It’s been a while since I wrote last and must confess that blogging is not a discipline that comes easy for me, as my blog demonstrates. We all have those things which we must continually work to improve in ourselves, this is one of mine.
I’ve been playing Fallout 3 a lot, probably more than I should. Rather than feel guilty about not working on game development I’ve turned it into an opportunity to observe elements of game design. I’ll be posting more on that later.
Today I want to focus on the definition, or rather the lack of clear and concise definitions, or the terms “Mini-Game” and “Meta-Game”. I’ve seen both terms mentioned quiet a bit lately in game design and have been confused their usage. Both terms seem to be used equally in the description of optional tasks within a game that could be described as games themselves. Theses definitions allude to the proposition that mini-games and meta-games are either meaningless or contribute to the overall goal of the game. I would like to propose the following standardization of these terms.
A mini-game shall refer to a small set of tasks or objectives that stand on their own independently of the primary game’s objectives, if contained within another game. Using Fallout 3 as an example, collecting cups, glasses, knives, forks, plates, pots, etc. could be a mini-game. As far as I’ve been able to determine so far, doing so has no useful purpose within the larger game.
A meta-game shall refer to a small set of tasks or objectives that may or may not stand on their own and contribute to the overall progress of the game’s primary plot. For instance, one could argue that the collecting of bobble-heads in Fallout 3 is a mini-game. However each bobble-head has a unique benefit to the character that possesses it. For instance a medicine bobble-head increases the medicine skill of the character thus assisting the character in their progression through the primary story.
For good game design I think both are important tools but not required. A bowling game certainly does not require a mini-game or meta-game. However granting the player a special pair of bowling shoes for making three strikes in a row that may or may not increase the probability of a strike may be a mini/meta game that keeps people interested in or draws them to your bowling game.
Food for thought…
April 8, 2009 at 05:48
Fallout 3 is an amazing game. I spent most of January playing it but had to put the controller down to wrap up some projects : /
Picking up forks and plates can be helpful to the overall game. Some character classes can build weapons from scrap parts. You can also sell these items for caps, which helps buy better gear and supplies.
I think mini-games are separate entities from regular gameplay, but follow the overall theme and goals of the main game. For example, in Fallout 3 the computer terminal hacking game is a minigame. Unlocking the terminals allow you access to secret areas, ammo, etc.
A meta-game is a game that extends outside the game environment. For example, if it was leaked that there was a weakness in the character classes (ie- if you are super intelligent and strong the game is easier to beat) people would start creating characters with these attributes.
Frequent save-points in Fallot 3 is a meta-game because it is a trick used by the player outside the game environment to ensure better success.