Since Professor Falmea asked the community about minigames last week, I thought now would be the perfect time to delve into those underused and under-appreciated resources.
I think a lot of players (including myself sometimes) actually forget that Wizard101 HAS minigames. They're located in the Wizard City Fairegrounds (and every other world) - all you have to do is press x on a sigil to play one. Playing a minigame will refill your mana bottles and give you a chance at small rewards like gold. There are 8 in all.
Skull Riders
Objective: Shoot the Skull Riders to gain points, but don't let them touch you when they're in flight. You will lose life points (hearts) for touching the bone pit, or any skull riders on vultures. Receive bonus points for gathering skulls of the riders you've defeated and riders not in flight.
Admittedly, I haven't played a lot of Skull Riders. It requires a bit more coordination than the other available minigames, but it can be fun when you get the hang of it!
Sorcery Stones
*This minigame is also available in the iOS App Store as "Wizardblox"*
Objective: Match three blocks in a row (horizontally or vertically) to clear the blocks and get points. Match more than 3 blocks at once (4, 5, 2 or more sets of 3 at the same time) to get bonus points. Matching blocks causes them to be destroyed and after a while, the blocks above them fall into place. As time passes, new blocks will rise from the bottom of the playfield. If any of these blocks go above the allotted area, the game will end. When you match 3 blocks, the bottom row will stop advancing (longer if you match more than 3). Note that you cannot swap blocks as they are falling.
I used to play a lot of Wizardblox on my phone. It was a great way to pass the time in waiting rooms. I never got too far (I always got flustered when the music started to speed up), but I believe I made it through each background world at least once.
Doodle Doug
Objective: Help Doug dig his way through the dirt, collecting treasure along the way. Watch out, enemies are after Doug and will stop at nothing to keep him away from the gems! Avoid the bad guys, and collect all the gems to complete each level. The quicker you do it, the more points you get!
Out of all the minigames, I think I've played Doodle Dug the most. I used to have a Game Boy game that included a bunch of old arcade games ... one of which was Dig Dug. Already having some familiarity with the classic version, I immediately gravitated toward Doodle Doug.
Conjuration Concentration
Objective: Study and remember what's on each card so you can match them! You are given a limited amount of time to study the cards before the game starts, if you wish to start playing earlier, just click on any card. The level is over once you've matched all cards or you run out of time. If you complete the matches on time, you advance to the next, more difficult level (of course, if you run out of time, the game is over). Keep going as far as you can to earn the most points! This minigame is probably my least favorite, but it's definitely one way to test your memory. Perhaps it's more your cup of tea.
Hot Shots
Objective: Shoot anything that moves before it shoots you! This means enemies as well as projectiles coming your way! The longer you charge your bow, the faster the arrow will fly. Defend your position as long as you can to rack up maximum points. Each time you get hit, you lose one life point (heart). Lose them all, and the game is over.
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Like Skull Riders, this is another minigame I didn't play too often. Not because I didn't like it, I just preferred other options. Hitting those skeletons is always pretty satisfying though.
Choo-Choo Zoo
Objective: Help collect all the animals and bring them back to the castle by moving the tiles to connect the path. When you've found the last animal, the castle will appear. Make your way to the castle to finish the level. The sooner you get there, the more bonus points you'll receive! Be careful though! If you step off the path, the game is over. Honestly, this game confused the heck out of me at first. It reminded me of Shock-a-Lock (the silver chest game that I'm equally bad at). It requires a lot of thinking on your feet and while that can be thrilling and fun, for me it was overwhelming. I think I need some more practice.
Potion Motion
Objective: Move the potions to make chains of 3 of a kind to clear them from your board, gain points, and add some time to the clock. To make chains, potions can touch on the top, bottom, left, or right, but not diagonally. Chains of more than 3 will result in more points, more time added, and more potions cleared. Once you match enough potions, you will gain a level and your timer will get a bigger boost. When the timer runs out, the game is over. Potion Motion is like Sorcery Stones/Wizardblox in a lot of ways. While I personally preferred the convenience of playing Wizardblox on my phone, Potion Motion is still a good option if you work better on a still board.
Dueling Diego
Objective: Guide Diego through each level by attacking enemies and jumping to avoid dangerous obstacles in his way. As you move through the game, you'll regain your health after some time. At the end of each level, you will have to fight a super tough enemy to advance. Defeat them all, and you'll rescue Francesca and be a dueling hero!
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The reason I like this minigame is because it has a story. Instead of just trying to achieve a high score, you're attempting to work through the game's stages, fight off various villains, and eventually beat the boss to save the girl. The only downside to this is that once you beat it ... you beat it.
Do you have a favorite minigame in Wizard101? Do you even play minigames at all? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
