 These are the 50 video games with the highest number of sales in the entire history of the industry: from Minecraft to GTA V and icons such as Super Mario, Tetris, or Pac-Man.
Do you know which are the best-selling video games in history? It is very interesting for all of us to discover which titles are part of the podium, right? Knowing which are those privileged few who have swept sales and boasted income figures that some of us wouldn't even know where to start counting. The truth is that apart from the most successful franchises or the best-selling consoles, there are a handful of works that, either by their own merits or by the reputation that precedes them, have achieved spectacular sales worldwide.
In this article, we want to share the list of the best-selling games of all time to this day. The top is made up of varied works from different eras, platforms, and genres. Some of them are titans that we all already assume (like Grand Theft Auto V ). The list, by the way, is based on the records collected on Wikipedia and according to the figures offered by various official sources.
The 10 best-selling games in history
These are currently the 10 best-selling games in history:
10. Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus - 43.8 million
- Developer: Nintendo
- Release date: 2007 (Wii Fit) 2009 (Wii Fit Plus)
- Genres: Sports / Fitness
Finding a Nintendo Wii game in the top best sellers of all time should come as no surprise to anyone. The Nintendo console conquered homes around the world with more than 100 million units sold. However, it is very striking that Wii Fit is one of the best-selling titles in history because it was a very particular one, focused exclusively on training, balance, or yoga minigames, which were carried out through the Balance Board peripheral.
By March 2022, with 22.67 million units sold, Wii Fit was confirmed to be the third best-selling game for a single console without coming bundled with it. Two years after its release the title had an improved revision with more minigames and features called Wii Fit Plus. Combined with the sales of the former, both add up to a total of 43.8 million copies, raising it within this top.
9. Terraria - 44.5 million
- Developer: Re-Logic
- Release Date: 2011
- Genres: Open World / Survival
Terraria is a 2D sandbox with an art style that is very reminiscent of 16-bit sprites from the Super NES days. The work mixes exploration and adventure components in the style of other games like Minecraft or Metroid, generating a procedural world in each game with players who start with basic tools and little by little collect resources to progress.
Perhaps the most curious thing about Terraria being at a top like this is that it was developed by Re-Logic, a small independent studio that was born during the creation of the title. The good reviews garnered after its launch, its constant updates, and its arrival on multiple platforms over the years have allowed it to stay alive until reaching the impressive figure of 44 million copies sold. An outstanding achievement for an indie game.
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - 50 million
- Developer: Rockstar Studios
- Release Date: 2018
- Genres: Action Adventure / Open World / Survival / GTA Type
Rockstar Games had conquered many with Red Dead Redemption in 2010, a look at the world of the twilight western in an open world key as only they dominate. For this reason, expectations were enormous when Red Dead Redemption 2 was announced, a game that, despite its title, works narratively as a prequel to the previous one. The company put all the meat on the grill with this delivery: forced working hours for its employees, sick detail, rich and enormous mapping, and a story with a protagonist who won everyone's hearts...
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those games that go down in history for so many reasons that one wouldn't even know where to start talking about them. It is undoubtedly a colossal game that you have to try for yourself at least once in your life. A work that allows us to marvel and get lost in its places while we are hopelessly captivated by its setting and realism. We're not surprised that it recently hit 50 million units sold.
7. Super Mario Bros. - 58 million
- Developer: Nintendo
- Release date: 1985
- Genres: Platforms
Super Mario is one of the best-selling franchises ever created, and precisely Super Mario Bros. from 86 is one of the most iconic games in history (and the culprit for starting the legend of Mario). Developed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, this original NES title laid all the foundations for what would come in the future. He is practically the father of 2D platformers, an absolute benchmark for the genre, one of which Mario is synonymous, there is nothing.
It is still often considered one of the greatest games of all time, and no matter how many years pass, its gameplay still feels perfect. It ages like fine wine. It should be noted that this title was also key to reactivating the video game industry after the 1983 crisis. We owe a lot to Super Mario Bros.
6. Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 60.46 million
- Developer: Nintendo
- Release date: 2014 (Mario Kart 8) 2017 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
- Genres: Karts / Speed
The success of Mario Kart 8 is impressive. Proof of this is that since 2014 Nintendo has not needed to create a new main installment of the kart saga. Initially published for Wii U, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe would be released three years later, a version for Switch that included all the downloadable content of the previous one as well as other playable novelties.
Although the game performed wonderfully on Wii U with a not inconsiderable amount of 8.46 million units sold, it was only on Switch where it has managed to achieve tremendous sales, with up to 52 million as of today (and it seems that it still does not touch your ceiling). The truth is that it is logical because it is a great title to have a laugh with friends and have a great time.
5. PUBG: Battlegrounds - 75 million
- Developer: PUBG Corporation
- Release Date: 2017
- Genres: Battle Royale
PUBG: Battlegrounds is, probably along with Fortnite, the culprit of the Battle Royale fever that we have experienced in recent times. Born in part as an expanded version of the Brendan Greene - designed DayZ: Battle Royale mod, PUBG quickly made waves upon its release in 2017 Early Access for Steam. The game was present 24/7 on platforms like Twitch, and its exciting matches were just as much fun to watch as they were fun to play. Logically, its success led to the later arrival of the title also on consoles and even mobile phones.
As of today, since January 2022, PUBG is free to play on all platforms, but that does not mean that the game managed to sell 75 million copies worldwide. A figure that, by the way, ranks it as the best-selling PC and Xbox One title in history (yes, even above Minecraft).
4. Wii Sports - 82.9 million
- Developer: Nintendo
- Release Date: 2006
- Genres: Sports / Multisport
Everyone knows Wii Sports, right? How many televisions will have been destroyed because of it? This nice game was included in the Nintendo Wii packs (with the exception of those sold in Japan) and allowed us to play tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing with simple mechanics accessible to anyone. Its controls were based on the movement detectors of the Wii Remote controls and were so intuitive that perhaps for this reason it earned a place in the homes of millions of people.
It should not be forgotten that Wii Sports was also everywhere in its time and its advertisements were seen at all hours on television. By the end of 2017, it was confirmed that it had sold more than 82 million copies, thus becoming the best-selling single-platform game of all time and, not only that, also the best-selling Nintendo video game of its long history. . Tremendous!
3. Tetris (EA) - 100 million
- Developer: EA Mobile
- Release Date: 2006
- Genres: Puzzle
Tetris needs no introduction. It is one of the best-known arcade games and has had dozens of revisions over the years. Who has not played a game at least once in his life? Curiously, EA Mobile developed and published this version for mobile phones in 2006, one that was paid for, but whose model did not prevent the game from selling like hotcakes at all (it was also available on PSP and PS3).
Despite the fact that since April 2020 EA withdrew this mobile version from the commercial circuit, by that time the game had already exceeded 100 million paid downloads. What does this mean? Well, we are facing the third best-selling game in the history of the industry and the paid mobile game with the highest number of sales. Who was going to tell us that such an apparently simple idea could work so well.
2. Grand Theft Auto V - 175 million
- Developer: Rockstar North
- Release Date: 2013
- Genres: Open World / GTA Type
Let's face it, many of us are already bored with Grand Theft Auto V and we look forward to the next main installment of the saga like rain. GTA V will celebrate a decade this 2023, but it still maintains the type since its distant launch, since it has continued to live even in two generations of consoles later and its Online is still updating. Rockstar's gigantic work was tremendously anticipated at the time, so much so that the game became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history on its first day. Pay attention to the data, in its first 24 hours it entered more than 815 million dollars (which is equivalent to approximately 11.21 million units).
The magnitude of his success does not end here. To get an idea of ​​how fast GTA V was selling, just compare it to its previous main installment. In six weeks it had already sold 29 million copies to retailers, which was more than the number achieved by GTA IV in its entire career up to that point. Anyway, as expected, the game broke several Guinness records. It currently has around $6 billion in worldwide revenue , making it one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time.
1. Minecraft - 238 million
- Developer: Mojang Studios
- Release Date: 2011
- Genres: Construction / Other
If there is a game on this list that has truly made an unprecedented impact on the way entertainment is consumed today, it is without a doubt Minecraft. To Caesar what is Caesar's: Minecraft has marked an entire generation. Platforms like YouTube or Twitch probably wouldn't exist as we know them today without this video game. Gamer culture, communities around the world, and many of the content creators on the networks have been influenced by the unlimited freedom that Notch's work offers.
Established as a sandbox game in which we can create procedural worlds and survive by collecting resources, Minecraft has mutated over the years to become a game in which it seems that anything is possible. The mods and the creativity of the players have only made it grow and its arrival on practically any existing platform has made it a sweep in sales. And all this is simply thanks to word of mouth. By May 2020, it was confirmed that Minecraft had passed the barrier of 200 million copies sold. A milestone never achieved by any other game.
Top 50 best-selling games of all time
In case you're curious and only 10 titles seems like little, here below we share the summarized list of the top 50 video games with the highest number of sales of all time.
| # | Game | Platform | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minecraft | Multi | 238,000,000 |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto V | Multi | 175,000,000 |
| 3 | Tetris(EA) | Multi | 100,000,000 |
| 4 | WiiSports | Wii | 82,900,000 |
| 5 | PUBG: Battlegrounds | Multi | 75,000,000 |
| 6 | Mario Kart 8 | Wii U/Switch | 60,460,000 |
| 7 | Super Mario Bros. | Multi | 58,000,000 |
| 8 | red dead redemption 2 | Multi | 50,000,000 |
| 9 | terraria | Multi | 44,500,000 |
| 10 | wii fit | Wii | 43,800,000 |
| 11 | Tetris (1989) | Gameboy/NES | 43,000,000 |
| 12 | Pac Man | Multi | 42,071,635 |
| 13 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | nintendoswitch | 41,590,000 |
| 14 | The Witcher 3 | Multi | 40,000,000 |
| 15 | Mario Kart Wii | Wii | 37,380,000 |
| 16 | Wii Sports Resort | Wii | 33,140,000 |
| 17 | Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow | Gameboy/Colour/3DS | 32,880,000 |
| 18 | New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 30,800,000 |
| 19 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Wii U/Switch | 30,700,000 |
| 20 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | switches | 30,440,000 |
| 21 | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 30,320,000 |
| 22 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | Multi | 30,000,000 |
| 23 | Diablo III | Multi | 30,000,000 |
| 24 | Human: Fall Flat | Multi | 30,000,000 |
| 25 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Multi | 30,000,000 |
| 26 | Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal | Game Boy Color | 29,490,000 |
| 27 | duck hunt | NES | 28,300,000 |
| 28 | wiiplay | Wii | 28,020,000 |
| 29 | the walking dead | Multi | 28,000,000 |
| 30 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Multi | 27,500,000 |
| 31 | Super Mario World | Multi | 26,662,500 |
| 32 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | Multi | 26,500,000 |
| 33 | Call of Duty Black Ops | Multi | 26,200,000 |
| 34 | Borderlands 2 | Multi | 27,000,000 |
| 35 | Pokemon Sword/Shield | switches | 25,680,000 |
| 36 | Pokémon Sun/Moon/Ultrasun/Ultraluna | Nintendo 3DS | 25,410,000 |
| 37 | Super Mario Odyssey | switches | 25,120,000 |
| 38 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Multi | 25,000,000 |
| 39 | Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum | Nintendo DS | 24,730,000 |
| 40 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | Multi | 24,430,000 |
| 41 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | Multi | 24,200,000 |
| 42 | FIFA 18 | Multi | 24,000,000 |
| 43 | Kinect Adventures! | Xbox 360 | 24,000,000 |
| 44 | sonic the hedgehog | Multi | 23,982,960 |
| 45 | nintendogs | Nintendo DS | 23,960,000 |
| 46 | Mario Kart DS | Nintendo DS | 23,600,000 |
| 47 | god of war | PS4/PC | 23,000,000 |
| 48 | red dead redemption | PS3/Xbox 360 | 23,000,000 |
| 49 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Multi | 22,700,000 |
| fifty | Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald | gameboy advance | 22,540,000 |
It should be noted that among these 50 titles, more than half have been developed or published by Nintendo, which makes it the company with the most successful games to date (five of them are in collaboration with its subsidiary, The Pokémon Company, and Game Freak, via the Pokémon franchise ). Rockstar and Activision follow behind, both companies with 5 titles in the top.
Apart from these curiosities, it is also interesting to note that the oldest game recorded in the top would be Pac-Man, dating from the year 1980. Meanwhile, the most recent game is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, from the year 2020.
What games did you not expect to see in this top? Which do you think deserves to be part of this Olympus? Tell us in the comments!
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