Fighting piracy is a constant, ongoing, and typically fruitless challenge for developers and publishers: if people want to play a game without paying for it, chances are they'll find a way. But that doesn't mean developers can't strike back from time to time.

Many developers have used inventive and amusing methods over the years to troll pirates, interrupt their illicit gaming sessions, and even trick them into outing themselves in forums for the amusement of others. From Arkham Asylum to Red Alert 2, from Zak McKrakken to Grand Theft Auto 4, we've rounded up our favourite in-game pirate-punishing tricks.