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Glite Dictionary
minigame

minigame

2 3.4
A small simple game inside a larger video game or app
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪniˌɡeɪm/
  • Jargon
translation icon : minijuego
  • There are a couple of minigames in New SMB on the DS that have a similar sort of idea; they work fine.

Examples

  • Sports Resort also introduces a swordplay minigame that foreshadows the combat in Skyward Sword.

    Blog text (28)

  • Expect these minigames to have some depth, too.

    Blog text (15)

  • To deliver the final blow, you complete a short minigame or quick-time event.

    Blog text (32)

  • Nintendo Land is a collection of twelve minigames, all inspired by past Nintendo properties.

    Blog text (17)

  • Like any good party game, all the minigames are designed to be fiercely competitive but easy to pick up and play.

    Blog text (22)

  • The first minigame I played was a jigsaw puzzle with a timeout.

    Blog text (18)

  • Yoshi's Fruit Cart isn't exactly an addictive minigame, but it is an interesting one to check in with between others.

    Blog text (17)

  • And not to slight the boxing or tennis minigames, but it's really just Wii Bowling that drove the game's success.

    Blog text (28)

  • From the story mode to the minigames to the online versus modes to the user-created content, LittleBigPlanet Vita has it all.

    Blog text (17)

  • In the racing game, players can enjoy a fun minigame that tests their reflexes with obstacle courses.

Synonyms

game
vsminigame
344 4.1

Something people treat as not serious or important

is a small simple playable element within or separate from a larger application

How Fast-Paced

arcade game
8 3.1
minigame
  • Jargon
2 3.4
puzzle
610 1.9

Surface Forms

minigame singular
minigames plural

Morphology

minigame = game (transparent) = mini + game + mini

Formed by the productive combining form 'mini-' meaning 'small' plus 'game', yielding the literal sense 'small game' which is directly guessable by learners.

Etymology

Minigame combines mini- meaning 'small', seen in miniature and a mini skirt, and game meaning play, so a minigame is a 'small game' often found inside a larger game.