Side Quest
A digression from your main objective โ an interesting one, usually.
Origin
Standard structural term in role-playing games since the 1980s. The main quest drives the plot; side quests are optional tasks players take on for rewards, lore, or fun. The Legend of Zelda and the Elder Scrolls games made the term canonical.
Modern usage
Exploded into everyday speech in the 2020s. 'My life has become one long side quest' is the kind of self-deprecating thing people now say about a detour from their main goals.
In the wild
Learning sourdough was a real pandemic side quest.โ common usage
Tags
Related
Video Games
Easter Egg
A hidden joke, message, or surprise tucked inside a piece of software, film, or product.
Video Games
Final Boss
The hardest enemy at the end of the game โ and, by metaphor, the ultimate adversary.
Video Games
Level Up
To gain a discrete jump in skill, status, or capability.