When you come across a minigame, sometimes it's just a not-so-interesting diversion, but other times you might find a game so engaging that you end up playing it for hours. Minigames are autonomous videogames with completely different gameplay from the main game.
Minigames can be functional to completing the actual game or they can just be an option that the player can activate. In other cases these are so-called Easter eggs (i.e. hidden fragments of the game) or secret levels that can be unlocked by players. They can also be inserted during the loading of the main game to entertain the player while they wait, and are sometimes offered separately to promote the games that contain them.
Minigames often have a very simple structure and do not require a lot of effort, being designed just for fun. An example of this is fishing: in this case you just need to press buttons to make the fish bite. There may be diversions such as slot machines, blackjack or online poker, as happens for example in the dynamic adventure game Red Dead Redemption or in the action-adventure series Yakuza. Let's see some of the best minigames.
Geometry Wars
Inside the early 2000s driving simulator Project Gotham Racing 2, available exclusively for the first Xbox, there is a minigame of a completely different genre. Geometry Wars is a minigame that is activated inside a garage and reminiscent of 80s space shooters in which to avoid and destroy the enemies who were trying to destroy our ship.
The success of the minigame led the producers to propose it again in subsequent chapters of Project Gotham Racing, but also to make it a real series separate from the game. Over the years, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions have been released, also available for PC and even for PlayStation and mobile.
Orlog
Inside Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the twelfth chapter of the main saga set in the Viking civilization and inspired by Norse mythology, is a dice strategy game. The name of this minigame is Orlog and it turns out to be a much more complex game than you might imagine.
The player rolls up to 6 dice and then decides how many to play against his opponent. The faces of the dice do not contain numbers but different types of attacks and defense, to which are added the so-called “divine favors”, which allow you to increase your skills or evoke the power of entities against your opponent to cause them damage . The aim of the game is to damage the enemy's health, which is represented by fifteen small stones.
Tekken Ball
Inside the famous fighting game Tekken 3 there is a minigame that contrasts with the genre of the main game. We are talking about Tekken Ball, which is nothing more than a way in which your fighter used his moves to… play beach volleyball. The unpredictability of the ball's trajectory is a fun variable, especially because to damage your opponent you need to hit the ball hard. This hilarious minigame also reappeared in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but only in the Wii U version.
Minigames in Final Fantasy VII
There are several minigames present in the Final Fantasy saga, ranging from squat competitions to strategy games. However, one of the most famous and appreciated is the minigame dedicated to motorbikes: in this minigame Cloud is called upon to defend his companions from attacks by Shinra soldiers, all while driving a racing motorbike characterized by a futuristic appearance in a real own high-speed pursuit. This game was also included in Final Fantasy VII Remake with additional features.
Gwent
The action RPG video game “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” includes, in addition to the main quest, also secondary quests including the Gwent card game. It is a cardgame that simulates a battle between two armies. Each card has a specific ability and there are also tournaments that give you the chance to become the best player of this minigame. You can also obtain decks within the game and challenge other players to win the rarest and most valuable cards.
The game was well received by the public, so much so that in some collector's editions of the game's expansions there were even real decks of cards to play with live. Additionally, a separate free-to-play game has also been created and is available for PC, console and mobile.
Minigames in Yakuza
The Yakuza series features several minigames within it. For example, there are strategy minigames in which you face rival clans or minigames represented by old Sega titles to play in the Kamurocho arcades. There is also no shortage of drone racing and rhythm games which involve dancing competitions in ballrooms reminiscent of 80s discos.
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