The 25 Most Popular Video Games of All Time: Gaming Legends That Changed the World

Why These Games Matter

Video games are more than digital diversions—they’re living timelines, launching careers, shaping global pop culture, and rewriting how we connect, compete, and create. From the 8-bit days of cartridge-swapping to the cloud-based behemoths commanding hundreds of millions of players, video games have evolved into a phenomenon that rivals film and music in both influence and revenue. But among the endless arcade cabinets, home consoles, and indie downloads, a handful of games have done more than just sell zillions of copies—they’ve become generational touchstones, icons of creative genius, and engines of cultural impact.

Our energetic journey through the 25 most popular video games of all time is rooted in up-to-date sales data, evergreen consensus among gamers, and the undeniable records these games have shattered. Whether you’re a nostalgic NES fan, a PC build connoisseur, or a handheld adventurer, this list will spark memories, inspire marvel, and maybe—just maybe—even start a friendly debate. Let’s press start!

Quick Reference: The 25 Video Game Legends

Rank	Title	Release Year	Platform(s)	Genre	Notable Achievements / Records
1	Minecraft	2011	Multi-platform	Sandbox	350+ million sold; best-selling of all time
2	Grand Theft Auto V	2013	Multi-platform	Action-Adventure	215+ million sold; record-breaking revenue
3	Wii Sports	2006	Wii	Sports	82.9 million sold; best single-console game
4	Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe	2014/2017	Wii U / Switch	Racing	77.3 million sold; top Switch game
5	Red Dead Redemption 2	2018	Multi-platform	Action-Adventure	77 million sold; 175+ Game of the Year awards
6	PUBG: Battlegrounds	2017	Multi-platform	Battle Royale	75 million sold; popularized battle royale
7	The Oregon Trail	1971	Multi-platform	Educational	65 million sold; educational classic
8	Terraria	2011	Multi-platform	Sandbox RPG	64 million sold; ultimate indie hit
9	The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	2015	Multi-platform	RPG	60+ million sold; 300+ awards
10	Super Mario Bros.	1985	Multi-platform	Platformer	58 million sold; genre-defining icon
11	Human: Fall Flat	2016	Multi-platform	Puzzle, Physics	55 million sold; standout indie puzzle
12	Overwatch	2016	Multi-platform	FPS, Team-Based	60 million users; eSports phenomenon
13	The Sims	2000	Multi-platform	Simulation	48 million sold*; genre-defining sim
14	Animal Crossing: New Horizons	2020	Nintendo Switch	Social Simulation	47+ million sold; social/cultural phenomenon
15	Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow	1996	Game Boy & others	RPG	47.44 million sold; franchise launcher
16	Wii Fit / Plus	2007/2009	Wii	Fitness	43.8 million sold; health gaming revolution
17	Call of Duty: Black Ops III	2015	Multi-platform	FPS	43 million sold; best-selling CoD
18	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	2019	Multi-platform	FPS	41 million sold; modern reboot
19	Stardew Valley	2016	Multi-platform	Farming RPG	41 million sold; indie darling
20	Payday 2	2013	Multi-platform	FPS, Co-Op	40 million sold; co-op heist hit
21	Sonic the Hedgehog	1991	Multi-platform	Platformer	40 million sold; Sega’s mascot
22	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim	2011	Multi-platform	RPG	60 million sold; legendary open world
23	Mario Kart Wii	2008	Wii	Racing	37.38 million sold; Wii’s racing king
24	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	2018	Nintendo Switch	Fighting	36.24 million sold; best-selling fighting game
25	Tetris (Game Boy)	1989	Game Boy	Puzzle	35 million sold; puzzle icon

*some numbers approximate due to bundled/expansions or active user definitions. For full details and features, see each entry below.

Now, power up for deep dives into the stories, features, and legacy of these titanic titles!

1. Minecraft (2011): The World’s Ultimate Sandbox

Platforms: PC, mobile, consoles (nearly all)
Achievements: Over 350 million copies sold; 200 million+ monthly active users; $4.2 billion revenue; 1 trillion YouTube views
Official Website: minecraft.net

Minecraft isn’t just a video game—it’s a sprawling platform for limitless creativity, learning, and cultural mixing. Developed by Mojang and later acquired by Microsoft, Minecraft’s open-world sandbox allows players to build, survive, and craft in procedurally generated blocky worlds. Its impact? Astounding. Teachers use it in classrooms for STEM and history; YouTubers generate careers animating Minecraft content; and even real-world architects tout it as a training ground for spatial thinking.

Minecraft’s success is driven by its accessibility (play alone or with friends, on nearly every device), its thriving modding community, and a staggering global reach—China’s version, for instance, boasts more than 700 million users. Key cultural milestones include its role as a virtual festival platform, its speedrun community, and inspiring a generation of future coders. No game better symbolizes the idea that if you can dream it, you can build it.

2. Grand Theft Auto V (2013): The Open-World Blockbuster

Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC
Achievements: 215+ million sold; $1 billion in retail sales in three days; top Twitch streams; cultural lightning rod
Official Website: rockstargames.com/V

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is not just a game—it’s a media event. Rockstar’s criminal playground set in Los Santos is both a satirical stage and a technical wonder, featuring an immense, living world where anything goes. With Rockstar’s attention to detail and narrative ambition, GTA V delivers a cinematic adventure through the eyes of three main protagonists.

But its lasting impact? The global phenomenon of GTA Online, where heists, custom vehicles, and player-driven chaos keep the world coming back. GTA V was a cultural flashpoint—debated on TV, played by celebrities, sampled in memes, and even used for virtual concerts. Despite being out for over a decade, it still commands millions of active players monthly, and the anticipation for GTA VI shows how vital this series remains.

3. Wii Sports (2006): The Motion-Control Pioneer

Platform: Wii (bundled in most regions)
Achievements: 82.9 million sold; revolutionized motion gaming; best-selling single-console title of all time
Official Website: Nintendo Wii Sports

There is before Wii Sports, and after. Nintendo packed this game with the Wii, teaching the world to bowl, play tennis, and sweat through baseball—all by simply swinging a plastic remote. Wii Sports brought gaming to grandparents, gyms, and living rooms everywhere, making the Wii an unstoppable juggernaut and starting a fitness-gaming craze.

Its accessibility obliterated barriers, its intuitive play made you feel like an athlete, and its motion controls, while technically imprecise, captured a sense of fun unmatched by any previous sports simulator. Wii Sports was as much a social event as a game, inspiring everything from YouTube memes to scholarly articles on movement in gaming.

4. Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe (2014/2017): The Kart-Racing Titan

Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Achievements: 77.3 million sold (Deluxe version dominates); multiplayer mainstay; 67+ million on Switch alone
Official Website: mariokart8.nintendo.com

The success of Mario Kart 8—followed by its Switch re-release as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe—redefines “evergreen.” Nearly a decade since launch, it’s STILL a top-seller, outpacing even its own successors! With its ultra-smooth controls, deep track design, and party-perfect online play, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the karting king.

Nintendo’s post-launch support with new tracks, characters, and refined mechanics have made it a competitive staple and family favorite. For many, this is the definitive Mario Kart, featuring gorgeous HD visuals, frantic couch co-op, and one of gaming’s most active online scenes.

5. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018): The Narrative Western Epic

Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
Achievements: 77 million sold; over 175 Game of the Year awards; biggest opening weekend after GTA V
Official Website: rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2

Step into the boots of Arthur Morgan and experience the fading days of the American frontier. Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 is an artistic tour de force—an open-world western where realism and storytelling create a living world of breathtaking detail. Praised for its emotional narrative, ecological depth, and best-in-class “feel,” RDR2 is widely cited as one of the most significant games of its generation.

Beyond its best-selling status, RDR2 is used in university curricula to teach American history, biology, and literature, and its online mode continues to captivate a dedicated player base. It is often cited as a new benchmark for cinematic storytelling and environmental immersion in digital entertainment.

6. PUBG: Battlegrounds (2017): Battle Royale’s Trailblazer

Platforms: PC, consoles, mobile
Achievements: 75 million sold; ignited battle royale craze; massive eSports presence; inspired Fortnite
Official Website: pubg.com

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), the granddaddy of battle royales, changed the multiplayer world. Dropping 100 players onto a shrinking map was an innovation that spawned an entirely new genre. PUBG’s hunger for intense, unpredictable, winner-takes-all showdowns drew tens of millions of simultaneous players and catalyzed battle royales as a global obsession.

PUBG’s streamlined approach to loot, survival, and shooting inspired everything from Fortnite to Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone. Even years later, it leads updates—like new survivor passes and celebrity crossovers—that keep the action fresh.

7. The Oregon Trail (1971): Educational Gaming Pioneer

Platforms: Many (starting with mainframes to modern mobile)
Achievements: 65 million sold; foundational edutainment; synonyms with “You have died of dysentery.”
Official Information: BLM Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Few games are invoked in school hallways decades after kids first encountered them, but The Oregon Trail endures. Created in the early days of computing, this historical strategy game thrust players into the perilous journey westward, mixing resource management and random misfortune.

Its influence is far-reaching: it set the template for branching narratives, player choice, and blended learning. The phrase “You have died of dysentery” is gaming folklore, and the game’s design philosophies echo in modern roguelikes and simulations. Versions and remakes keep its legend alive, even turning the game into a retro-chic collectible.

8. Terraria (2011): The Indie Sandbox Adventure

Platforms: PC, consoles, mobile
Achievements: 64 million sold; 97% “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam; mod powerhouse
Official Website: terraria.org

“Dig, fight, explore, build!” Terraria’s tagline captures its appeal. Indie developer Re-Logic’s 2D sandbox is a marvel of open-ended gameplay; it’s a playground of secrets, crafting, and survival that invites exploration and community collaboration. Riding the wave of continuous updates and astonishing mod support, Terraria has become a generational hit.

Above all, its accessibility and depth have driven its status as a must-buy. Its crossover events (like the Palworld collaboration in 2025) and thriving speedrun and creative communities make it a living part of gaming culture, not just a nostalgia trip.

9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015): RPG Storytelling Benchmark

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Achievements: 60 million sold; 300+ “Game of the Year” awards; deep critical and fan acclaim
Official Website: thewitcher.com/en/witcher3

“Open world” and “narrative depth” rarely mesh so well as in The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red’s magnum opus, set in a dark fantasy universe, puts players in control of Geralt of Rivia—a monster hunter with as many ethical dilemmas as monsters to slay. Notably, the game’s choices aren’t cosmetic; they forge rippling consequences throughout a vast, immersive world.

With constant updates, massive expansions, and now mods on consoles, The Witcher 3 continues to attract new players. Its influence? Mainstreaming adult, morally complex storytelling and showing that Polish-developed games could conquer the globe.

10. Super Mario Bros. (1985): The Platformer That Started It All

Platforms: NES, myriad ports and emulated releases
Achievements: 58 million sold; invented mainstream platforming; made Mario an icon for all ages
Official Site: supermario.com

There is a "before and after" Super Mario Bros. This 1985 classic infused lifeblood into the home console market, defined the platformer, and made Mario a global celebrity. Its level design, power-ups, and secret-filled stages became templates for generations of games.

Nearly 40 years later, Mario remains at the core of Nintendo’s brand, and Super Mario Bros. is still being speedrun, remixed, and celebrated at festivals and conventions. Its contributions to music, character design, and game structure are impossible to overstate.

11. Human: Fall Flat (2016): The Wobbly-Puzzle Indie Smash

Platforms: PC, consoles, mobile
Achievements: 55 million sold; innovative physics-based puzzles; top Steam Workshop participation
Official Website: humanfallflat.com

What happens when you combine ragdoll physics, goofy puzzle design, and multiplayer chaos? You get one of the most YouTube-worthy indies of the decade. Human: Fall Flat lets players—with up to seven friends—clumsily stumble, tumble, and collaborate through dreamlike, physics-filled levels.

The game owes its popularity to its hilarious unpredictability and unprecedented support for user-generated content, with over 5,000 community-made levels and a workshop brimming with creativity.

12. Overwatch (2016): Team-Based Shooter Phenomenon

Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch
Achievements: Over 60 million players; $1 billion+ in revenue; reshaped eSports and character shooters
Official Website: playoverwatch.com

Blizzard’s Overwatch was a tectonic shift for multiplayer gaming: bright, optimistic, and loaded with instantly iconic characters. Its slick team-based mechanics, tight maps, and layered “hero shooter” design made it accessible for newcomers but deep for pros.

Overwatch’s influence on eSports is immense, launching the Overwatch League and professionalizing international tournaments. It has sparked vibrant fan communities, countless cosplays, and one of gaming’s most wholesome meme cultures—portraying real diversity among its global cast.

13. The Sims (2000): Life Simulation Breakthrough

Platforms: PC, consoles, mobile
Achievements: 48 million sold (base game/series); created “sandbox life simulations”
Official Website: thesims.com

Before Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, there was The Sims. Will Wright’s genre-defining sandbox sim let players construct homes, design characters, and shape virtual lives in endlessly creative ways. Its mod- and expansion-friendly platform made it the darling of casual and hardcore players alike.

From its influential architectural tools to its viral Twitch and YouTube communities, The Sims has not only sold tens of millions but made gamers out of entire demographics never previously targeted. Family dramas, soap operas, speed builds—the game is whatever you want it to be.

14. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020): The Pandemic Phenomenon

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Achievements: 48.19 million sold; “Game of the Pandemic”; social phenomenon
Official Website: animal-crossing.com

Released at the precise moment when the world needed escape, Animal Crossing: New Horizons became a gentle haven of community and creativity. Build your dream island, decorate endlessly, befriend adorable villagers, and trade turnips on the stalk market. Children and adults, celebrities and Twitter personalities alike, joined in the global “island life” conversation.

From virtual weddings to political rallies, classroom hangouts to museum tours, New Horizons’ charm, regular content drops, and open-ended design made it one of the defining games of the 2020s.

15. Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (1996): Gotta Catch ’Em All, Forever

Platform: Game Boy, later digital re-releases
Achievements: 47.44 million sold; launched billion-dollar franchise; global phenomenon
Official Website: pokemon.com

Pokémon’s first “generation”—Red, Blue, and Yellow—started a worldwide craze that still thrives. The allure of monster capturing, battle strategy, and social trading made Pokémon a pillar of both gaming and pop culture.

Pokémon’s cross-media success is unparalleled: it spawned anime, movies, cards, toys, and more. As of 2025, the franchise has moved 480 million games globally, but Red/Blue/Yellow remains the crown jewel that turned kids (and adults) into lifelong Trainers.

16. Wii Fit / Plus (2007/2009): Fitness-Gaming Crossover

Platform: Wii
Achievements: 43.8 million sold (combined); innovator in exergaming
Official Information: Wii Fit - NintendoWiki

Before Ring Fit and smartphone walking apps, Wii Fit got millions moving. Using the Wii Balance Board for strength, yoga, and balance mini-games, Wii Fit and its more robust sequel, Wii Fit Plus, turned living rooms into personal gyms.

Hugely influential, it proved games could have health benefits and opened doors for motion gaming, rehabilitation, and even clinical studies on the impacts of digital fitness.

17. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015): Modern Military Shooter Icon

Platforms: Multi-platform
Achievements: 43 million sold; enduring competitive scene; top-selling Call of Duty to date
Official Website: callofduty.com

The Call of Duty series is a byword for blockbuster success and Black Ops III is arguably its most innovative entry. Combining a cinematic campaign with a refined zombies mode and pulse-pounding online multiplayer, BO3 set franchise records and won over both casual and pro shooter fans. Its success was propelled by blockbuster sales, relentless updates, and passionate eSports support.

18. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019): FPS Titan Rebooted

Platforms: Multi-platform
Achievements: 41 million sold; “game as a service” approach; Warzone introduction
Official Website: callofduty.com

Infinity Ward’s 2019 reboot revived the franchise with cinematic flair, tactical depth, and blockbuster campaigns. Its new engine, cross-play, and battle royale spinoff (Warzone) kept millions of players online and ushered in a new era of live-service competitive shooters. Modern Warfare’s success confirms the franchise’s hold on the FPS genre—one that continues to evolve and dominate today’s gaming landscape.

19. Stardew Valley (2016): The Farming-Sim Indie Darling

Platforms: Multi-platform
Achievements: 41 million sold; solo-developed indie mega-success; net revenue $150 million+
Official Website: stardewvalley.net

Created by a single developer, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, Stardew Valley revived and improved the farming-sim genre (think: spiritual successor to Harvest Moon). Its pixel-art charm, deep systems, and regular free updates nourished a loyal global fanbase.

Stardew is more than just planting crops and marrying townsfolk—it’s a cozy refuge, a source of quirky YouTube roleplay series, and a symbol of indie games’ power to outshine AAA blockbusters.

20. Payday 2 (2013): The Co-Op Heist Shooter Sensation

Platforms: Multi-platform
Achievements: 40 million sold; legendary for modding/community content; $200 million revenue
Official Website: paydaythegame.com

Payday 2 became the definitive cooperative heist game. With intricate missions, multiple approaches, and a much-beloved modding scene, it’s where best friends become worst enemies—or legendary thieves. Its sustained updates, streamability, and infamously challenging police “waves” keep it fresh and relevant.

21. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991): Platforming Mascot Icon

Platforms: Genesis, multi-platform ports, mobile, compilation releases
Achievements: 40 million sold; Sega mascot for a generation; foundation for hit films
Official Website: sonicthehedgehog.com

When Sega needed a mascot to counter Mario, Sonic sped onto the scene. His blue blur was the face of the Genesis era and a mainstay of early ’90s pop culture. Sonic’s legacy is revived today through endless remakes, new platformers, and even blockbuster movies, reminding us of simplicity, speed, and attitude in gaming.

22. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011): Open-World Fantasy Legend

Platforms: Everything (PC, consoles, Switch, VR, Alexa…)
Achievements: 60 million sold; $1.4 billion revenue; genre-defining modding/cosplay community
Official Website: elderscrolls.com/skyrim

Bethesda’s Skyrim is the game with infinite lives—remastered across every platform, endlessly modded, and still cited as the model for open-world exploration. Forge your destiny as the Dragonborn in a massive, detailed fantasy kingdom filled with quests, dragons, and branching storylines. Skyrim is renowned for its dramatic music, emergent storytelling, user-generated content, and enduring memes (arrows in knees included).

23. Mario Kart Wii (2008): Family-Friendly Racing Hit

Platform: Wii
Achievements: 37.38 million sold; most popular home console multiplayer racer
Official Website: mariokartwii.com

Motion-swinging the Wii Wheel, racing as your favorite Mario character, and launching blue shells at grandma—Mario Kart Wii is the classic family gaming experience. Expanded online play and a robust roster mean it’s still popular at gaming parties, with kids, parents, and lifelong fans. Its sheer accessibility and charm continue to define the fun of “just one more race” gaming.

24. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018): Crossover Fighting Spectacle

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Achievements: 36.24 million sold; best-selling fighting game in history; “everyone is here” character roster
Official Website: smashbros.com

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings together characters from across gaming—Mario, Sonic, Pokémon, Bayonetta, and even Minecraft’s Steve—for the ultimate brawl. Its finely balanced gameplay, esports scene, tournament records, and regular DLC drops keep it a constant on the competitive and casual circuits.

This improbable crossover feast is now the best-selling fighting game of all time, adored by pros and kids alike, and a staple at everything from grassroots tournaments to Evo esports mega-events.

25. Tetris (Game Boy) (1989): Portable Puzzle Classic

Platform: Game Boy
Achievements: 35 million sold on Game Boy alone (hundreds of millions across all versions); foundational puzzle game
Official Site: tetris.com

“Just one more line.” Tetris is the game that made the Nintendo Game Boy a must-have, selling over 35 million portable copies and birthing the “falling block” genre. Created by Alexey Pajitnov in 1984 Soviet Russia and arriving on the Game Boy in 1989, its addictive logic and iconic tune are still the standard for puzzle games and portable play. As of today, with mobile downloads counted, Tetris remains fiercely in contention for the title of “most-owned game ever made”.

Honorable Mentions & Reflections

There are many more cultural juggernauts, from Fortnite and League of Legends (immense by player count and live service revenue, but less by game unit sales) to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (33.04 million Switch sales) and Among Us (free on many platforms, wildly viral). As metrics evolve—active users, streaming viewership, and cross-platform engagement—the definition of “most popular” might shift, but the titans above have made their mark by any measure.

Conclusion: The Shape of Gaming History

These 25 games represent every era, genre, and style, reflecting both technological shifts and evolving player tastes. They’re more than sales statistics; they’re catalysts for community, creativity, and cultural connection. Some made us run, some made us dance or solve, and some—even—made us learn.

From 8-bit leaps to blocky builds, frantic team shooters to rogue adventures, these games aren’t just popular—they are the very DNA of modern gaming.

Ready to take the next adventure? Power up your controller, click a link, and join the legend.