Zynga games now include advertising mini-games that offer player boosts

Players of Zynga games like FarmVille are being offered a way to earn in-game cash and boosts: by playing mini-game advertisements, sometimes known as "advergames."

Sponsors like insurance company Progressive Insurance are embedding mini-games inside FarmVille. Players who complete, say, a Progressive mini-game might receive three diamonds. A Zynga spokesperson told Polygon that not all mini-games offer up currency.

Announcing the SponsoredPlay games today, Zynga said that testing yielded a "double digit increase in player opt-in interactions compared to interstitial video ads." The mini-games have been designed with "Twitter integration to help spread organic buzz and increase engagement," according to the company.