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Total Paid $32

Tell us which is the best minigame in video games and why

Posted by Rich in Video Games

A problem we may have with this bounty is that 'minigames' come in many forms. Obviously you've got cute little card games within sprawling fantasy RPGs and the abstract ways in which immersive sims represent hacking, but then entire mechanics could be said to be minigames, such as arranging your attaché case case in Resident Evil 4, as a member wisely pointed out when we ran this bounty as a discussion long ago.

So we'll leave it up to community wisdom: don't hesitate to upvote or comment on any submissions that resonate with you as meeting the definition of 'a minigame', and if you'd like to make a case, submit in writing or video and tell us which minigame you think is the best in video games and be sure to explain/justify your pick!

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This reward closed to entries at 1:08pm on November 1, 2024 but you can still reply, react, and join the conversation below! If you’d like to enter other rewards which are still open, click here.

Created at 3:08pm, 3rd October, 2024. Page last updated at 10:54pm, 31st October, 2024.
Deadline at 12:00am, 1st November, 2024.

Limal 10/31/2024, 10:23:50 PM

I believe the best minigame is WoW pet battles. It’s a mystery to me why Blizzard hasn’t released it as a mobile game, whether standalone or as a companion app to let players compete against each other or face legendary creatures. An AR version, similar to Pokémon Go, would be amazing—imagine wandering the real world to collect pets!

This minigame has inspired countless fan sites, services, and even plushies! For a while, WoW pet battles became my main gameplay focus; the ‘gotta catch them all’ appeal sometimes meant defeating tough raid bosses, waiting for seasonal events, or farming thousands of mob kills. This feature introduced an engaging mechanic that extended play sessions by hundreds of hours for many players.

Sturmer 10/31/2024, 1:58:21 PM

There’s no doubt that "Gwent" is a fantastic example of a minigame evolving into a standalone card game. However, it wasn’t the first to make that transition in video game history. Today, I want to spotlight a classic minigame called Arcomage!

First introduced in "Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor" in 1999, Arcomage was a straightforward card game you could play in taverns, later released as a standalone project. Despite its simplicity, the game offers deep strategic elements, balancing long-term strategy with short-term tactics—one of my favourite aspects. With its short session duration, Arcomage is ideal as a minigame within another game.

For those interested, there’s also a free web adaptation: ArcoMage HD

JHenckes 10/31/2024, 12:31:47 AM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yelo_7pukR0?feature=oembed

Assassins Creed Black Flag, or AC IV, whatever. It's probably one of the single-player games I've played the most in my life and it's undoubtedly the best game in the franchise for me!

At the time it had a really fun minigame, it reminded me a lot of some mobile games (I've always been a mobile gamer too, as well as video game and PC games), so I often found myself spending hours playing it hahaha.

The game consisted of you controlling your naval fleet (made up of different ships) and trying to dominate world trade. In other words, you select the trade routes you want to take and direct each ship to your choices.

There are safe routes, dangerous routes and there were often battles to control the trade route and secure the resources that the minigame awarded when the route was successfully taken (and the resources were very worthwhile, which was a great incentive). I think the most fun for me was the strategy involved in the minigame, as well as the fact that the trade routes were based on real life, so this added to the immersion (there were several routes to the Americas, for example).

Anyway, I could talk for hours about this game that made me double the number of hours I've spent on AC IV hahaha, but I'll stop here. I've left a link to a video explaining how the minigame works, I hope you enjoy it and get even more interested in the game!

Ilyssoll 10/30/2024, 5:32:04 PM

I honestly LOVE the Nuka Tapper mini game on Fallout 76. It really helped me pass time and it keeps me on my toes when im getting tired of doing the same thing over and over. Not only is it fun but, theres also this rush from beating my highscore every time and trying to one up people on the fallout reddit.

Samuel 10/30/2024, 2:46:07 PM

Crikey! Can't believe no one has mentioned Fallout: New Vegas' casinos yet!

Now, for some reason I can't upload images, but there seriously hasn't been anything close to the thrill of the Fallout Casinos - caps are hard to come by, and you can lose them all or double them in the casino, with a twist. Everything is affected by your 'luck' stats. Anything above 7 and suddenly, everything is flipping in your favor; slots, blackjack and even roulette! Below 7 and you're going to have to really play strategically.

All in all, what's better than sitting back, popping a Nuka-cola and seeing the cards turn

NiteDark 10/25/2024, 9:25:57 PM

Well, best minigame in video games? Of course its Gwent from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Gwent combines strategy, resource management, and a bit of luck into a captivating card game that offers a satisfying distraction from Geralt’s monster-hunting adventures.

The rules are easy to grasp, but the strategies are deep. It’s all about assembling a deck and carefully deciding when to play your strongest cards. Winning requires knowing when to make sacrifices and when to hold back. Unlike many minigames that feel tacked on, Gwent feels like a natural part of The Witcher world. NPCs react to it, and there’s a sense of fame and rivalry surrounding the game that makes winning feel like a true accomplishment. The Witcher 3 rewards players with new cards as they progress, creating a sense of achievement and progression that makes you look forward to each game. Gwent became so popular that it evolved into its own game, gaining a competitive player base and its own updates and expansions. It’s one of the few minigames to make that leap successfully.

Braulio M Lara 🔹10/21/2024, 7:09:42 PM

MY LOVELY MINI GAME , TEKKEN BALL

The people from NAMCO (today NAMCO/Bandai) are profesionals making mini games starting with putting a gane into the Loading screen like Galaga on Ridge Racer

My favorite mini game of all time is the volleyball fighting game from Tekken 3

Some kind of fantastic Volley / Fight choosing one of your favorite characters from the game to play volleyball 🏐 hitting your rival

the ball game was simply unforgettable, is something that I always remember from the PlayStation 1, when the game overpasses the arcade version

Let’s participate it 💪🏼

Tekken mini Game — The Amazing TEKKEN BALL mini Game 🏐

DitchAdder 10/19/2024, 7:14:47 PM

It took me days to decide but in the end I settled of Final Fantasy X's Blitzball. The game itself is really fun for taking a break away from the RPG grind, allowing you to play what could probably be best described as 6 a side sports ball for in various leagues and tournaments. You can recruit players from among the people you meet in the world and the other teams even change their line up over time and learn skills playing against each other and you.

However, what sets it apart from things like Gwent or Triple Triad for me is the fact that it never becomes weird in cannon that you are playing Blitzball. It is established very early on that the people of Spira consider it important to not let major events or even animosity between groups become a reason to stop playing. To them Blitzball is above pretty much everything. And the few events that would be an exception to that, you can't blitz.
It means I never have to break my immersion when I spend three evening in a row making the Besaid Aurochs original starting line-up the dominant force in the whole Blitz playing world.

TheHappyHans 10/13/2024, 7:58:38 PM

Definitely the slots from Pokemon Fire Red / Leaf Green! I had the worst luck and lost all coins whenever I'd play. Helped me be cautious about gambling ever since.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBE63DuCx-A

Makster 10/13/2024, 7:03:41 AM

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Stalk/ Stonk Market
This is another left field entry (as I do) as I don't think Nintendo intended it to be a mini-game or part of the gameplay as much as it did.

In AH:NH, the price of turnips can differ from Island to Island therefore to get the most return on investment (ROI) it is best to find other player's Islands to sell them on but also to buy them on thus creating a pseudo-stock market. This was back in 2020 when the pandemic hit and people were turning to their screens as the primary way of communicating and socialising. It became a game within itself trying to maximise your profits.

I think the game mechanic was designed by Nintendo for AC but couldn't predict that this would become a game in of itself!

It was an amazing mechanic turned mini-game as it encouraged sharing Island codes and socialising via AC. Even Hollywood Actor Elijah Woods got in on the action

Dydo 10/27/2024, 1:54:42 PM

I've lost hours playing Red Dead Redemption 2... and maybe it's more a mechanic of the game than a minigame, but the hunting/survival of RDR2 is just wonderful.

You can catch and drag animals, but this will spoil them, so you need to be careful. Oh, and the gun you use and where you shoot the animal also matters.

And don't forget, if you are tired of those shot sounds, you can just go fishing, peacefully. But you will need to make sure you're on the right spot, at the right time, with the right equipments. Otherwise, you just spent time.

You can camp and eat what you hunt provided. Cook some meat, fish and... teas? Yes, almost forgot, you need to pay attention to the plants nearby. You never know when you might find some Ginseng. Or coffee. Or a bandit camp. But thats another history.

I consider it a minigame... I can open RDR2 and don't do anything besides just living a survivalist cowboy life, it's a whole game inside a game. And I will not bring up poker or the knife on fingers one, but they would deserve the title too.

EDIT: I've been thinking about this over the past week, and I felt the need to add Skyrim's lockpick minigame here. It's simple, challenging and rewarding all at once. As you get more hours of the game, you also improve your lockpick skills, not only in the game itself, but also in real life, giving a sense of accomplishment and satisfying the urge to loot anything on your front.

Larold 10/8/2024, 7:08:12 PM

Business Management in Yakuza: Like a Dragon!

I didn't even know this thing existed before getting into Yakuza: LAD, but it ended up being an absurdly addictive minigame. Was constantly tinkering with business rosters and trying to grow, grow, grow!! All to get to the promised lands, printing out hundreds of millions of yen for all my hours of exquisite business managing.

Honourable mention to Borderlands 3 Science!

FUN INC 10/7/2024, 10:56:34 AM

Project Discovery in EVE online is fairly amazing in my eyes. It is a mini-game with real world benefits and can advance medical science. Project discovery has contributed to the discovery of exo-planets, COVID19 research and more recently immune diseases such as cancer. You look at cell scans to draw around clusters of cells to help train AI models to support scientists. more information about it can be foudn here > Project Discovery - Citizen science begins with you | EVE Online

Marcus 10/7/2024, 8:36:45 AM

For this bounty, I’d like to nominate Picture Poker from Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros. This is a fun minigame as it’s slightly different from what you’d expect from a usual minigame, and it was used in two mainline Super Mario games which shows how popular it was. Also, the music is simple and catchy and gives the perfect casino vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDJsPMuuPzI?feature=oembed

SIRCAM 10/4/2024, 8:07:10 AM

Roach Race in Cyberpunk 2077, added in patch 1.6, the game is set in the Witcher universe Geralt's mount. The mini-game rewards us with in-game money when you qualify from 5th or above.

If you reach the top 3 a container with rewards and extra lore will be sent to our Apartment.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xFYmFnimVRU?feature=oembed

Horror and Cats 10/4/2024, 8:13:52 AM

SIRCAM

I have CP 2077 and I didn't even know this was a thing!

SIRCAM 10/4/2024, 8:37:37 AM

Horror and Cats

The game is full of surprises and the modders community is gold adding more Arcade Machines.

https://reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/tq9dwe/arcade_machines_are_now_playable_with_four_games

Horror and Cats 10/4/2024, 9:10:17 AM

SIRCAM

That panzer shooter genuinely looks like something I’d have paid 1200 Microsoft points for back in 2005 lol

SIRCAM 10/4/2024, 4:09:39 PM

Horror and Cats

No way, hahaha, and now you can play it inside the game 🤣

Horror and Cats 10/10/2024, 9:44:00 AM

Joel is right, it is 100% Gwent.

The Witcher 3 is one of the most robust games I have ever played. I was hesitant to start the Gwent quests because why would I play a card game when I could be oiling up a silver sword and cutting up a werewolf? But, when a significant side quest required me to play... I got hooked immediately.

I had never played a card game before. No Pokémon, no MtG. I dabbled in Hearthstone on my phone for a while but I definitely didn't get into any intricacies. Then came Gwent and it was great!

I had the Witcher 3 Special Edition so I had a huge guide, within which was pages on pages of Gwent strategies for all of the different deck types. I wanted to pass that side quest, so I read the whole thing and realized "wow, this actually seems pretty dang fun." My only regret was not starting sooner because, due to my hesitance, I missed out on one of the special leader cards.

I genuinely still own the two official decks they made for the Northern Kingdom and Nigaard. I was mortified when I found out the COLLECTOR'S edition came with the Monsters and Scoia'Tael decks, which are by far the more interesting and weird decks.

The game isn't too complicated so cards which offer boosts to the lines they are applied to aren't difficult to keep track of the buffs when playing with the physical cards, but of course in the actual game they are all automatically calculated and applied.

Also, the more games you play and win, you get access to the collectible hero cards like Ciri, Geralt, Yennifer, etc. It is unbelievably more-ish and balanced. Highly recommend!

Makster 10/4/2024, 8:03:49 AM

Horror and Cats

omg I could not for the life of me get into Gwent. I had Witcher 3 only as a rental so I was trying to get through missions quickly.

Maybe when I revisit it, Gwent will be more appealing but I think I barely got through that tutorial

NicoleStaff10/4/2024, 8:38:45 AM

Makster

THANK YOU! Don't listen to Joel, Gwent is terrible 😂

Horror and Cats 10/10/2024, 4:10:20 AM

Nicole

Guess I should have stuck with the RE4 attaché case example lol

NicoleStaff10/10/2024, 8:28:46 AM

Horror and Cats

Anything but Gwent! 😂

Horror and Cats 10/10/2024, 8:41:27 AM

Nicole

I’ll have you know that playing it in a physical card game format is quite fun lol

Paige 10/3/2024, 5:16:56 PM

The stock market mini game in Cookie Clicker.

"Thrill" of buy/selling stocks and shares with 0 risk!

JoelStaff10/3/2024, 5:42:35 PM

Just FYI, you've missed 'and why it's Gwent' off the end of the title.

SIRCAM 10/3/2024, 10:06:36 PM

Roach Race in Cyberpunk 2077, added in patch 1.6, the game is set in the Witcher universe Geralt's mount. The mini-game rewards us with in-game money when you qualify from 5th or above.

If you reach the top 3 a container with rewards and extra lore will be sent to our Apartment.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xFYmFnimVRU?feature=oembed

Horror and Cats 10/4/2024, 5:08:10 AM

SIRCAM

Oh wow, CD Projekt Red knows how to keep IPs kicking haha.

FYI you posted this as a response and not a bounty submission. You’ve got to click the purple “Submit to this Bounty” button 🤓

SIRCAM 10/4/2024, 8:10:18 AM

Horror and Cats

Yeah, the boys at CD Projekt Red are pretty creative.

Ouch...haha, thanks Horror and Cats dont know how i missed that button, jesuschrist 😅

Horror and Cats 10/4/2024, 8:12:32 AM

SIRCAM

All good! We here are of a helpful ilk haha

Sav 10/3/2024, 11:37:44 PM

The Ocarina of Time Fishing Minigame was one of the most memorable ones growing up playing and I loved playing it again on the 3DS.

This isn't my gameplay but I originally played the game on my GameCube:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qe9aENL_gjA?feature=oembed

Naa_Zira 10/4/2024, 12:05:49 AM

The monopoly minigame in Birth By Sleep. Let's be fair, most Kingdom Hearts fans were pretty burned out by the time this one came out. Birth By Sleep was a unique introduction, but most importantly a GOOD addition for gameplay.

I think i put more time into the minigame than the main game 🫣

Toretto 70 10/4/2024, 1:00:46 AM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DDbePEdSb4o?feature=oembed

First time playing GTA SA and entering a random place and finding something and finally find "WOW. is this a Billiards ? " and you start trying out how the minigame work. I think this minigame is the best

Makster 10/4/2024, 8:04:43 AM

Toretto 70

It wasn't going to be my entry but the darts game in Persona 5 Royal was also really good.

You used the PS4 six axis(?) to jerk the controller as if you're throwing the dart

Alucard 10/4/2024, 10:17:58 PM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/L_mH6Ak_Ny0?feature=oembed

Borderlands 3 Science (an arcade that can be found in Sanctuary 3) is… well… a mini game that makes you forget (for hours) that you are playing a completely unrelated game and is presented by Mayim Bailik can’t be bad, Can it?

Dadnaya 10/8/2024, 5:31:26 PM

The best mini game I've ever played is in Ape Escape 3 where you can play as Snake from MGS. Hilariously funny as you play as a monkey and have to confront other monkeys all in MSG Snake style.

Block9 10/12/2024, 1:53:29 PM

Mario Kart is, without a doubt, one of the most fun games ever made. It perfectly balances exciting races with that touch of unpredictability that keeps things thrilling. It’s not just about being fast; it’s also about knowing when to use the right items, which can turn the race around in an instant. The variety of tracks, each with its own quirks, keeps the game fresh every time you play. Plus, playing with friends adds that fun, competitive edge and lots of laughter. With its colorful graphics, iconic characters, and dynamic gameplay, Mario Kart never gets old.

MrT 10/27/2024, 3:34:56 AM

For me the best minigames were Poker and BlackJack in Red Dead Redemption 2. It just felt natural to be sitting down in the wild west setting and playing these card games.

KPA1 10/28/2024, 1:42:32 PM

The “best” minigame in video games is is Gwent from The Witcher 3:

Here's why Gwent often stands out as my favorite:

Depth and Strategy: Despite being a minigame within a larger RPG, Gwent has its own set of rules, strategies, and a card collection mechanic that can feel like a full-fledged game on its own. It encourages players to think tactically, balancing risk and reward over multiple rounds.

Integration with the Main Game: Gwent fits naturally into the world of The Witcher 3. Characters in the game play it, you can find rare cards throughout the world, and even certain quests involve it, making it feel like an organic part of Geralt's journey.

Replay Value: Gwent is easy to learn but hard to master, giving it high replayability. Some players spend hours perfecting their decks and challenging NPCs, often setting aside the main quest entirely for a while to focus on Gwent.

Standalone Success: Gwent was so beloved that it eventually received a standalone version, complete with enhanced features and competitive play. This success speaks to its quality and the lasting impact it had on players.

While other games have excellent minigames, Gwent’s depth, connection to the storyline, and strategic appeal make it one of the best-loved minigames in video game history.

Gaypengwing 🔜 Ren Faire Uk 10/28/2024, 11:30:48 PM

My favourite has to be the shooting range in Resident Evil 4 remake

It helps get some cool items in game and it’s really fun trying to beat your high scores with all of the different guns

Even if when you suck Ashley and Luis will tell you so from the barrel just behind you 😂

Jaque 10/31/2024, 12:15:57 AM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWGtE7-9oQ4?feature=oembed

For me, there's no better minigame than GWENT in The Witcher 3. It's incredible how a simple card game made me get into the game just to spend hours playing and getting better and better (I had a certain anger towards the NPC, so I wanted to see him humiliated by me 😂).

I believe that this minigame was so recognized that it became a separate game from TW3 2 years later.

It's a card game that looks simple, but involves a lot of strategy and a bit of luck to win the rounds. I'm leaving a link showing some of the tutorial/gameplay above. It's the icing on the cake!

CMDR Henckes 10/31/2024, 12:54:48 AM

Could not be the best, but I have good memories of it, that is the Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure 1 & 2.

Is basically kind of a monster capture game, that you could pass the time while playing the Sonic Adventure games, or you can even focus on it as well since it isn't that mini.

You get the Chao eggs, hatch them and help them rise in different gardens. A relaxing and fun mini game!

yan57436 10/31/2024, 4:49:03 AM

It's impossible not to remember gwent, the witcher 3, when I saw the bounty, we simply have a game within a game! Gwent starts out as a brief pastime, but it ends up becoming an interaction of its own, several times I've entered the witcher but not even gone out into the world, I've gone to play gwent haha.

What makes Gwent so incredible?

Replayability: The game is extremely SIMPLE, in practically one playthrough you understand how it works and become curious about the decks that are possible
The universe in which it is set: The fact that it's set in the witcher universe enriches the game in itself, almost every npc will present you with a unique deck with unique cards and new challenges
Independent game: What reinforces my argument is the fact that gwent has become an independent game, going beyond the limits of a simple minigame within another game

Screenshots from the game's official website: GWENT: The Witcher Card Game – Apps no Google Play

lebiadkin 10/31/2024, 8:55:01 AM

Gwent! No doubt, it is fun, well structured and very addictive.

NotAValveGame 10/31/2024, 3:12:12 PM

Luigi picture poker. I don't know why but when I was a kid I really enjoyed it.

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