man dabbling in transvestism. But the addition of lipstick, heels, eyelashes and a bow does not a cunning lady disguise make. Far from being a sexy transvestibule that any man (or, rather, yellow blob) could easily make an 'honest mistake' with, Ms. Pac-Man is more a nightmarish Barbara Cartland adoring drag queen that can't afford the surgery.