A
minigame (also spelled
mini-game or
mini game and sometimes called a
subgame or
microgame) is a short
video game often contained within another video game and sometimes in application software or on a display of any form of hardware. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game. For instance, the
'Pokémon Stadium' minigames involve merely pressing a few buttons at specific intervals, with little complexity. Some minigames can also be
bonus stages or
secret levels.