There are a lot of possibilities in open-world RPGs that keep the player busy outside of the main story. These include side quests that are scattered throughout the world, grinding and leveling for those who prefer to take out a boss in a single blow or to simply reward those that seek exploration.
One other method used to distract and entertain players in open-world RPG games is mini-games. The following mini-games are what makes the games they are in a unique experience, allowing the player to catch their breath with all the events taking place around them, and sit back with a deck of cards, or something more adventurous.
4 Gwent (The Witcher 3)
It is with no doubt that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt mini-game Gwent is the first to come to mind, which is more than fair considering that Gwent went on to become its own spin-off card game. Gwent gained the joy and competitiveness of players all around the world and provided a respite for the weary, blood-stained Witcher, Geralt.
Gwent is a collectible card game in that the player can have a round or two with any other NPC that happens to have a deck of their own as well. The game revolves around placing four kinds of cards on the table, which make up the player's strength at the end of the round. Some cards can boost all the units in a line, while some other cards, like weather cards, can weaken and reduce the strength of all subsequent units to make them obsolete.
Players are encouraged to level up their deck-building abilities by rather strange means, such as innkeepers belittling and insulting when players lose a game of Gwent to them. Players can find Gwent cards to include in their deck in almost every settlement, also they are given several simple cards to make a foundation for their almighty deck in the future.
3 Caravan (Fallout: New Vegas)
The Caravan mini-game from Fallout: New Vegas might be a frustrating experience for those that don't know how to play it. Similar to Gwent, Caravan is a card game, nonetheless a more luck-based one. Players will likely hear about this mini-game from Ringo in Goodsprings, quite early on their journey to find out who shot them in the head.
Caravan is played with a deck of 52 cards, and the player has to form two of three possible caravans before their opponent does. The player has to draw and place a card on the table, which is divided into three separate sections, each one representing a caravan.
Participants will try to outwit their opponent by using cards that hinder their opponent in building their caravan, using jokers to manipulate the cards on the board, all while adding cards of different suits and values to reach a number between 21 and 25, therefore forming a caravan.
Players can find all kinds of cards to include in their deck around the world, be it from a merchant of a long-forgotten settlement, or in the pocket of a deceased survivor that failed to stand against the dangers of the post-apocalyptic world.
2 Bagh-Chal (Mount And Blade 2: Bannerlord)
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord has given players a whole continent to conquer, inhabiting many civilizations with their own cultures that shine ever brighter than others in different ways. Players can take on a holy crusade to rid the world of infidels, be bandit hunters loved by all the villagers, or simply be a merchant with sellswords on their side to protect their caravan.
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Whatever players plan to do, all players will have a seat at a tavern they stop by, and that is where they will see a lonely man sitting on a table with a board and a cup of ale in front of him. When interacted with, these NPCs will invite the player to play a board game from their culture with them, and will kindly explain the rules if asked, regardless of coin.
Bagh-Chal is the board game of the skilled archers of the woods, Battanians. This board game is interesting as it is played with odd numbers of pawns and sides with different objectives. There are two sides, the sheep and the wolves, the sheep are greater in terms of number, while wolves are more mobile and able to move diagonally when possible.
The wolves try to eliminate all the sheep and the sheep try to trap or block the wolves from moving, whenever either side reaches their goal, the game ends. Players are advised to begin learning the basics of the game as the sheep, as it is a little easier and will let them see what the wolves are capable of.
1 Chocobo Racing (Final Fantasy 14)
Another mini-game comes from the beloved Final Fantasy 14, and it is more of an arcade mini-game when compared to others on the list. In the game, players can train and breed their own Chocobos and compete in races against other players.
Chocobos can be trained in various stats like endurance, speed, and acceleration. They can also be customized to enhance these stats even more. Players who take part in these races will be able to attend races that cater to different playstyles and attributes of their sturdy companions.