There have been many great games along the years, with some more successful than others. But which are the most commercially successful? Read to find out the 20 best-selling video games of all time.
20. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay
Sales: 26.5 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Infinity Ward Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Year of Release: 2011
This first-person shooter is the first and final instalment of the Modern Warfare series. It received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with its sound design and multiplayer element acknowledged for particular praise. It is game that delivered on all of the expectations of Call of Duty aficionados, and then some.
19. Terraria
Terraria Gameplay
Sales: 27 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Re-Logic
Publisher: Re-Logic
Year of Release: 2011
Terraria is a sandbox action-adventure game in which you explore, build, craft, and combat your way around a procedurally generated 2D word. It drew comparisons with Minecraft and is equally enjoyable. It’s no surprise to see Terraria in the list of the best-selling video games of all time.
18. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Gameplay
Sales: 27.5 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Year of Release: 2004
Another classic from Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is set in a fictional open world environment based on California and Nevada. Playing as CJ, you attempt to rebuild your old gang back to the glory days, but you get a few surprises along the way. The world of San Andreas is vibrant and full of life, and it will entertain you for hours on end.
17. Wii Play
Wii Play Gameplay
Sales: 28 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2006
Wii Play was designed as a game to be enjoyed at social gatherings and features multiple mini games. You can try your hand at billiards, fishing, shooting, and many others. The game was not so much a critical success, but very much a commercial success, becoming one of the top 20 best selling video games of all time.
16. Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt Gameplay
Sales: 28.3 million
Platform: NES
Developer: Nintendo R&D1;
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 1984
Duck Hunt is a light gun shooter that was released in 1984 and involves using the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on the screen in front of you. It sounds simple, and it is. Just try not to get too annoyed at the laughing dog that mocks you when you’re not on top form.
15. Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Pokémon Gold Gameplay
Sales: 29.5 million
Platform: Game Boy Color
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 1999
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal are the hugely popular successors to the Red and Blue games in the series. Played from the same top-down perspective, these games have new features such as a real-time internal clock, new items, and new characters. Pokémon capturing and breeding has never been so fun.
14. Diablo III and Reaper of Souls
Sales: 30 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Year of Release: 2012
Diablo III is most peoples go-to hack-and-slash action role-playing game, and it’s easy to see why. Playing as one of the seven character classes available, you must defeat Diablo, the Lord of Terror, by any means necessary. In combination with its first expansion pack, Reaper of Souls, Diablo III is one of the 20 best selling video games of all time.
13. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim – Alduin the Dragon
Sales: 30 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Year of Release: 2011
Skyrim is my favourite game on the list and, for many, is the greatest game of all time. From exploring the beautiful Nordic landscape, to defeating dragons with augmented weapons and armour, Skyrim can consume hours and days of your life that you won’t even want to get back. Check out this Skyrim review by PC Gamer for an alternative look at why this game is so good.
12. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Matio Bros Wii Gameplay
Sales: 30.2 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2009
This side-scrolling platform game breathed fresh life into the Mario series and provided a nice revamp to its 2006 predecessor for the Nintendo DS. Playing as Mario, you must Rescue Princess Peach and fight off Bowser and his cronies. At a time when Nintendo’s profits were falling, New Super Mario Bros. was a major success for them, becoming one of the highest-grossing games of all time, as part of the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
11. New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Matio Bros DS Gameplay
Sales: 30.8 million
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2006
No, you’re not seeing double, New Super Mario Bros. really does feature twice in the 20 best selling video games of all time. This time for the Nintendo DS – same enjoyment, different platform.
10. Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort Gameplay
Sales: 33 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2009
Just like its predecessor, the enjoyment one can get out of Wii Sports Resort is endless. Harmless, fun, and energetic, the game will keep you entertained for hours as you master a wide array of sports. In Wii Sports Resort, you can try swordplay, wakeboarding, canoeing, cycling, and many more, all of which make Wii Sports Resort part of the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
9. Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Gameplay – Rainbow Road
Sales: 37 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2008
Mario Kart Wii is the sixth instalment in the Mario Kart series and, perhaps, the best. You can play single player or multiplayer, with the option of a four-person split screen. The game utilises the Wii Remote’s motion sensing, and also comes with a Wii Wheel that you can place the remote inside for added fun. I always play as Bowser, which character do you like play with?
8. Wii Fit/Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Gameplay – Yoga Half Moon
Sales: 44 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2007
Wii Fit is a phenomenal game that has not only brought enjoyment to its players, but has also provided numerous health benefits for its users. The game comes with the Wii Balance Board, which tracks your centre of balance. Using this board, you can play games that will test your balance, strength, and aerobic abilities – yoga is a particularly entertaining in Wii Fit.
7. Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow
Pokémon Yellow Gameplay – Pikachu
Sales: 47.5 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 1996
This series of Pokémon games are iconic within the gaming world and almost everybody who owned a Game Boy will have come across them. The different colour games meant that you started with different Pokémon
– Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu. Watching them evolve and progress, you feel like a proud parent as they flourish and help you defeat the eight Gym Leaders.
6. Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. Gameplay
Sales: 48 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 1985
Super Mario Bros. is the game that catapulted the Mario kingdom into the public eye back in 1985. For many, it was the first game they ever owned, and has provided hours of entertainment for millions of gamers. Its success has led to the little Italian plumber becoming a worldwide cultural icon, and a legacy that includes countless spinoffs and successors.
5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PUBG Gameplay
Sales: 50 million
Platform: Multi-platform
Developer: PUBG Corporation
Publisher: PUBG Corporation
Year of Release: 2017
PUBG burst onto the gaming scene when it was released as a standalone game in 2017, becoming a pioneer of the battle royale genre, along with Fortnite. Based on mod for Arma 2, and inspired by the controversial Japanese film Battle Royale, PUBG involves up to one hundred people parachuting onto an island and trying to survive for as long as possible by scavenging, crafting, and fighting your way to victory.
4. Wii Sports
Wii Sports Gameplay – Golf
Sales: 83 million
Platform: Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year of Release: 2006
Wii Sports is everybody’s family favourite and it is not surprising that it is the best-selling single platform game of all time. Using the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii, you can play tennis, boxing, baseball, golf and bowling. Each game is equally enjoyable and it is hard not to have fun when playing them.
3. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V Gameplay
Sales: 110 million
Platform: Muti-platform
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Year of Release: 2013
Whenever Rockstar Games releases one of its triple-A titles, it is often accompanied with considerable hype. Grand Theft Auto V lived up to this hype, and then some. This open world action-adventure game has so much going on that it’s easy to get completely absorbed in the world of Los Santos. With Trevor, Michael and Franklin, Grand Theft Auto V has three equally great playable characters that have made this one of the highest-grossing video games of all time.
2. Tetris
Tetris Effect Gameplay
Sales: 170 million
Platform: Muti-platform
Developer: Elektronorgtechnica
Publisher: Spectrum HoloByte
Year of Release: 1984
Everybody knows this timeless classic, so it is no surprise to see it second in the best-selling video games of all time. This addictive puzzle game boasts a legacy that includes being the most downloaded paid game of all time and the most ported game in history (it is available on over 65 platforms). Tetris has also been used in experiments for scientific research in multiple fields, including cognitive psychology.
1. Minecraft
Minecraft Gameplay
Sales: 176 million
Platform: Muti-platform
Developer: Mojang
Publisher: Mojang, Xbox Game Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment
Year of Release: 2011
This sandbox video game lets players build almost anything they like in a 3D generated world that you can explore, gather resources from, and do combat. Developed by Markus Persson, this game has grown to become a huge video game franchise and is now the best-selling game of all time. Checkout out IGN’s Minecraft review here for more info.
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I hope you enjoyed reading about the best-selling games of all time. You might also like reading about the best-selling video game consoles of all time.
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