Top Video Games That Feature Gambling - Article
by Craig S , posted on 27 July 2021 / 6,418 Views
The following is a guest editorial.
Video games and gambling used to be two similar but separate worlds. However, with online gambling really gaining in popularity, these two worlds have increasingly crossed over. Today, many great video games feature some form of gambling in them, often in the form of mini-games, and you can often find the same happening the other way - check it out here.
Below are just a few examples of great games that also feature gambling in some form.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 is one of the most popular RPGs ever made, having sold over 34 million copies and winning dozens of game of the year awards. However, it's not all about slaying monsters, completing adventurous quests, and enjoying a stellar story - CD Projekt Red also added a great card game to The Witcher 3.
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game was a surprise hit and plays an important side role in the game. Whenever you want to take a break from the main action you can play a few rounds of GWENT with NPCs and win some valuable and rare cards, eventually building a strong deck that can net you more wins and currency in the main game.
GWENT was such a success that it resulted in a stand-alone release, and even today GWENT tournaments take place all around the world.
Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2
Rockstar's Red Dead franchise has gone from strength to strength, and with the release of the acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2 it now has a hit that's almost on par with its Grand Theft Auto series. Both series include a wide range of side activities and casino mini-games, which are well worth playing both for the novelty value as well as to make extra cash.
In Red Dead Redemption these mini-games are all based around popular Wild West activities, including Poker, Arm Wrestling, Blackjack, and Five Finger Fillet. You're not just able to wager your funds in order to turn a handy profit, you can even cheat! Although if you get caught you'll be forced to duel your opponent.
Final Fantasy VIII
The Final Fantasy series is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, and that's partly thanks to its strong narratives, complex huge, and sense of exploration and discovery. In some of the towns you come across while exploring these worlds you're able to play mini-games. Final Fantasy VIII in particular includes a neat little card game called Triple Triad.
Triple Triad is played on a 3x3 grid and you take turns against the AI, laying down cards and comparing them until you win a majority of the card 'battles'. What makes the mini-game so addictive is building up a strong deck and eventually collecting all of the different cards in the game; this is done by defeating enemies in battle, completing certain side quests, and of course winning games of Triple Triad.
Fallout: New Vegas
Of all the hit video games to feature gambling elements in recent years, Fallout: New Vegas is probably the one that most embraced the casino theme. While you trot around the barren remains of a post-apocalyptic 'sin city', you'll come across a number of different casinos that you can enter and play various different casino games.
New Vegas includes a number of classics, like Roulette and Blackjack, but also some novel gambling games that are unique to the Fallout universe, including the card game Caravan, and you can even bet on the outcome of fights at the underground arena.
