Dota 2 Crownfall minigames were a major highlight of the Crownfall event, offering players a variety of fun side games that complemented the main storyline. These games became hugely popular because they paid homage to popular genres, but with a Dota 2 twist.

In this article, we’ll rank all Crownfall minigames from best to worst, explaining the core gameplay loop and—importantly—whether they’re worth your time playing. By the end, you’ll hopefully look forward to queue times ahead of your next ranked game.

What Are Crownfall Minigames in Dota 2?

Crownfall minigames are standalone side activities added during Dota 2’s Crownfall event (Acts I–IV). They are entirely different from regular Dota gameplay. Each tied directly into the Crownfall story and spanned various genres, from fishing to a full-blown roguelike survival game.

Minigames could be unlocked by navigating the Act map and served as a fun way to progress through its narrative. At the time, completing them and earning high scores also granted you tokens for unlocking paths and rewards, making them even more enticing.

How To Play Crownfall Minigames In Dota 2

While Crownfall ended on February 6, 2025, you can still access all the minigames. Here’s how:

• While you’re in the matchmaking queue, simply click on the minigame icon in the bottom-right corner (next to “Finding Match”).
• From the Crownfall Archive, accessed through the Learn > Past Events tab.You can also view a recap of the event, including minigames, comics, and cinematics.

Unfortunately, most Crownfall rewards are unavailable, except for a few minor cosmetics in select games.

All Dota 2 Crownfall Minigames Ranked

Before browsing through the best Crownfall minigames in Dota 2, understand that these are small experiences based around one core mechanic. Every game is a bite-sized twist on a different genre or a classic game, appealing to a diverse range of gamers. 

Nonetheless, this list ranks the best Crownfall minigames, alongside an approximate difficulty rating.

Gone Fishin’ / Oasis Fishing (#10)

Gone Fishin’ and Oasis Fishing are the simplest minigames in Crownfall. Inspired by Stardew Valley’s fishing mechanics, you cast your lure near a fish while keeping a bar on their silhouette to reel the fish.

There’s no combat, tricks, or extra mechanics involved. It’s a simple minigame to reset your mental state after tense Dota 2 ranked or pub matches. You have four casts (whether successful or not) to earn your high score for the session.

Sand Fishing (#9)

Sand Fishing switches up the relaxing lakeside setting by putting you in the heart of the Deserts of Druud. Instead of throwing a cast and attracting the nearest fish, you’ll use a spear to predict the burrowed animals based on their movements.

Bat Racer (#8)

Bat Racer is Dota 2’s unashamed Flappy Bird clone. You control Skywrath Mage and have to keep him afloat while dodging obstacles in an endlessly horizontal scrolling terrain. It’s easy to pick up, yet the momentum-based physics make it more challenging the longer you go on.

Sleet Fighter (#7)

Sleet Fighter is Crownfall’s tongue-in-cheek parody of the popular fighting game, Street Fighter. In this Crownfall minigame, you’ll choose one of five Dota 2 heroes: Tusk, Marci, Bristleback, Vengeful Spirit, and Dawnbreaker.

You can choose to engage in a one-on-one tavern brawl against an AI opponent or against another player. Unfortunately, Sleet Fighter is at the bottom of the list because it feels horrible to play, since piloting the characters is sluggish and unresponsive.

Dragon Chess (#6)

Dragon Chess follows the simple Match-3 gameplay of titles like Candy Crush. However, the twist Crownfall added was much more engaging. You’re under pressure as increasingly difficult enemies attack your HP while you frantically match colored gems to attack them back.

Dragon Chess throws in rewards for pairing 4–5 gems by throwing in special Dota 2 abilities. Without building for these spells, you’re doomed to fail at the first boss.

Zaug’s Lair (#5)

For the older Dota 2 players who remember Ikaruga, Zaug’s Lair brings you back to the past with this wave-based shoot ‘em up inspired by classic bullet-hell arcade games. You control Vengeful Spirit as you blast waves of enemies and dodge projectiles.

Zaug’s Lair gives players another addictive interaction where you can switch between two colors, allowing you to create a combo streak after defeating enemies of the same color. If that’s not enough, absorbing projectiles of the same color lets you charge up a strong special attack that can wipe the screen.

Spoon Man (#4)

Spoon Man is a quirky Crownfall minigame that turned out to be a Bomberman clone in disguise. It places one of the Techies trio in a grid-based maze filled with destructible walls and enemies—and it’s up to you to blow up everything until you find the exit.

Anyone who’s played the original Bomberman games will feel right at home. Just keep in mind that the later levels will become more hectic as the enemies learn new tricks.

Spleen Sweeper (#3)

Spleen Sweeper is exactly what it sounds like: Minesweeper in Dota 2. This Crownfall minigame presents you with a grid of hidden tiles, where you’ll need to click to clear without clicking on any of the hidden mines.

Cleared tiles will reveal the number of adjacent mines, and with enough logic, you can safely avoid all mines. Unlike the classic game, Spleen Sweeper gives you a spell to use in a pinch that safely reveals a tile.

Castle Carnage (#2)

Castle Carnage is Crownfall’s take on Angry Birds, combined with the wanton destruction of the Worms series. This physics-based puzzle game has you control Snapfire, armed with different weapons that you’ll use to attack enemies and obliterate surroundings from a distance.

The game gives you a higher score for being efficient with your moves. Playing this way makes you more creative in how you’ll cause a satisfying chain reaction to tear down the whole castle.

Nest of Thorns (#1)

Finally, we come to Nest of Thorns — the ultimate Crownfall minigame and the best one of the lot. It’s a full roguelite survival game that’s similar to Vampire Survivors, complete with the meta-progression through upgrades and scalable difficulty modifiers. 

Nest of Thorns is designed to be challenging, fitting of its status as the grand finale. This is already as good as other games on the market, and hopefully, Valve can dedicate resources to turn it into a standalone game that it deserves to be.

FAQs

How do you access Crownfall minigames in Dota 2 after the event ends?

You can access the Crownfall minigames in two ways: click the minigame icon in the bottom-right while queuing, or go to Learn → Past Events → Crownfall Archive to play them without interruptions in Dota 2.

What is the hardest minigame in Crownfall?

The hardest games in Crownfall are Nest of Thorns and Dragon Chess. However, Nest of Thorns becomes easier every run with meta progression, while Dragon Chess remains difficult and skill-based.

What rewards can you earn from Crownfall minigames?

Since the Crownfall event ended, you can no longer earn rewards from its minigames.

How many Crownfall minigames are there across all acts?

There are 11 Crownfall minigames in total across four Acts, though Gone Fishin’ and Oasis Fishin’ are essentially the same game with different skins.

Why can’t I find certain Crownfall minigames in the Dota 2 client?

If you’re browsing through the Crownfall minigames in the Dota 2 queue, it only displays nine minigames, as it hides the other two fishing games. To access them, you can navigate through the Crownfall Archive.