Engaging Mini Games and Where to Find Them

Like any business, games exist to generate revenue. Without a solid monetization strategy, even the most passionate developers struggle to sustain their projects. But every successful developer knows that a game’s ability to make money is deeply tied to its retention metrics. While revenue is the ultimate measure of success, retention serves as a crucial intermediate indicator that is often prioritized even over direct revenue figures.

And the strategies to ensure strong retention evolve over different stages of a game’s lifecycle. In the short term (call it D1 to D7), a compelling core loop is essential: a mechanic that is easy to pick up but challenging to master, providing endless variations without becoming stale. In the long term (call it D180 and beyond), retention hinges on intrinsic motivation: social engagement, a thriving community, and compelling end-game content.

But what about the space in between? Players who have mastered the core loop but are not yet fully invested in the long-term journey need something to keep them engaged. This is where mini games play a crucial role. These engaging diversions, seamlessly integrated into the main gameplay, provide variety and keep players invested in the game before they transition into long-term retention drivers.

Of course, these timeframes overlap depending on the game and player base, and are not one-size-fits-all by any means. But the principle remains: well-designed mini games act as a bridge between early and late-stage engagement, smoothing out the retention curve and ensuring players stay engaged for longer.

A Brief History of Mini Games

The term “mini game” can mean different things in different contexts. Some platforms, like WeChat, offer bundles of mini games within their ecosystem, but that’s not what we’re discussing here. Instead, we’re focusing on mini games embedded within top-grossing titles that are designed to enhance retention and bridge gameplay gaps as we just mentioned.

Although other examples can be found, one of the earliest large-scale implementations of mini games in this context came from Playrix’s Match-3 portfolio, including Gardenscapes and Homescapes. These games famously used pull-the-pin mechanics in their advertisements, which proved so effective that Playrix eventually integrated them into the actual gameplay.

And this was just the beginning! Royal Match took mini games further, incorporating simple but highly engaging mechanics like sorting and digging. The digging mini game became so popular that it is now difficult not to see a digging mini game in most of the successful games’ LiveOps calendar.

Then came Monopoly GO!, which positioned mini games not as an add-on but as a core part of its gameplay. Instead of simple intermissions, Monopoly GO! introduced a series of mini games tied to its core dice-rolling mechanic, making them essential to the experience. Of course, many other games introduced their own take on mini games, offering them in different forms. However, as with most trends, market consolidation highlighted a few standout examples while others faded into the background.

Now, the competition is evolving again. Games like Royal Match and Toon Blast are pushing the boundaries by introducing fully-fledged games within their mini game events. Royal Match’s Ocean Odyssey and Toon Blast’s Cannon Fest aren’t just about simple mechanics like digging or sorting: They offer original, standalone gameplay experiences that players eagerly anticipate.

The Reasons Your Players Love Mini Games

At first glance, the idea of offering a separate game within your main game might seem counterintuitive. Why would players want to engage with another mechanic when they have already chosen to play your game? The answer is simple: people get bored. Even the most loyal players eventually feel fatigue from repeating the same core loop. Mini games provide a refreshing break from routine, offering an unexpected but welcome diversion.

This is not really because your game got boring. Every game experiences the same fate when players have nothing else to do but to repeat the core loop. Mini games serve as an excellent way to break the monotony once players feel they have mastered the core gameplay. They introduce an element of surprise that re-energizes engagement in a positive and refreshing way.

Importantly, mini games don’t replace the core gameplay, but they complement it. For instance, Royal Match and Toon Blast offer mini games that are quick and engaging, but not so time-consuming that they take players away from the main game. Their mini games inject fun variety without disrupting core gameplay engagement. After all, you want your players to keep playing your game shortly after they get a taste of your mini games.

Mini games also serve as strategic “mini breaks.” If a player runs out of lives or energy and doesn’t want to make a purchase but is still interested in the game, mini games provide a compelling reason to stick around. While many games monetize through these life/energy systems, keeping players engaged even when they can’t play the core game can enhance long-term retention and engagement.

Additionally, mini games can serve as a buffer against frustration. When players face a particularly challenging level or enemy to beat, a well-placed mini game can help them cool off instead of rage-quitting. This small but effective intervention can make a big difference in retention rates.

In some cases, mini games can even become a primary source of motivation. Games with light core loops can surround themselves with a plethora of mini games to cater to different player preferences. As mentioned before, Monopoly GO! excels at this by integrating various mini games into its core progression, ensuring that players stay engaged even when the primary gameplay loop is relatively simple. And players must still engage with the core game to access mini games, reinforcing a strong feedback loop that enhances both engagement and progression.

The Dos and Don’ts of Mini Games

While we’ve touched on some design principles, it’s worth diving deeper into best practices for implementing mini games effectively.

Keep Mini Games “Mini”

Mini games should be simple enough that players can jump in without a tutorial. I find it helpful to think of them as Hypercasual games that are easy to understand and play immediately. Just like how Hypercasual games were designed to be instantly accessible, allowing players to dive in the moment they launched the app, mini games should follow a similarly seamless approach. Complexity should be minimal, ensuring that the game feels like a quick detour rather than a commitment.

Don’t Make Mini Games an Extension of Your Core Gameplay

While there’s logic in keeping mechanics thematically aligned with the main game, mini games should introduce something fresh. If your game is an action title, your mini game doesn’t need to be another action-based experience. Offering a different type of challenge helps break monotony and keeps players engaged.

Don’t Make Mini Games a Mindless Chore

Mini games should be enjoyable in their own right. If players only engage with them for rewards, they risk becoming a chore. The best mini games are those that players would still want to play even without incentives.

Don’t Forget the Feedback Loop

Speaking of rewards, your core gameplay and mini games should be seamlessly interconnected through a well-designed feedback loop. Players should first engage with the core game to earn the energy, tokens, or currency needed to access the mini game. In turn, completing the mini game should grant them valuable resources, items, or boosts that enhance their performance in the core gameplay. This continuous cycle strengthens engagement by ensuring that both the main game and mini games complement and reinforce each other, encouraging sustained play.

Offer Variety

Finally, relying on just one or two mini games for your entire LiveOps strategy is a mistake. As your player base diversifies, so do their preferences. Some players will love sorting challenges, while others prefer skill-based mini games. Limiting mini games to just a few options risks alienating players who aren’t drawn to them, ultimately working against the broader goal of maintaining engagement across a diverse player base. Having a mix ensures you’re catering to a broad audience.

What is Next?

Mini games have already proven their value across multiple areas, from user acquisition to player retention. As LiveOps become an increasingly critical part of sustaining successful games, developers will need more levers to pull in the long run. As mentioned before, relying on a couple of those mini games won’t satisfy your players after a while.

We are likely to see more games following in the footsteps of Royal Match and Toon Blast, incorporating fully developed mini games into their LiveOps calendars. As mini games become more widespread, certain mechanics (like the now ubiquitous digging mini game) will likely emerge as industry standards. Over time, some mini games will prove more effective for specific genres, helping to establish best practices.

Interestingly, just as mini games originally stemmed from efforts to improve user acquisition and were later integrated into games, these fully-fledged mini games could find their way back into acquisition strategies as playable ads. If that happens, mini games will have come full circle, cementing their role in the two pillars of games business: game development and user acquisition.