The Final Fantasy series has always had a mini-game or two to distract you from the main story, and Final Fantasy 14 is no different. Making a triumphant return from Final Fantasy 7, the Gold Saucer houses all the mini-games and activities you could ever want, from Triple Triad to Chocobo racing.

Related: Final Fantasy 14: Every Gold Saucer Minigame, Ranked

There are tons of things to do in the Gold Saucer, which can be overwhelming for players arriving there for the first time. Below, you can find a complete guide to FF14's Gold Saucer, including how to unlock it, how to earn MGP and where to spend it, and a list of all the activities you can participate in.

What Is The Gold Saucer?

As mentioned above, the Gold Saucer is an amusement park where you can go to experience several different mini-games. You can earn Manderville Gold Saucer Points, or MGP for short, by participating in these activities. MGP can then be spent on a variety of exclusive items like mounts and glamour pieces.

The Gold Saucer is purely side-content that serves as a nice distraction from other aspects of the game. However, there is a lot of depth to explore here if you're dedicated, with some nice rewards for the true Gold Saucer devotees.

How To Unlock The Gold Saucer

To unlock the Gold Saucer, you'll first need to complete one of the following level 15 Main Scenario Quests.

• 'The Gridanian Envoy'
• 'The Lominsan Envoy'
• 'The Ul'dahn Envoy'

Which quest you complete depends on which starting class you chose, and subsequentially which city-state you started the game in. After these quests, the Main Scenario quests sync up.

After completing your envoy quest, head to Ul'dah and speak to the Well-heeled Youth (X:9.6, Y:9.0). This NPC should give you the quest 'It Could Happen to You'. Follow this quest to gain entry to the Gold Saucer.

Be sure to attune to the Aetheryte in the Gold Saucer before you leave for quick access back!

What Is MGP?

MGP is a special currency that can be earned in the Gold Saucer. Almost every activity you participate in will reward you with a varying amount of MGP, which can then be spent on a variety of rewards. If you're wondering which NPCs you can purchase rewards from, check the list of their locations below.

Gold Saucer Activities

As mentioned above, there are over a dozen activities available to play in the Gold Saucer, ranging from quick mini-games to lengthy strategic endeavors. Below, you can find a list of all Gold Saucer activities, where to find them, and how to play them.

Cactpot

The Cactpot is a lottery system that comes in two variations, daily and weekly. The daily Mini Cactpot can be accessed three times a day from the Mini Cactpot Broker (X:5.1, Y:6.5) at the Main Counter of the Entrance Square.

By purchasing a Mini Cactpot for 10 MGP, you can play a small scratch-off game, where your objective is to make a line of three numbers totaling one of the sums on the right of the screen. You will be able to uncover three numbers to give you more information as to which line you should pick.

The weekly Jumbo Cactpot is a lottery-style system where you must accurately guess that week's four winning numbers. Up to three tickets can be purchased each week from the Jumbo Cactpot Broker (X:8.5, Y:5.9) near the Cactpot Board Aetheryte.

After purchasing your ticket, you can select four numbers that you think will win. Or, if you want to leave things entirely to chance, you can select the randomize button to have four numbers selected for you. At the end of the week, the winning numbers will be drawn, and the players that correctly guess these numbers will win the MGP jackpot.

Even if you don't win the jackpot, there is a chance you may win in a different category. If the last number, last two numbers, or last three numbers match, you will be rewarded MGP as well.

Chocobo Racing

In the Gold Saucer's Chocobo Racing mini-game, you can breed, train, and race your Chocobos against other players to win MGP and other prizes. Chocobo racing is very in-depth and requires a much deeper understanding of Chocobos to succeed in later levels.

You can start Chocobo Racing by completing the quest 'So You Want to Be a Jockey', after accepting it from the Race Chocobo Registrar in the Chocobo Square (X:6.1, Y:4.8).

Doman Mahjong

Doman Mahjong is a mini-game based on the Japanese style of mahjong, in which four players take turns drawing and discarding special tiles in order to create a group. By playing against other players, you can earn MGP and exclusive titles.

Doman Mahjong can be accessed by completing the quest 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Mahjong', by talking to Lewena in the Entrance Square (X:4.8, Y:6.1).

Fashion Report

Fashion Report is a weekly activity that involves creating a specialized outfit that follows certain guidelines. Fashion Report themes are chosen on Tuesday, and judging will begin on Friday, giving you a few days to come up with your masterpiece.

Each week, a set of guidelines will be established, giving hints to different pieces of armor or accessories. By equipping pieces that fit the overall theme of these guidelines, you can score points. The more points you score, the more MGP you earn.

To start playing Fashion Report, speak to Lewena in the Entrance Square (X:4.8, Y:6.1) to accept the quest 'Pashion for Fashion'.

Lord of Verminion

Lord of Verminion is an RTS-style game that uses your collection of minions to battle against another player. Your goal is to destroy their crystals by sending your minions to attack, using their unique abilities to sway the battle.

There is tons of depth to Lord of Verminion, from building your party with different minions to micro-managing them on the battlefield. You can start playing Lord of Verminion as soon as you have access to the Gold Saucer.

Triple Triad

Triple Triad is a card game first introduced in Final Fantasy 8. If you've played the original mini-game, this one is very much the same. By constructing a deck of five cards from your card collection, you can battle NPCs and other players to win their cards and MGP.

In Triple Triad, both players take turns placing cards. Each card has four stats that indicate the strength of each side of the card. By placing a card next to an opponent's card, and if yours has a higher power on that side, the opponent's card will be flipped to your control. Your objective is to gain majority control over the board by the end of the game.

Triple Triad is unlocked by speaking to the Triple Triad Master in the Card Square (X:4.2, Y:7.5) and accepting the quest 'Triple Triad Trial'. Completing this quest will also earn you your first five cards for your starter deck.

GATEs (Gold Saucer Active Time Events)

Gold Saucer Active Time Events, or GATEs for short, are events that occur every 20 minutes in the Gold Saucer. As the name implies, these are similar to FATEs in the open world, and often involve several players taking part in the event at the same time. Below, you can see a list of every current GATE, as well as what time it occurs.

Mini-games

Finally, there are various mini-games that can be found all around the Gold Saucer. These typically only take a minute or two to complete, and reward an accordingly small amount of MGP. Many of these games have real-life arcade analogs, like hoop shooting or claw machine games.

Next: Final Fantasy 14: Most Expensive Things You Can Buy With MGP