Mini-games have existed within computer games for years and the first instance of a mini-game appearing within an RPG game is widely acknowledged to be the sliding puzzle Easter egg, which can be unlocked in the original Final Fantasy (1987) when boarding the ship. The “15 Puzzle” (accessed (in iOS and Windows phones) by holding one finger against the screen and tapping the screen 23 times with another finger) requires that players rearrange 15 tiles so that they run sequentially. The reward for doing so varies from version to version, with players obtaining only 100 gil in the original version and a variety of prizes (depending on speed) in other versions, which include: 10,000 gil, Antidotes and Potions (among other things).
Over the years, as game complexity and design has improved and processor power and graphics cards have advanced, RPG mini-games have become more complex and often (if removed from their container game) could stand up as games in their own right. Below, we’ll take a look at how poker has been incorporated as a mini-game into various, well-known titles.
Watch Dogs (2014)
Watch Dogs contains 13 mini-games, which include:
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ALONE
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Cash Run
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Chess
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CONSPIRACY!
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Digital Trips
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Drinking Game
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MADNESS
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NVZN
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Poker
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PSYCHEDELIC
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Shell Game
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Slot Machine
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SPIDER-TANK
The poker game played is Texas Hold ‘em style and there are four varieties available to players, including low stakes, medium stakes, high stakes and super stakes (if you’re feeling rich and / or lucky!). The gameplay doesn’t change much as the stake levels change but clearing a table will give the player access to the Sayonara LE (Luxury Edition) motorcycle in the Car On Demand app.
It’s possible for a player to cheat, either by using the Profiler to assess the other players’ stress levels and the win / lose ratio of the cards they hold or by hacking into the room’s security camera and checking their opponents’ cards. If you’re a fan of poker, you can check out more game types here.
Far Cry 3 (2012)
Far Cry 3’s mini-games can be accessed as a player liberates Outposts. A selection of the mini-games include:
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Sharpshooter Challenges
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The Island Racing Game
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Knife Throwing
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Poker
The poker played is No-Limit Hold ‘em and first becomes accessible to players when they have taken over the Valsa Docks outpost, west of Amanaki.
It can be played at four levels of difficulty:
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Practice (no wager required, but no wins possible)
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Novice ($100 wager)
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Skilled ($150 wager)
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Expert ($250 wager)
For those of you who want to make some quick cash, time and time again, there is a way to cheat the Far Cry 3 poker game (although it’s fun to play for a while anyway!):
Save your game progress before beginning the highest-stakes game available and then go all-in (also known as a “shove”). In the event of a loss, simply return to your save point and go again. In the event of a win, exit the poker mini-game, save and return to play again!
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Poker appears as a mini-game in Red Dead Redemption 2 and can be accessed by players after completing the main mission in chapter two, Who is Not Without Sin. Poker can be played anytime at five locations, which are:
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Valentine
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Flatneck Station
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Saint Denis
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Blackwater
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Tumbleweed
Poker also forms an integral part of chapter 4, A Fine Night of Debauchery.
Like Watch Dogs, the game played in RDR2 is Texas Hold ‘em but, unlike Watch Dogs and the original Red Dead Redemption, there is no option to cheat, so you’re going to have to play fair. The key to success in RDR2 poker is not to scare your opponents off, so be sure to place moderate and consistent bets across all rounds.