Knifing them in GunGame – Counter-Strike: Source
Knife kills are always a wonderful way of showing your friends how easily you can embarrass them, but what if you could take it one step further? Instead of just shaming your friends, what if you could steal a few points away from them while you're at it? That's the point (haha, get it) of stabbing your friends in GunGame. Every time you knife them, you get a level.
Some servers running the GunGame mod will throw in a Super Mario sound effect for good measure, but the real joy is the reaction from your victim. They'll curse you, stamp their feet, and generally further their humiliation. Watch out! Turn about is fair play and that level you stole could go right back to them.
Friendship – Mortal Kombat 3
You might think fatalities have the biggest embarrassment effect after a brutal match in Mortal Kombat, but you'd be wrong. The only way true way to shame them and their complete lack of skills is through an awkward Friendship finish. The Friendship fatalities were added to Mortal Kombat to continue the downward spiral the series took into obscurity, but in the end you'll know you've truly beaten someone when they sheepishly laugh at your gesture.
That's when they know you'll always be able to beat them. Not only did you wipe the floor with them, but you were too much of a gentleman (or lady) to go for the gory and gruesome finish. You took the high-road and now they've got nothing better to do than breathe a sigh of relief.
Jump on their heads to score – Battleblock Theater
The key to victory in The Behemoth's platformer is always to jump on other people's heads. This is no more true than in Basketball, where the soccer ball you're playing with enters the arena in the center and each team's hoops are opposite sides. Scoring for your team, leaping off the hoop platform, and nimbly navigating the craniums of your opposition to grab the ball and immediately dunk it again will forever be satisfying.
It's that moment where the other player is obviously trying to get out from under your boot that sells the experience. You know it's embarrassing when you've inhibited the other player from jumping in a jumping game.
Successful Zerg rush – StarCraft 2
I've honestly never felt that warm feeling after a successful Zerg rush. I've been on the receiving end plenty of times, though! That's how I know it's embarrassing to get squashed by a swarm of nasty Zerglings. You have no idea how much I wanted to reach through my computer screen and punch the other player as a wave of itchy-looking Zerglings decimated my Terran base.
A Zerg rush requires carefully balancing between numbers and speed. Will the other team have built up enough defenses? Do you have enough Zerglings? It's a roll of the dice, but pulling off a rush in StarCraft or StarCraft 2 will bring a knowing smirk to any arm-chair commander.
Perfect! – Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
No one needs to tell you that fighting games are the most popular venue for embarrassing opponents in video games. The genre was born and raised on the backs of players eager to dominate their fellow arcade-dwellers and now online multiplayer can give everyone the satisfaction of defeating their friends in one-on-one fights.
Still, it's not enough to just beat your mate in a match. You've gotta destroy their morale with a Perfect victory. Don't let them chip even a sliver of health off your bar and enjoy the fruit of your labor. No one can stand up to a perfect victory. No amount of trash talking or any number of excuses can undo the damage from a perfect round. Your opponent will protest and sputter like the little baby he or she is, but you have tasted true dominance and it's salty, just like the tears your enemy will inevitably shed in shame.
