phrase
Side Quest
A digression from your main objective — 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.— common usage
Tags
detour
gaming