Minigames have been included in larger titles pretty much since the start of gaming. Enjoying some simple fun is a great way of taking a break from the main path, but some of these minigames are so addictive that many players will find themselves playing them more than the actual story.
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Many games try to incorporate real-world activities with card games or other basic pieces of side content, while others have invented entirely new games for players to enjoy for hours on end. It doesn't matter if players are fishing by a lake or competing against NPCs in some friendly competition; sometimes, the story just has to wait.
8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Taking A Break From The Questing And Killing
Details:
- Gwent card game with collectibles and fully unique mechanics
- Smaller games like fistfighting and horse racing
The Witcher 3 is often regarded as one of the best RPGs in the world, but when players want to take a breather from the intense action, they can spend some quiet hours playing the in-universe card game, Gwent. More than just poker or blackjack, the game offers a fully fledged trading card experience, fit with deck-building and rare card hunting to give players something else to do in the world.
The game is incredibly accessible and easy to pick up, and it won't take long for players to become invested in an entirely different environment from the one outside the tavern walls. Rather than feeling forced into the main game, it acts as a natural side activity that can still be enjoyed for many hours before returning to the main story.
7 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Everything You Could Want From An Island Getaway
Details:
- Everything from racing to karaoke
- Fully-fledged island simulator built into the game
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is practically a minigame simulator. There is an insane amount of side content that players can fill their time with, but none of them feel like last-second inserts; rather, extensive games and challenges that can keep them entertained for far longer than the actual main quests.
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Each activity features a range of progression trees, unlockables, and longer-term objectives for players to strive for. Above them all is the iconic Dondoko Island, where players can step away from everything and manage an entire piece of land, slowly creating a five-star hotel that will have them forgetting that they are playing a simulator within a larger main game.
6 Fallout 4
Minigames In The Palm Of Your Hand
Details:
- Simple games accessible through the Pip-Boy
- Based on real-world games from the 1980s era
Fallout 4 gives players so much to do in a single game, but if the wasteland ever gets too overwhelming, they can simply look down at their wrist and watch the hours go by. The holotape games are direct inspirations from real-world examples like Donkey Kong and Space Invaders, just with a signature Fallout twist.
What makes the games so cool is the fact that players need to find them throughout the world. They aren't gifted a full list from the start and instead have to venture out to unlock each one over time. Once they finally have them, however, it can be hard to actually step back into the world due to the addictive nature of the pixelated classics.
5 Final Fantasy 10
Mounted Racing And Underwater Sports
Details:
- Blitzball is playable throughout the world
- Different characters can be recruited to play
Final Fantasy 10 is remembered for many things, like its emotional narrative and exceptional turn-based combat, yet Blitzball famously derails player focus more than any main quest ever could. What begins as a mandatory story sequence opens into a full sports league with recruitment, stat development, and longer-term team management, adding in a whole extra world of depth to an already expansive game.
Players will find themselves routinely pausing the entire playthrough just to grind out some games underwater, with some even spending more time on the minigame than the actual story. The rest of the FF franchise has plenty of other side games to enjoy, like Triple Triad in FF8, but Blitzball has remained at the top of most players' lists for many years.
4 Stardew Valley
Calming Escapes From An Already Calming World
Details:
- Basic activities like fishing feel like complete minigames
- Arcade with additional games, along with rewards
Stardew Valley, in a sense, is a game all about completing several smaller minigames over and over. The cozy fishing on a pier, the simple dungeon crawling, everything becomes an addictive loop of progression that can keep players invested for countless hours.
But beyond the main mechanics, players can venture into the arcade and play games like Journey of the Prairie King or Jumino Kart, giving them a completely different experience from the main loop. These minigames can often take up huge amounts of time, and players will find themselves spending far more time within these miniature worlds than in the actual village.
3 It Takes Two
Enough Games To Fill A Whole Evening
Details:
- Smaller games are scattered throughout the story
- Both cooperative and PvP options for each player to enjoy
It Takes Two is a love letter to co-op gaming, sending players on an adorable journey full of smaller games that tie together the story perfectly. But along the way, they will encounter side activities that can easily eat up a good chunk of time without players even knowing it.
Whack-a-mole variants and PvP shootouts are just a few of these little quirky extras that prove to be just as enjoyable as the main storyline. Some require teamwork, while others pit players against each other in a test of skill and reflexes, allowing players to feel mentally tested even when diverging from the actual plot.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
The Cowboy's Life
Details:
- Playing poker for in-game currency
- Meaningful incentives for playing the games well
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes players on a true adventure of a lifetime, yet even when moving away from the horseback chases and intense gun battles, players will still feel invested in the world on a smaller scale. Players can easily step into a bar and play some cards for a few extra dollars, but the money is only half the incentive for many who simply enjoy the minigames themselves.
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There are even a couple of extra games for players to discover, like dominoes and Five Finger Fillet, adding even more things to do outside of riding across the landscape. These quiet moments can quickly make entire sessions disappear, and the gambling side of things becomes secondary to the thrill of winning with the perfect hand.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
One Cast Is All It Takes To Get Hooked
Details:
- Fishing with a surprising amount of depth
- Other games, like snowboarding, are equally replayable
The Legend of Zelda has always been known for having some of the best minigames around, notably fishing found in the majority of its titles, and Twilight Princess is no different. The minigames are embedded directly into the fabric of the experience, and players will easily find themselves sucked into deeply engaging mechanics that each one has to offer.
Also, they never feel like unfinished extras, but fully polished standalone minigames. The fishing brings with it depth in terms of lures and different locations, the Clawshot challenges become tests of movement knowledge, and despite an epic quest before them, players will likely spend most of their time enjoying the extensive side content.
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