Developers often find creative ways to spice up gameplay by introducing new mechanics or minigames. The latter completely changes what one expects from the game by giving players a taste of something else, usually from an entirely different genre.
While developers want players to enjoy these, maybe they don't want players to spend more time there than in the main game, like with the examples below. To be clear, all the games below are still great, even without their compelling minigame. Players have already spent their money, so the designers should feel satisfied no matter how gamers use their time after purchasing the product.
8 Gwent: The Witcher 3
To say a minigame within The Witcher 3 is on par with the rest of the game is a tall order. This speaks to just how good, complex, and in-depth the third game in this franchise is. Gwent has a complex set of rules and requires tact to reign victorious, even with a good hand. Players can challenge tons of NPCs throughout the world.
It might seem out of character for Geralt to take time off from finding his missing adopted daughter to play some cards, but everyone is allowed to take a load off here and there. Gwent has since taken on a life of its own, with spin-offs featuring gameplay around the fictional card game.
7 Alien Hominid: PDA Games
Alien Hominid was a small game that grew popular due to the classic website Newgrounds. The console release significantly expanded upon the levels featured in the browser title and cleaned up the graphics. It also added several small minigames. Among them was a platforming minigame where players control stickmen across single-screen levels.
The simple graphics and gameplay make it accessible to those who are unfamiliar with platformers. Players can jump their way through well over a hundred levels in this mode, and players can even make their own for friends to try out. Here's hoping the mode remains in the upcoming re-release.
6 Anaconda: TimeSplitters 2
Where the original TimeSplitters was a rush job that cut corners to launch alongside the PlayStation 2, TimeSplitters 2 went all out with more content and more complicated single-player levels. Objectives were complex, and missions often included a combination of stealth and action. Players had a radar in their inventory and could use the device to access different minigames, provided they first found the cartridges in the world.
Three minigames exist in total, but the one players likely used the most was Anaconda. The goal is simple; eat as much food on the screen without touching anything else. Every bit the snake takes makes it longer, thus upping the difficulty. There is a lot of content in TimeSplitters 2, but it is easy to find time for this minigame.
5 Puzzle Kombat: Mortal Kombat: Deception
Before 2011's Mortal Kombat brought the series back to basics and focused on crafting the tightest fighting game possible, the series used to jam a lot of content and minigames into the package. In addition to the adventure mode, called Konquest, the developers added a few minigames to Mortal Kombat: Deception.
There is a game that takes inspiration from chess, and then there is Puzzle Kombat. This mode borrows a lot from the popular Puzzle Fighter arcade game, only with more pints of blood. It was a completely new way to pass the time and entertaining for those not well-versed in traditional combat.
4 Monkey Bowling: Super Monkey Ball
If one were to imagine games Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the Yakuza franchise worked on before the aforementioned series' debut entry, they probably would not imagine a game about monkeys traversing dangerous mazes in balls. Monkey Ball gets surprisingly challenging though, so one should not be fooled by the childish aesthetic.
The main game is complimented by a series of minigames. One of these is a surprisingly well-done bowling simulator. The gimmick here is the monkey is the bowling ball. Another mode includes special lanes that change form and move as the ball makes its way toward the pins.
3 Triple Triad: Final Fantasy 8
Most Final Fantasy games come with a minigame players can engage with over the course of the whole adventure. These rarely gain as much universal acclaim as Triple Triad did from the eighth numbered entry. The card game feels complicated at first but slowly becomes understandable as players engage with it more.
Squall is able to steadily grow his deck and challenge NPCs from the start of the journey right until the end. Even if it had no rewards for the main game, players would still sink tons of time into Triple Triad. Most agree it is way more entertaining than Blitzball from Final Fantasy X.
2 Fort Condor: Final Fantasy 7 Remake
The original Final Fantasy 7 featured a tower defense game where players defend a bird nesting on top of a mako reactor from Shinra troops. INTERmission, the DLC episode featuring Yuffie, includes a minigame based on this side quest. This version receives the nod because it speeds up the pace of gameplay and cleans up the graphics on a smaller playing field.
The side quest featuring the minigame is long, but even after conquering it, players will want more. Hopefully, future entries in the remake franchise will have more opportunities for Fort Condor.