The 20 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGt-BZ-SxGI

Get in Touch

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.

We found information for the best-selling games here. Which game would you like to have seen in the list? Or is your favourite game already there? Let us know in the comment section below and join our Blog of Games gaming blog community. If you have any questions, please get in touch below or contact me at richard@blogofgames.com

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