 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Minigame" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Aminigame (also spelledmini game andmini-game, sometimes called asubgame ormicrogame) is a short game often contained within anothervideo game. A minigame contains differentgameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained.
Some video games consist entirely of minigames which tie into an overall theme, such asOlympic Decathlon (1980). Minigames can also be used to represent a specific experience, such ashacking,lock picking, or scanning an area, that ties into a larger game.
Some games are made up of many minigames strung together into one video game, such asNintendo'sWarioWare series (which are called microgames in the series),Universal'sVideo Action,David Whittaker'sLazy Jones and themobile gamePhone Story. Some similar games specifically developed formultiplayer are consideredparty games, such as theItadaki Street series bySquare Enix and Nintendo'sMario Party series. In party games, minigames usually involve performing an activity faster or collecting more of a specified item than other players to win; some may be entirely luck.
TheFinal Fantasy series includes minigames in every entry, since the firstFinal Fantasy (1987), in which a15 puzzle in the form of anEaster egg can be uncovered by entering a specific sequence of inputs while piloting a ship. It was added into the game by programmerNasir Gebelli despite it not being part ofSquaresoft's original game design.[1]
ThePocketStation forPlayStation andVMU forDreamcast accessories allowed the user to download minigames from the main console onto the pocket device, and often then sync progress in the minigame back on to the console. Two examples of this include theChocobo World minigame insideFinal Fantasy VIII.[2]