The Detour’s the Best Part
It’s not every day you find a game that successfully entices you off the beaten path. But some of your favorite games hide their best content in the weeds, and unless you go digging, you’ll miss out on bizarre characters or the best loot. These 20 adventures completely justify ignoring your next mission.
1. A Night To Remember — The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Most of us remember the evening we foolishly agreed to have a drinking contest with Sam. Especially because you wake inside the Temple of Dibella with no memory of what happened, then learn that your adventures apparently involved a stolen goat, a wedding ring, and an unfortunate engagement to a hagraven. Eventually discovering who Sam really is makes the ridiculous quest even better.
2. Whodunit? — The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood storyline reaches one of its highest points when you're locked inside Summitmist Manor with five unsuspecting guests. Your assignment? Eliminate everyone without being caught. However, the real fun comes from talking to them, manipulating their suspicions, and watching paranoia take them over entirely.
3. Beyond the Beef — Fallout: New Vegas
All it takes is a missing man at the casino to lead you into the deeply uncomfortable business of the White Glove Society. Depending on your choices, you can rescue Ted, prepare imitation human meat, frame somebody, or somehow make the situation worse. Few quests show off New Vegas' freedom better.
4. The Silver Shroud — Fallout 4
Instead of finding memorabilia for Kent, Fallout 4 actually lets you put on the costume and become the wasteland's least subtle crime fighter. Staying in character unlocks glorious dialogue, too, and it's one of those missions where choosing the ridiculous options every single time is the best part.
5. Equine Phantoms — The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
Geralt has spent a lot of time riding Roach, but you’ll need some mushrooms before he can finally talk to her. Roach suddenly comes to life, comments on your habits, and even offers thoughts about why she can seemingly appear whenever you whistle for her.
6. From the Ground Up — The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
What begins with Hudson moving away eventually becomes Link's involvement in constructing a whole new settlement. It’s optional, but should you choose to accept, you'll gather wood, recruit residents from across Hyrule, and even attend Hudson and Rhondson's wedding as Tarrey Town takes shape around you. Think of it like a SimCity side quest.
7. Anju and Kafei — The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Helping Anju reunite with Kafei requires careful scheduling, but you won’t catch us skipping this one. Link passes letters, attends secret meetings, helps recover the stolen Sun's Mask, and finally watches the couple reunite—all while the moon is terrifyingly close to destroying Clock Town. Look, we really needed something happy, okay?
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
8. Oh, Brother — Red Dead Redemption 2
It’s really no surprise that the average man will humiliate himself to impress a woman, but this lucky gal has two of them. Arthur runs into two brothers, Proetus and Acrisius, who are desperately competing for Helen’s hand. Their increasingly stupid attempts to prove themselves involve getting shot at, punched, and eventually sent over a waterfall in barrels. Hey, we’d do anything to avoid seeing Micah in camp.
9. The Show Must Go On — Yakuza 0
Kiryu somehow gets mistaken for a television producer and agrees to stand around a film set. It’s as insane as it sounds, but that’s why we love it! The crew then starts throwing jargon at him, leaving you scrambling to make sense of it, but watching the stone-faced Kiryu commit to something this stupid is exactly why you should do it.
10. Shoot This Guy in the Face — Borderlands 2
Face McShooty really didn’t leave much to the imagination, did he? Apt name aside, he’s screaming about his desire to be shot directly in the face when you meet him—and that really is the assignment. Shooting him anywhere else earns increasingly irritated corrections until you finally prove that you can take direction.
Tim Bartel from Cologne, Germany on Wikimedia
11. Pyramid Song — Cyberpunk 2077
Instead of another firefight through Night City, Judy invites V to go diving through Laguna Bend. Swimming past abandoned buildings while she shares memories gives us a nice break among the chaos, and even if you’re not pursuing her romantically, the trip feels personal in a way few Cyberpunk missions manage.
12. Emil's Memories — NieR: Automata
In this one, a collection of Lunar Tears sends 2B searching across the world for pieces of Emil's forgotten past. Finding the flowers gradually connects NieR: Automata to the original NieR while revealing memories that Emil has carried all this time. It’s a nice easter egg for players familiar with the lore.
13. Oasis — Fallout 3
Hidden in Fallout 3's blasted wasteland is an almost unbelievable patch of vegetation. It is, however, inhabited by people who worship a mysterious being. After a little exploration, you find out that the supposed deity is none other than Harold, the franchise's recurring mutant. Admittedly, it’s only fun and games until you have to decide his fate.
14. I Know You — Red Dead Redemption
You’re darn tootin’—and we know you too, Strange Man. John repeatedly runs into this fan-favorite, the guy in a top hat who not only reminds us of our old sins, but also sends us straight into moral situations. Don’t worry about who (or what) he is; he’s just quietly judging our choices before showing up one last time near Beecher's Hope.
15. The Epsilon Program — Grand Theft Auto V
You’d think if anyone was going to join a cult, it’d be Trevor, but this side quest only unlocks with Michael. His attempts to join the Epsilon Program become a hilarious parody of wealthy fools hunting for enlightenment. And on that hunt, you’ll see everything from donations and specific clothing to stolen cars and a five-mile run through the Grand Senora Desert. It’s still hard to say if seeing it through to the end is worth it.
16. Confront the Pigs and Get Your Gun Back — Disco Elysium
If you were ever wondering what happened to Harry's missing weapon, it ends up with a woman known as the Pigs, who roams around pretending to be a cop. When you finally meet her, she waves the piece around while shouting police phrases through a megaphone, turning your embarrassing mistake into something really quite sad.
Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
17. The Art of Seeing — Ghost of Tsushima
Like it or not, Jin's time with Yuriko gives Ghost of Tsushima a welcome break from sword fights. The two travel together, hunt for food, and even reach a cemetery as Yuriko's confused memories show just how much history she shares with the Sakai family. It's honestly just nice to catch a break once in a while.
18. Iron Fist Alexander — Elden Ring
Your friendship with Alexander starts when you find a giant talking jar stuck in a hole and free him by smacking his backside. This guy keeps popping up throughout the Lands Between, gets himself stuck again, stands in lava, and continues to chase his dream of becoming a warrior. By the time Alexander requests one last duel, that funny little pot has become one of your most memorable companions.
19. House of Hope — Baldur's Gate 3
Did you know that you can actually skip the House of Hope entirely? But why would you? You not only get incredible loot for making it out alive, but you also get to listen to Raphael’s—the perpetual theater kid’s—song as you fight him. It’s also one of the coolest last battles before you fight the brain.
20. Miracle on Tenkaichi Street — Yakuza 0
Sorry, we’re not done with Kiryu yet! After he proves his television credentials, he gets dragged into protecting a world-famous pop star named Miracle Johnson. Everything about Miracle, from his dancing to the crowds surrounding him, is an affectionate and obvious tribute to Michael Jackson, but it is a hilarious wrap-up.
