The Final Fantasy series is home to an array of engaging stories that pit the forces of good against the forces of evil, and while each tale is chock-full of exciting scenarios and encounters, players will often have several opportunities to participate in mini-games during their playthroughs.
The Final Fantasy series is no stranger to incorporating mini-games into its stories, and while some exist completely outside the main quest, it is hard to deny that even those can be extremely fun to play. There are some truly great mini-games spread throughout the series, but some are much better than others.
5 Chocobo Racing - Final Fantasy 7
Chocobos have become one of the most iconic bird-like creatures in gaming history; not only are they adorable, but they also provide Final Fantasy's protagonists with convenient methods of travel, and some even act as storage units for players to keep their gear safe. Chocobos are practical animals, and they can also make great racing birds in some of the games they appear in.
In the original Final Fantasy 7, Cloud gains access to the Chocobo Racing mini-game during his visit to the Gold Saucer. There, he can participate against other Chocobos in a race to the finish line, but winning isn't always as straightforward as galloping to the end. Much of what makes this mini-game so engaging is that, to stand a chance of winning against the faster competitors, players must breed the fastest Chocobo they can. If anything, the breeding process is much more challenging than racing, so once players have bred a fast bird of their own, they will be able to breeze through most Chocobo races with relative ease.
4 Tetra Master - Final Fantasy 9
The Tetra Master mini-game in Final Fantasy 9 is as charming as the world the game is set in. To play it, the player must first own a collection of Tetra Master cards that they can use during the game; then, they must find an NPC willing to compete against them. Finding an NPC willing to play can be a little difficult, but beating them in Tetra Master is usually much harder.
The main goal of Tetra Master is to turn all of the opponent's cards blue by placing cards in particular slots. Turning every card blue can be a little challenging, but so long as there are more blue cards than red at the end of a game, the player will win. After winning a Tetra Master game, the player will then be given a chance to take one of their opponent's cards and add it to their deck, which will often lead to the creation of a much better deck after a few victories. Sadly, losing a game of Tetra Master will also cause a card to be lost, which can quickly diminish the power of a player's deck if they aren't careful.
3 Dancing - Final Fantasy 7 Remake
During Chapter 9 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, after acquiring a dress for Aerith, Cloud makes his way to the Honeybee Inn, where he is ushered on stage to perform a pretty impressive dance number with Andrea Rhodea, the establishment's owner. Even though Cloud has no real experience performing like this, and even if players happen to fail the mini-game, Cloud will still dance at a level worthy of Andrea's approval.
There's nothing overly challenging about the dancing mini-game, but the visuals and music that accompany it make it one of the most enjoyable mini-games in the series. As if watching Cloud dance wasn't already pretty hilarious, the fact that he's also quite good at it is certain to put a smile on the player's face. The only real downside to Final Fantasy 7 Remake's dancing mini-game is that it can only be played during Chapter 9, but players are free to replay it if they wish to experience it again.
2 Fishing - Final Fantasy 15
Though Noctis' main goal in Final Fantasy 15 is to reclaim his home from the Niflheim Empire, he also has several opportunities to go fishing whenever he wants a break from his responsibilities. Fishing in Final Fantasy 15 is initially described as a relaxing and immersive pastime, but if players hope to acquire the game's rarer and more troublesome fish, they will quickly find themselves and their rods being put under some serious pressure.
Fishing gets easier the more players do it, as Noctis's Fishing Skill level will increase every time he catches something. Some fish, like the infamous Murk Grouper, however, will always be quite difficult to catch no matter how well-prepared Noctis is. Fish like this require players to pay attention while reeling them in, as one mistimed input can easily result in the fish getting away. Fishing can also be used to find ingredients for Ignis, which can be especially helpful if players are running low on food.
1 Blitzball - Final Fantasy 10
Blitzball is one of the most engaging mini-games in the entire Final Fantasy series, not just because of how addictive it can be but how it seamlessly fits into Final Fantasy 10's world and story. The game itself pits two teams of six against each other as they each attempt to get the blitzball they're playing with through the opposition's goal. It's a simple concept, but becoming a competent player can take some serious work.
Much of what makes Blitzball so fun is how it encourages players to create their own unique teams by recruiting NPCs found throughout Spira. If players want a specific NPC who is already playing for an opposing team, they will need to wait until their contract expires and hope that the character they want doesn't get recruited by someone else first. Players can also make their somewhat less impressive players better by giving them special abilities to help them score or break through the opposition. As if the mini-game wasn't already thoroughly enjoyable, winning certain tournaments will often reward the player with some pretty overpowered items and abilities.