Alright, let me put my chrome on and dive into this. As a player who rode the wild, buggy rollercoaster from the infamous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 to its current, gloriously patched-up state, I’ve got some thoughts. CD Projekt Red pulled off one of the greatest redemption arcs in gaming history. Night City went from a beautiful but hollow shell to a place that actually feels alive, buzzing with that dystopian energy we all craved. The Phantom Liberty expansion was the cherry on top, a masterclass in storytelling that left us hungry for more. But here’s the kicker: they’ve officially said that’s it for major story DLC. All eyes are now on the horizon, on Project Orion, the official sequel announced back in 2022 and confirmed to be cooking in 2024. The pressure is immense. How do you top a game that has already been rebuilt from the ground up in the public eye? My two eddies? It’s all in the side hustle. Forget the main quest for a second; Project Orion needs to make its world playable in ways 2077 never quite managed. It needs to fill its locations with purpose, with life, with… mini-games.
Look, I love Night City. I’ve spent countless hours just walking its rain-slicked streets, listening to the ads, watching the crowds. CDPR did an incredible job patching in that sense of a "lived-in" world through better NPC routines and environmental polish. But let’s be real—once you finish the side gigs and NCPD scanners, what is there to do? You can play a basic arcade game or two, but that’s about it. It’s a world of immense potential that often feels like a spectacular backdrop rather than a playground. For a setting so rich in lore and aesthetic, it’s a glaring omission. Other franchises have absolutely nailed this. Look at the Like a Dragon series (formerly Yakuza)—those games are practically built on the backbone of their absurd, wonderful mini-games, from running a cabaret club to racing toy cars. It makes their cities feel lived-in because people there have hobbies and vices beyond just shooting each other.
So, what could Project Orion do? Let me dream a little:
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Brain Dance Arenas: This is the low-hanging fruit, but it’s genius. Brain Dances are a core part of the Cyberpunk universe. Why not turn them into scored, dream-like combat or parkour challenges? Imagine leaderboards for the most stylish takedowns in a BD simulation, or puzzle-oriented BDs where you have to piece together a crime scene under a time limit. It’s lore-friendly, flashy, and a perfect fit.
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The Afterlife's Secret Tables: The Afterlife is the coolest bar in gaming, but you can’t really do anything there besides drink and get missions. Let me play a game of Cyber-Poker or Trauma Team Roulette with the fixers and mercs. High-stakes, chrome-on-chrome action where you can win unique gear or eddies.
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Auto-Fixer Street Races: We have amazing cars and bikes, but the racing in 2077 was... minimal. Project Orion should have an underground racing circuit managed by the Auto-Fixers. Customize your ride with not just cosmetics, but performance mods for different race types—tight city circuits, brutal off-road desert runs, or even hover-vehicle races if the tech level increases.
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Netrunner Hackathons: Instead of just accessing terminals in the world, there could be designated Netrunner cafes or "cyber-lounges" where you jack in for competitive hacking mini-games. Think of it like a cyberspace puzzle game, firewalling against opponents, racing to crack corporate ice, and stealing data.
| Potential Mini-Game | Location/Context | What It Adds |
|---|---|---|
| BD Leaderboard Challenges | Ripperdoc Clinics / Braindance Dens | Replayability, Lore Integration, Skill-Based Scoring |
| Cyber-Table Games (Poker, Dice) | Bars, After-Hours Clubs, Gangs' Dens | Social Atmosphere, Eddie Sinks, Character Interaction |
| Underground Street Racing | Badlands, City Highways, Organized by Fixers | Vehicle Customization Depth, Open-World Utilization |
| Netrunner Arena Battles | Cyberspace Lounges, Corporate Black Sites | Alternative Combat, Puzzle Mechanics, Bragging Rights |
And here’s the crucial part: rumors are swirling that Project Orion might take us beyond Night City. The Moon? A new orbital station? A different continent? 😲 If we’re leaving our beloved urban sprawl behind, these new, potentially weirder locations are the perfect canvas for wild mini-games. A low-gravity casino on the Moon. Zero-G fight clubs in a space station. Bizarre alien-worm racing in a Martian colony (okay, maybe not that far). Mini-games grounded in these new settings would be the best way to make them feel familiar and fun, helping players adapt to a new world by giving them playful ways to engage with it.
Now, I’m not saying Project Orion should become a mini-game collection with a main story attached. The core RPG experience—the writing, the characters, the impactful choices—that’s CDPR’s bread and butter, and it must remain stellar. But think of mini-games as the ultimate world-building spice. They’re what turn a location from a set piece into a destination. Remember Gwent in The Witcher 3? It became a phenomenon in its own right, and it made every tavern feel like a place where life happened. Cyberpunk’s universe is even more ripe for this kind of depth.
In 2026, expectations are higher than ever. We don’t just want a visually stunning open world; we want to live in it. We want reasons to hang out in a dive bar after a mission, not just fast-travel away. We want our chrome to be useful for more than just combat. By weaving a more comprehensive, fun, and ridiculous batch of mini-games into the fabric of Project Orion, CDPR can do more than just match 2077—they can create a world that feels truly limitless, dynamic, and alive long after the credits roll. So, developers, if you’re listening: give us more ways to waste our time in your beautiful, dystopian future. We’re ready to play.