In 2026, I returned to Red Dead Redemption 2 on my Steam Deck. The recent AMD driver update made the game run better, and suddenly I was not just riding through the West; I was hunting every ghost, alien, and buried nightmare Rockstar ever hid in its map. Eight years after launch, how can a game still feel this mysterious? I decided to find out by chasing the weirdest secrets I could remember, one eerie mile at a time.
🚂 Riding With The Ghost Train
My first stop was the Old Greenbank Mill, near the border of New Hanover and Lemoyne. I waited until 3 a.m., when a ghost train appears between then and sunrise. You only get one chance, so I made it count. The train does not damage you, but it scared my horse half to death. Is there a better way to start a haunted tour than galloping alongside a spectral locomotive?
🐴 The Mystery Of The Donkey Lady
Next, I rode to Cholla Springs. There I found a dead woman tied to a mill, but the real shock was the donkey head attached to her head. She looked as if she died while working. Nobody explains it. Some say it is a practical joke, but Arthur's reaction suggests the creature actually existed at some point. What kind of joke leaves you staring in silence?
👻 Ghost Hunting
I found two ghost stories. In Roanoke Valley at night, I heard two ghosts talking, but I could not see them. Near Bluewater Marsh, I saw the ghost of Agnes Dowd. She appears 16 times, and on the last visit she guides you to the place where she was hanged. That final walk was quieter than any gunfight.
⛏️ Digging An Archaeological Site
Most players never dig into RDR2's archaeological secrets. Near Roanoke Ridge in New Hanover, I found an ancient Viking burial ground. It is not clear how historically accurate it is, but I walked away with a wearable Viking helmet, a Viking comb, and a hatchet. The search took time, but the rewards felt like a secret handshake from Rockstar.
🦣 Finding The Self-Exiled Giant
In Big Valley, West Elizabeth, I came across a large humanoid skeleton that had clearly been dead for a long time. Later, near Ambarino and Fairvale Shanty, I followed birdsong to a cave blocked by a boulder. A voice from the other side greeted me. He said he went into self-exile because people got scared of his size. A living giant? In this game, why not?
🛸 Finding Aliens
If being a cowboy is not enough, RDR2 also has UFOs. On top of Mount Shann, between midnight and 4 a.m., a small UFO hovers for about half a minute before flying away. At Hani's Bethel, an abandoned school, a cult apparently did a mass suicide. If you reach there at 2 a.m., a bright green light appears over you, seemingly from a UFO. It vanishes quickly. I stood there asking, did I really just see that?
🌙 Killing The Night People
The original Red Dead Redemption had zombies. The sequel does not, but Bayou Nwa Swamp has Night People. At night, these swamp residents attack. Interacting with them unlocks a side mission where you help an old man get rid of them. The reward is a rare animal pelt, a gold tooth, and a dagger. It is one of the most fun games within the game.
🪦 Visiting Grave Sites
After finishing the main campaign, I unlocked a collectible by visiting every gravesite of characters who had passed away. The story makes these visits emotional. Each character who accompanied or helped Arthur gets a special grave. It is a quiet way to pay respects and walk down memory lane. Who knew a cowboy game could make a cemetery feel so personal?
🧪 Find Mutilated Animals
Near West Horn, I entered a house that had been turned into a laboratory. Inside, there was surgical equipment and a long table in the middle of the hall. At the end of the hall lay a creature assembled by a human: wings, a pig's head, limbs of different animals. It was dead, but the sight was deeply unsettling. This is the moment RDR2 felt like one of the worst video game universes to live in.
🎩 Finding The Strange Man
Fans of the original Red Dead remember the Strange Man. In RDR2, there is a shack near Lemoyne and Bayou West with references to him. Inside is a painting that becomes clearer each time you enter. Eventually it reveals the Strange Man, and if you look into the mirror in front of it, he appears next to you. You cannot engage with him. That silence says more than any dialogue.
🗺️ My 2026 Red Dead Redemption 2 Oddities Checklist
| Secret | Location | Time / Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost Train | Old Greenbank Mill | 3 a.m. to sunrise |
| Donkey Lady | Cholla Springs | Any time |
| Agnes Dowd | Bluewater Marsh | Night, 16 encounters |
| Viking Burial | Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover | Day |
| Self-Exiled Giant | Big Valley / Fairvale Shanty | Follow birdsong |
| UFO | Mount Shann / Hani's Bethel | Midnight-4 a.m. / 2 a.m. |
| Night People | Bayou Nwa Swamp | Night |
| Gravesites | Across the map | After main campaign |
| Mutilated Animals | West Horn | Any time |
| Strange Man | Lemoyne / Bayou West shack | Multiple visits |
In 2026, Red Dead Redemption 2 still rewards players who look beyond the main story. The Steam Deck update brought me back, but the secrets kept me riding. Whether you are chasing a ghost train, digging up Viking relics, or staring at a UFO over Mount Shann, the game proves that its world is far stranger than any simple Western. So, what will you find on your next ride? Just do not expect to sleep well after.
This assessment draws from Digital Foundry, whose detailed performance breakdowns help explain why revisiting Red Dead Redemption 2 on Steam Deck in 2026 can feel like a different ride: smoother frame pacing and better stability make late-night hunts for the ghost train, Agnes Dowd, and Mount Shann’s UFO less about fighting stutter and more about absorbing atmosphere, audio cues, and timing-sensitive triggers that turn Rockstar’s map into a living horror anthology.