The 10 best minigames in The Legend of Zelda

If anyone has time to pass and rupees to spare, there is no more entertaining diversion in The Legend of Zelda than its many minigames. They come in many varieties, ranging from recreational activities reminiscent of what people enjoy in real life to elaborate challenges centered around one of Link’s items or abilities. Often, valuable prizes like Pieces of Heart or other upgrades are the rewards for completing them. However, some minigames are so much fun that no prize is even necessary to make coming back to them again and again worth it.

Playing minigames has been a staple of The Legend of Zelda’s side content since some of the earliest games in the series. These are the 10 best that players can always rely on to entertain them whenever Link needs a break from saving the kingdom.

10. Bird-man contest

Situated out in open water just to the east of Dragon Roost Island, the Bird-man Contest is where Link can prove he’s capable of soaring like the Rito who live nearby (provided he has a Deku Leaf and a full Magic Meter). Once he takes that leap off the platform, his ability to catch any of the whirling updrafts will determine how far the flight takes him. With the Magic Meter constantly ticking down, the player’s timing and movement must be perfect if they want to glide further than any person has before.

9. Thrill Digger

The Legend of Zelda‘s take on Minesweeper can be a great way to rack up loads of rupees…or lose loads of them, along with plenty of Hearts. Although luck is definitely involved, Thrill Digger is just as much a game of figuring out the odds, as the player must determine where a Bomb is most likely sitting based on the value of the rupees they’ve dug up nearby. Managing to pull off a perfect game and not hit a single Bomb is one of the most satisfying accomplishments in any Zelda minigame (and it gets a hilarious reaction from Tubert).

8. Horseback Archery Range

No matter how many different kinds of archery challenges have appeared in Legend of Zelda games over the years, one of the best still remains the Horseback Archery Range from Ocarina of Time. With a limited number of arrows, and only two laps around the course, the player needs to make each and every shot count if they want the high score. Those huge pots are likely their first shots, but once those are gone the task becomes about bombarding the bullseyes on each board as Epona races by.

7. Goron Racing

Once Spring comes to the Snowhead Region, the Gorons sure know how to make entertaining use of the thawed-out mountain passes. Also known as the Patriarch’s Race, Goron Racing turns one of The Legend of Zelda’s wildest means of travel into a raucous competition. Its purpose: to see whose Goron Roll technique is the best of the best. It’s a rowdy good time for as long as it lasts, with Gorons caroming off another and jettisoning off of ramps in a mad dash to the finish line.

6. Bombchu Bowling Alley

One of the most amusing diversions in Hyrule Castle Town has it all — catchy, upbeat music, glitzy neon light displays, and plenty of explosions. Bombchu Bowling starts off easy enough, but the alleys get longer and more cluttered the further the player gets. It even adds a couple of Cuccos to block the Bombchu’s way … for whatever reason. The player must be strategic when placing their Bombchus, as only the perfect angle will send them scurrying along the walls and past all obstacles on their way to the target.

5. Flight Range Aerial Archery

While many archery-related minigames from The Legend of Zelda could reasonably be done in real life, the Ritos’ Aerial Archery challenge from Breath of the Wild is a spectacle that you could only find in the realm of video games. Thirty seconds isn’t much time to peg all twenty targets lining the mountain walls, which means the player must take full advantage of the Bullet Time feature while riding the updrafts. Players who come in with a hefty Stamina Meter, are quick with their shots, and keep an eye out for the remaining targets will be in for a shooting gallery experience that is out of this world.

4. STAR Game

Don’t be fooled by the bright lights and whimsical music — the STAR Game is white knuckle action that moves at a breakneck pace. The player doesn’t have much of an opportunity to take in all of the cheerful aesthetics as they use the Clawshots to zip back and forth throughout the caged space, gathering up as many colorful orbs as possible along the way. Every shot matters in the STAR Game, meaning that that the player must be as wise with their aim and quick on the trigger with their Clawshot to collect every floating orb and claim victory.

3. Mimo’s Ring Course

Eventide Island becomes one great aerial obstacle course after the Rito Mimo sets up a whole host of giant rings for Link to fly through. The rings can be found as low as mere feet above the ground or as high as the sky itself. With how they are laid out across the entire island, there are several different paths Link can take on his flight. Whichever route the player chooses, the key is to remain airborne at all times and to always be searching for a new updraft to get a lift from. Believe it not, with a bit of scheming, it’s even possible to fly through all 70 rings!

2. Snowboarding with Yeto and Yeta

The fastest way down the mountain in Snowpeak is also far and away the most fun, especially when a couple as jolly as Yeto and Yeta is tagging along. Snowboarding along the frosty slopes is a nonstop thrill ride filled with twists, turns, obstacles to avoid, and plenty of jumps that send Link flying through the air before coming back down to the snowy earth. The path can get pretty tricky during this friendly competition. This is especially when racing against the crafty Yeta, who uses a sneaky shortcut as she tries to make it back to Snowpeak Ruins before Link.

1. Fishing

How does someone choose just one version of fishing from The Legend of Zelda? They all have provided countless hours of entertainment throughout the years! Whether it was in Link’s Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, or Phantom Hourglass, fishing has always been the perfect way to take a break from the adventure at hand and unwind. Simply casting a line and being one with nature is as relaxing as it gets. And for anyone who craves a deeper challenge, landing the biggest lunker is a true test of patience and angling. Fishing deserves to be known as the great Hyrulean pastime!