History Main / Sidequest

* ''TheLastRemnant'' has a wide variety of sidequests, which is the main way to unlock map locations and the ability to hire some powerful people. There's also Guild Tasks which are similar in function but aren't classed as quests.

* In ''{{Homestuck}}'', Vriska and Tavros [[HeroOfAnotherStory apparently]] spent quite a while doing side quests on the Land of Maps and Treasure, hoarding wealth and experience.

* Present in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' and it's sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', with characters paying in XP, money, and/or bonuses.

* ''{{Nethack}}'' has two:

Tends to be {{irrelevant|Sidequest}} to your main quest. Also see InfinityPlusOneSword, EasterEgg, FetchQuest, QuestGiver, SidequestSidestory. And ThatOneSidequest, though you probably don't want to.

* ''FinalFantasy''

[[quoteright:265:[[VideoGame/{{Borderlands2}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zero_effort_1469.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:265:Nice job [[ZeroEffortBoss shooting his face]]. Enjoy your [[LastLousyPoint +1% completion]].]]

* {{Deconstruct|ion}}ed beautifully in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUqEPUZ-ds this]].

* Played with in TheLongestJourney: Dreamfall. At one point, Zoe must complete one that involves a lot of running around. She comments on this and there's an option to be lazy and skip a step--with its own consequences.

* The more recent ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' games, specifically ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''[[FalloutNewVegas Fallout: New Vegas]]'', also follow this; this is somewhat unsurprising, however, as they are developed by [[Franchise/TheElderScrolls Bethesda]].

* [[Characters.ClassicalMythology Herakles]] makes this trope OlderthanFeudalism as he frequently had unrelated adventures ([[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu like wrestling '''Death''' to return someone that had died]]) while performing his [[FetchQuest 12 Labours]]. To the Ancient Greek tropers this was known as a Parerga

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' not only has a ton of side-quests, it even gives you an Achievement for completing 75% of them. The achievement is called "[[TakeThatAudience Easily Sidetracked]]".

** Similar to ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', the second half of the game is free form. There are three missions you have to do, but other than that, the missions are all side-quests, with rewards like powerful magic and recovering your warriors.

* Played with in The Longest Journey: Dreamfall. At one point, Zoe must complete one that involves a lot of running around. She comments on this and there's an option to be lazy and skip a step--with its own consequences.

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* Even the ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' games are not immune. Collecting plates in the Classic series; the armors from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', the Cyber Elves from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''; and the RPG games ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' and ''MegaManLegends'' haven't even been mentioned yet...

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->''"[[QuestGiver Each NPC]] in DragonNest has his or her own missions and stories for you to follow. They'll usually even need your help completing them, mostly because this is a video game and you need something to keep you busy. Just help them out with whatever crazy requests they have and you'll be rewarded handsomely."''
-->-- '''[[MetaGuy Tracy]]''', ...''DragonNest''
%%

* In ''[[VideoGame/WithFriends Running With Friends]]'', you can run down side alleys. They're more challenging (no room for side-to-side motion, tight corners, etc.) but you can get lots of stars if you make it through.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''Ian's Adventures in Morrowind'' ([[http://web.archive.org/web/20030627014843/machall.com/morrowind/page8.html archived here]]).
-->''Dagoth Ur'': What the hell are you doing here? I'm the end boss!
-->''Ren'': Correction, you ''were'' the end boss. That's my job now...
-->''Dagoth Ur'': But you can't just skip to the end of the game without doing any of the 400 side missions!?
-->''Ren'': Fine then, you can go tramping around this God forsaken rock for years on end, doing odd jobs for complete strangers, which in some twisted way ends up saving the whole world for no reason at all...
* {{Deconstructed}} beautifully in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUqEPUZ-ds this]].

* It's not a specific quest given by NPCS, but the search for the Extra-Life clover boxes in LittleBigAdventure and it's sequel can count as an IrrelevantSidequest as the player attempts to needlessly collect all the clover boxes lying about throughout both games.
** LittleBigAdventureII also has the optional adventure in the form of a BonusDungeon; an off-the-main-path island cave off the coast of Desert Island which houses the Protection Spell. You do not need the spell to complete the game, and it will become LostForever once you leave Twinsun the second time, but it's still a fun little side-dungeon to explore.

* The ''DragonQuest'' series has quite a few of them, but the one that stands out is DragonQuestIX, which has ''one hundred and twenty'' of them... that came in the box. With DLC, this gets upgraded to over one hundred and eighty. True, the majority of them are either {{Fetch Quest}}s or killing a certain enemy a number of times and/or in a certain way, but the rewards are almost always worth it, such as class-exclusive armour, rare [[ItemCrafting alchemy]] ingredients, or even [[PrestigeClass new Vocations]]. This is a JustifiedTrope as well, your PC is part of a race of {{Winged Humanoid}}s called [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Celestrians]], who ''all'' have [[JustifiedTrope justified]] ChronicHeroSyndrome.

Tends to be [[IrrelevantSidequest irrelevant]] to your main quest. Also see InfinityPlusOneSword, EasterEgg, FetchQuest, QuestGiver, SidequestSidestory. And ThatOneSidequest, though you probably don't want to.

** Similar to ChronoTrigger, the second half of the game is free form. There are three missions you have to do, but other than that, the missions are all side-quests, with rewards like powerful magic and recovering your warriors.