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The Top Selling Video Games of All Time: Ranked

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The Top Selling Video Games of All Time: Ranked

When Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann patented their so-called “cathode-ray tube amusement device” in 1947, they couldn’t have known the kind of innovation that would follow. Widely considered the first step toward the video games we know and love today, this “game” was just an analog device that allowed users to move a dot around a screen. While it’s not one of the top selling video games of all time, it effectively set the stage.

Seventy-five years later, moving a dot around on a screen is a multi-billion-dollar industry with room to grow. Stretching from 1985 to as recently as 2018, the top selling video games represent a wide range of tastes, styles, and genres throughout history. These ten titles below provide us a glimpse at all the kinds of games that have seen unfathomable success over the years. From franchise entries to one-offs, from PC games to console staples, these are the top selling video games of all time:

  • Best Action-Adventure Game: Red
  • Best Sandbox Game: Terraria
  • Best Role-Playing Game:
    Pokémon
    $24.00
    • 7 style Video Game
    • for 16 Bit Cartridge
    • Pokemon Game Console Card Series
    • Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy
    • Package include: 1x Game cartridge only
    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
  • Best Racing Game: Mario
  • Best Platform Game: Super
  • Best Battle Royale Game: PUBG:
  • Best Sports Game: Wii
  • Best Classic Game: Tetris
  • Best Open-World Game: Grand
  • Best Overall Game: Minecraft
Incredible Graphics
Red Dead Redemption 2
$15.97
  • PlayStation 4
  • From by the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland
  • The game's vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience
  • Developer: Rock Star Studios
  • Publisher: Rock Star Games
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/11/2024 09:56 am GMT

In books and films, it’s rare to see a sequel outperform the first installment. However, in video games, it’s practically commonplace. Just look at Red, a sequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. This sequel sold over 20 million more copies than its predecessor, coming in as the tenth top selling video game of all time. If the game shows up on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S like it’s rumored to, those record-breaking sales figures will only go higher.

Following the trials and tribulations of an outlaw named Arthur Morgan in the final years of the Wild West, Red Dead Redemption 2 has seen such enormous success for its astounding visuals, its incredibly expansive open world, its unmatched attention to detail, and its all-around addicting gameplay that lets players become enveloped in the life and times of a ruthless cowboy.

Check out Red on Amazon.

Best Sandbox Game: Terraria

Terraria Playstation Hits (PS4)
$16.98
  • Hd graphical upgrades, with enhanced day night cycle
  • new weather cycles, with rain and blizzards
  • a new hard mode jungle Temple, with rare beehives throughout the jungle
  • several new mini caves with unique backgrounds
  • hammers can now be used for creating slopes, half-tiles, and breaking wallsPickaxes will now remove blocks, peaceable objects and items such as life crystals and chestsability to craft magic robes and...
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03/11/2024 01:57 pm GMT

A video game doesn’t have to be under the umbrella of a big publisher to find enormous success. Some titles, such as Terraria, manage to make it big all on their own. With 44.5 million copies sold more than a decade since its release, this sandbox adventure game is available on almost every conceivable platform and has the sales figures to show for it.

Perhaps that’s a big reason why this action-adventure game has sold so well. As well as being fun to explore, the game is available to any gamer of any variety across the board. Mobile? You got it. Console? You’re covered, too. PC? Yep. Terraria is a textbook example of an underdog beating out the big names based on sheer charm and accessibility alone.

Check out Terraria on Amazon.

Best Role-Playing Game:
Pokémon
$24.00
  • 7 style Video Game
  • for 16 Bit Cartridge
  • Pokemon Game Console Card Series
  • Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy
  • Package include: 1x Game cartridge only
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

7 style Video Game for 16 Bit Cartridge Pokemon Game Console Card Series Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy(B)
$24.00
  • 7 style Video Game
  • for 16 Bit Cartridge
  • Pokemon Game Console Card Series
  • Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy
  • Package include: 1x Game cartridge only
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

While it might not seem fair that four games count as one entry, real Pokémon loyalists will know that these are all essentially the same game. That’s because

Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow
$24.00
  • 7 style Video Game
  • for 16 Bit Cartridge
  • Pokemon Game Console Card Series
  • Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy
  • Package include: 1x Game cartridge only
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
all hail from the first generation of Pokémon games, making them the same (with a few deviations exclusive to each color). That’s just how Pokémon works.

With over 47,250,000 copies sold in the nearly 25 years since its initial release, Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow is more than just the eighth top selling video game of all time. Fans and critics consider it one of the best video games ever made. Its lasting success over the years proves this.

Check out on

Pokémon
$24.00
  • 7 style Video Game
  • for 16 Bit Cartridge
  • Pokemon Game Console Card Series
  • Blue Green Silver Crystal Yellow Red Golden Version toy
  • Package include: 1x Game cartridge only
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Amazon.

Best Racing Game: Mario

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
$51.74
  • Hit the road with the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 and play anytime, anywhere. Race your friends or battle them in a revised battle mode for new and returning battle courses
  • Play locally in up to 4-player multiplayer in 1080p while playing in TV Mode. Every track of the Wii U version, including DLC, makes a glorious return
  • Plus, the Inklings appear at all-new guest characters, along with returning favorites, such as King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr.
  • Players can choose a new Smart Steering feature which makes driving and staying on the track easy for novice players and kids even at 200cc
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03/11/2024 05:12 am GMT

Nothing is as enjoyable as a few rounds of Mario Kart with your crew. The joy, excitement, and simplicity of the Mario Kart franchise come alive in Mario. Available only on the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 blew all previous entries in the franchise out of the water with its many millions of copies sold.

The second of several Nintendo titles to make the list, Mario Kart 8 and its Nintendo Switch counterpart Mario Kart 8: Deluxe have sold more than 50 million copies in the eight years since its initial release. While fans are clamoring for a new entry in the franchise, rarely has this much time elapsed without a new Mario Kart. Nintendo is probably not in any rush to end these impressive sales.

Check out the Mario on Amazon.

Best Platform Game: Super

A Blast from the Past
Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros (Nintendo)
$49.98
  • Special golden Game & Watch based on the classic 1980 system
  • Celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. with Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.
  • System includes Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Ball (Mario version)
  • Includes a digital clock with up to 35 different animations
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03/10/2024 12:26 pm GMT

The oldest game on the list of the best-selling video games ever. Super Mario Bros. proves that a great concept can appeal to countless generations worldwide. Over 35 years old, Super Mario Bros. is still enjoyable for gamers, young and old. It’s a nostalgic play and remains a great game in its own right.

Exclusive to arcades and the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Mario Bros. can also be played on various ports across plenty of consoles and computers. Those versions are free, too — if they came at a price, it’s more than likely Super Mario Bros. would be even higher on this list. Still, at 58,000,000 copies, the number six spot is quite impressive.

Check out the Super on Amazon.

Best Battle Royale Game: PUBG:

Every Weapon to Choose From
PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
$21.99
  • PlayStation 4
  • Develop into a powerful soldier as you explore, and gear up for intense combat across a variety of maps featuring different environments
  • Uncover a wide variety of weapons and armor for an authentic and visceral combat experience
  • Number of Players: 1 Player, 2-100 Network Players
  • Spawn into the world alone and rely on your own tactics and skills or team up with up to 3 other players in duos or squads
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/11/2024 08:57 am GMT

Often discussed in the same breath as Fortnite, PUBG: Battlegrounds is like the paid, more mature version of the classic battle royale game that has been so popular over the past few years. While Fortnite‘s aesthetic is decidedly more kid-friendly, PUBG: Battlegrounds adopts a more adult-looking Call of Duty-esque aesthetic to deliver the same kind of last-man-standing multiplayer fun.

At over 75,000,000 copies sold to date (and growing), PUBG: Battlegrounds experienced tremendous success at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the game became free to play in January of 2022, it has grown to more than a billion players worldwide. If we were discussing the most-played video games instead of the top selling ones, it’d take the #1 spot.

Check out the PUBG: on Amazon.

Best Sports Game: Wii

Nintendo Wii Sports & Resort Special Value Edition (Renewed)
$171.33
  • Wii Sports Resort Special Value Edition
  • Wii Console with included Remote and Nunchuk
  • Wii Sports Game
  • Wii Sports Resort Game
  • Wii Motion Plus
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03/11/2024 07:56 am GMT

Bowling, boxing, tennis, baseball, golf – Wii had it all, and it was all a total blast. At the time, nothing compared to playing this game on the Wii. With the novelty of the new console combined with the simplicity and fun of the classic sports game, Wii Sports just couldn’t lose. It ended up topping all the competition simply by delivering an easy, enjoyable game that everyone could play.

If this list were about the top selling single-platform video games, then Wii Sports would take the cake. Number four on all-time top selling video games isn’t so bad. With nearly 83 million copies sold, Wii Sport’s popularity encapsulates the success of the Wii in the mid-to-late 2000s. Everyone clamored for the Wii, and Wii Sports was just part of that equation.

Check out Wii on Amazon.

Best Classic Game: Tetris

Tetris 99 + NSO (Nintendo Switch)
$37.49
  • 99 players only one will remain. Tetris 99 is the iconic puzzle game as you've never seen it before. Can you pick the right strategy to best 98 other players online - all at the same time
  • This physical version includes all content from the big block DLC featuring additional modes
  • CPU battle: Battle against 98 Bots. Defeat the machines
  • Marathon: go for the most lines and the highest score. Additional offline local multiplayer modes will also arrive later this year
  • Local Arena: get up to eight friends together for a local battle.2P share battle: share Joy-Con controllers for a two-player game!.Contains a 12 month individual membership for Nintendo Switch online,...
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03/11/2024 02:01 pm GMT

As the lasting success of Super Mario Bros. has shown, sometimes the classics are even more successful than the newbies. Credit it to the power of nostalgia, a sense of familiarity, or general accessibility that makes it broadly appealing to all ages and types of gamers, this Tetris game has become the third top selling video game of all time. Not to mention, it’s the bestselling mobile app ever.

This EA version of Tetris was released for the iPod in 2006. Since then, it has hit other phones, consoles, and tablets across the board. Today, the app continues to sell well. With over 100,000,000 games sold, Tetris‘s success is impressive and somewhat shocking.

Check out the Tetris on Amazon.

Best Open-World Game: Grand

Hands Down, Best Open-World
Grand Theft Auto V
$17.89
  • Premium Edition
  • PlayStation 4
  • Discover an ever-evolving world of choices and ways to play as you climb the criminal ranks of Los Santos and Blaine County in the ultimate shared Online experience
  • The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack is the fastest way for new GTA Online players to jumpstart their criminal empires with the most exciting and popular content plus 1,000,000 dollars bonus cash to spend in GTA Online
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03/11/2024 01:41 am GMT

What would console gaming be without the Grand franchise? Subject to all sorts of debate about violence in video games over the decades, the Grand Theft Auto series — particularly its fifth installment, first released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013 — is much more politically correct than it gets credit for. Fans don’t care one way or the other when the gameplay is so uniquely enjoyable, it seems. Doing crimes, orchestrating heists, buying weapons… Grand Theft Auto V has it all.

Like Mario Kart 8, Grand Theft Auto V fans would do anything to have a new installment in the franchise. After close to ten years, it’s long overdue. However, why would Rockstar rush a new Grand Theft Auto when this fifth installment is still selling so incredibly well? Rumors have begun to circulate about a sixth entry, so it’s probably not far off, but fans will have to be happy with V for now.

Check out the Grand on Amazon.

Best Overall Game: Minecraft

Minecraft Starter Collection - PlayStation 4
$29.99
  • Marketplace - Discover the latest community creations in the marketplace! Get unique maps, skins, and texture packs from your favorite creators.
  • Slash commands - Tweak how the game plays: you can give items away, summon mobs, change the time of day, and more.
  • Add-Ons - Customize your experience even further with free Add-Ons! If you're more tech-inclined, you can modify data-driven behaviors in the game to create new resource packs.
  • Realms - Play with up to 10 friends cross-platform, anytime, anywhere on Realms, your own private server that we host for you. Try a free 30-day trial in-app.
  • Servers - Join free massive multiplayer servers and play with thousands of others! Discover gigantic community-run worlds, compete in unique mini-games and socialize in lobbies full of new friends....
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03/11/2024 06:22 am GMT

Minecraft takes the top spot. Are you surprised? This sandbox survival game has been obsessively played for over a decade. Gamers of all experience levels participate in the open-world, exploring, crafting, and building. It started on the PC in beta and has since spread to every conceivable console and device imaginable.

With nearly a quarter of a billion copies to its name, Minecraft is far and away the top selling video game of all time. What’s even more impressive is that it accomplished this more or less untethered from the major game developers. It’s an inspiring success story for indie game developers the world over. Plus, it’s just an absolute joy to play.

Check out Minecraft on Amazon.

Where To Buy The Top Selling Video Games of All Time

At this point, you’re probably wondering where to get these best sellers. Let’s look at some of your best bets.

Online

Before looking elsewhere, you should look for these all-time bestsellers online. Whether it be the app store, your console shop, or an online retailer like Amazon, Best Buy, New Egg, and the like, the internet is often the only place you need to look to find your favorite game above.

Resale Shops

Online prices don’t appeal to you or exceed your budget? Take your hunt to the resale shops. Because these games are popular, you’re likely to find a good deal on a used version that someone has already gotten their money’s worth out of. You can find games like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 at your local reseller.

In-Store

Still looking? Try venturing into a store and seeing what you can find. Best Buy always stocks the latest and greatest games, including the classics you’ve seen here on this list. The same goes for Target and Walmart and other big box stores. On the downside, you’ll pay full price for a new game. Classics don’t cost as much as newly-released games.

What To Know Before Buying One of the Top Selling Video Games of All Time

There are a few other things to know before buying the top selling games. For starters, not all of these games are available for purchase anymore. From Wii Sports to Super Mario Bros. to Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, you might not be able to walk into the store or type in the game online and find what you’re looking for after all these years.

On the other hand, other entries on this list won’t cost you a penny. PUBG: Battlegrounds is free to play now, for example. Super Mario Bros. and some of the older Pokémon games also have free ports that can be found on a web browser.

Lastly, some of these games require specific consoles or devices to play. If you’re working with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, you might not have access to many of these games. The same goes for those with a Nintendo Switch or a tablet. Before checking out your all-time bestsellers, ensure it is compatible with your gaming system first.

Playing the Top Selling Video Games of All Time: What It’s Like

When you play one of the top selling video games of all time, you can expect a nostalgic gaming experience. You may feel you’ve played better games before. But, for your money, these top-sellers will likely be more fun than anything you’ve experienced on a console before.

Of course, it’s also possible you’ve played a majority of these games before. Their popularity has been unlike anything else in the world of video games. This will make a majority of these games sound very familiar to you. You might even have them in your collection already. If this is the case, there’s nothing wrong with replaying them, right?

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the bestselling video game ever?

Minecraft is currently the bestselling video game of all time at 238 million copies sold.

What's the bestselling mobile game?

Tetris remains the bestselling mobile game to date, topping 100 million sales so far.

How many Rockstar games are on the bestseller list?

Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V are both on the list of the top selling video games of all time, with Grand Theft Auto V coming in at #2 (second only to Minecraft).

How many copies did Wii Sports sell?

Wii Sports sold 82.9 million copies between 2006 and today, coming in at #4 on the list of bestselling video games ever.

Is PUBG more popular than Fortnite?

Yes, PUBG: Battlegrounds is currently the most-played video game of all time with over a billion different players around the world.

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