I think we are going to be using these more for formal learning programs, so I thought I would share a quick overview and, better, some examples:

Mini games: small, easy-to-access games built to be simple and addictive. Mini games are "one-note" in terms of gameplay, often focusing on mastering an action, sometimes with a desired message as a backdrop.

Mini-games are typically for:

• marketing (such as\[Dr. Pepper Speedway Rush\] or \[Monster.com Climbing the Corporate Ladder\]),

• editorial (such as \[Take Back Illinois\]),

• explanation (such as \[Dean for America game\], or this \[Cisco example\]).

• commerce (where players will play a few free levels, and then buy the full game).

Mini games can sometimes provide an awareness of some more complicated issue, such as fit.

Mini games are often created in Adobe Flash, sometimes in less than three weeks.