10 Amazing Games That Are Actually Games Within Games

Fallout 4 -Red Menace

As you begin exploring the deserted Vault 111, you’ll probably find you’re extremely anxious to get out into the Wasteland. But if you’re too hasty you’ll miss a mini-game concealed in a computer terminal called ‘Red Menace.’

The game is found inside the terminal as a Holotape, which, when you play it, will start instantly.  It’s quite simply a Donkey Kong-style platformer where you play as Vault Boy. It gives a nice, playful feel to the start of what is actually quite a dark and disturbing game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Dead Ops Arcade

If you fancy a bit of fun as well as an extra achievement, type ‘DOA’ into the CIA computer at the title screen (once you’ve escaped your chair of course, which is a secret in of itself) and you’ll treat yourself to a hidden game called ‘Dead Ops Arcade’.

Based on Zombies, it’s a top-down arcade shooter where you clear rounds by killing zombies. Simple and addictive, it’ll also unlock you the ‘Insert Coin’ achievement.

YouTube – Snake

Technically not a game within a game, but who could forget the brilliant arcade classic ‘Snake’?  Well, if you don’t happen to still have a Nokia 3310 cell phone to play it on, you can try it out on your computer via – of all things – YouTube.

All you have to do is click on the window of the video and then hold the left arrow key for a few seconds.  Now you’re in, you’re welcome!  Don’t blame us for the many hours you will probably lose playing this.

Heroes of the Storm – Duck Hunt

Heroes of the Storm is an online MOBA-style video game made by Blizzard featuring legendary characters from their various game franchises, including Diablo, Warcraft and The Lost Vikings.  Most people that play the game would expect nothing but arena battles and leveling up their heroes, however it holds a secret.

On the title screen there sits some birds. When you move your cursor over them, they fly off, but if you shoot them down then you get a modernized version of the NES classic, Duck Hunt.

Google Maps – Pacman

Similar to YouTube, Google also likes their secret easter egg games. Whilst there are many excellent contenders, the addition to Google Maps is the one to earn a mention.

Google Maps Pacman was a limited time April Fools prank game. While you were navigating around the various streets of the world, you may have noticed a Pacman button. When you pressed it, you’d find those streets and roads turn into a fully playable game of Pacman. Pretty sweet! Too bad it was limited time only.

Grand Theft Auto V – Tennis

Whilst GTA V is full of open world treats such as the short films you can watch in the cinema, the fully functioning strip clubsm and the various side quests; you may be more partial to a calm game of Tennis.

With courts dotted all over the Los Santos map, they’re free for you to play on once you’ve completed the ‘Complications’ mission.  And we’re not talking a quick little swish around with your racket, these are fully competitive games with various techniques and trick combos.  You may find yourself playing that more than the game itself…

Goldeneye 64 – The Hidden Spectrum Emulator

Goldeneye, as well as holding plenty of easter eggs on its own, is beloved for being an early example of the first-person-shooter genre on consoles.  Arguably one of the best games on the N64, one of its secrets was only unveiled in recent years.

Hidden deep within the code of the game is an emulator for the ZX Spectrum, and in addition to that, a library of games developed by Rare that you can play on it. Whilst the story behind why they are there isn’t fully understood, it’s fair to say it’s a neat little feature and definitely worth exploring.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zork

In another secret surprise from Black Ops, escape towards the computer again on the title screen.  This time, enter the word ‘zork’.  You’ll then unlock the original text game and earn yourself the achievement ‘Eaten By A Grue’.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Atari

It seems as though someone behind the Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise was a big fan of the old classics. This time in the sequel to the original Black Ops, a series of playable Atari games can be found.

All you have to do is dash through the Nuketown 2025 map and shoot off the heads of the mannequins in 90 seconds.  Head over to the sign in front of one of the houses and you can play the original classics – joystick and all.

Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 – Chao Garden

It’s no secret to most players of the Sonic Adventure series that you could collect Chao and keep them.  And those cute little animals you caught whenever a badnik was destroyed?  You could give those to your Chao to help it develop skills and change its appearance.

But the world behind the Chao Garden was actually a lot larger than a lot of gamers realized.  Sonic Adventure 2 introduced even more features, including a Black Market to buy and sell food, treats and aids for your Chao, a Kindergarten to teach it new skills, and you could even unlock a Hero or Dark Garden depending on the age of your Chao and whether you were playing as Hero or  Dark hero.  Play on the Sega Dreamcast and you could even take your Chao out with you when you weren’t playing by uploading it to the VMU (Visual Memory Unit), which even had mini-games.

What was your favorite mini game? Have you found one that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

This post was originally written by Claire Pulpher.