I love mini-games.  There are nights where I can't commit to anything time consuming or that requires my total attention, and mini-games are a way of still having some fun.

I guess through there are some definitional issues with what a mini-game is.  Some things I call mini-games may not be meant as such.

Personally I liked WoW's fishing.  Over the years they kept adding more and more features to it.  So many that  I knew some players for whom fishing became their main enjoyment of the game. 

Fishing has as an added advantage that you can chat with people and while some time away, while still getting some rewards, especially if you make things with the fishies.

So what other cool mini-games are out there?

Hands down, Runescape.

Its a shame but it is true runescape has the best and alot of minigames to enjoy.

i still like runescape but am to old to enjoy the community becouse of the very young and childish community (and i am 18)

 The fishing in WOW was one of the things I enjoyed about the game. Crafting in  EQ2, to me, as a type of mini game that I enjoyed also.

diplomacy in vanguard = win.  they missed so much by leaving it underdeveloped and not incorporating into other gameplay, woulda been awesome.

Originally posted by arieste

diplomacy in vanguard = win.  they missed so much by leaving it underdeveloped and not incorporating into other gameplay, woulda been awesome.

 Agreed. Crafting is also a mini-game. So Vanguard is the best of what I have played.

Recently read that Star Trek Online is adding mini-games, like dabo, to it's Seaon Two. I don't like the game's combat  tho, so no personal experience but it will have mini-games.

Try Runes Of Magic, it has quite a few mini games aka horse racing, tower defense and some others. Havent log into that game for a while already.

Puzzle Pirates blows everything else out of the water.

Free Realms has a few entertaining minigames too.

FreeRealms is entirely designed around minigames so you might want to try that. The biggest problem with it is how it's obviously designed for kids, but it's still a pretty entertaining game if you go in to it with a casual perspective just to goof around and enjoy it. Every option available to you, and every profession available is leveled in some way by a minigame. It has a huge variety of em so I'd have to say it's one of the best out there for that playstyle, if you're not worried about the child-like atmosphere and graphics.

There's also Wizard101. There's a section of each town full of minigames designed as one of the ways to recover mana - the other way being just to collect mana potions that appear around the city periodically. You don't regain mana outside of that, but you use so little during fights that it doesn't feel like a hindrance; more like just another excuse to go back and train skills after gaining a couple levels. It's not a necessary part of the game, but it's a fun way to pass the time. You go to a specific minigame platform and get to choose from imitations of tetris, arkanoid, joust, bubble bobble, castle defense, etc. The fighting in the game is pretty standard RPG turn-based battles where anyone can hop in to an ongoing fight and help out, so it has kinda it's unique charm and playstyle. It's kinda kiddish too like FreeRealms, but still entertaining and might be worth a try.

Vanguard's diplomacy and crafting spheres are a good recommendation within a more mature MMO. There's a lot of debate about how much longer VG will last, but it's still a great MMO if you don't worry about when it's going to end.