Top 10 best selling video game of all time

Top 10 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time

The video game industry has evolved from humble arcade origins into a cultural and economic juggernaut that surpasses both the film and music industries combined in revenue. With global gaming market value exceeding $229 billion in 2024, understanding which titles have achieved the greatest commercial success provides valuable insights into consumer preferences, technological evolution, and marketing strategies that have shaped entertainment history. This definitive ranking of the ten best-selling video games ever released examines not just sales figures, but the cultural impact, development stories, and lasting influence of these digital titans.

10. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (45+ Million Copies)

Nintendo struck gold with the timing of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, launching in March 2020 as global lockdowns began. The game’s real-time simulation, relaxing island life, and player-driven customization offered a much-needed escape for millions. Its appeal cut across age and gender, with a notably high percentage of female players.

• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• Initial Release: March 20, 2020
• Platform: Nintendo Switch

Pandemic Timing: Released just as global COVID-19 lockdowns began, New Horizons provided a social outlet and escape for millions of isolated players.

This perfect timing contributed to its explosive sales, with 13.4 million copies sold in its first six weeks alone.

Social Innovation: The game's island-building mechanics, visitation system, and real-time calendar created virtual gathering spaces that hosted everything from casual hangouts to weddings, graduation ceremonies, and political campaigns during pandemic restrictions.

Digital Economy: The game's trading systems, turnip "stalk market," and collector-focused gameplay created complex economic systems that mirrored real-world market behaviors and even spawned third-party marketplaces for rare in-game items.

9. Super Mario Bros. (48+ Million Copies)

The game that arguably saved console gaming after the 1983 crash, Super Mario Bros., released in 1985, introduced millions to Nintendo and platforming as a genre.

As a pack-in title for the NES in North America, its simple yet deep design revolutionized video game physics, level progression, and character movement.

• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• Initial Release: September 13, 1985
• Primary Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

Historical Significance: As the NES pack-in title in North America, Super Mario Bros. introduced millions to console gaming during the industry's recovery from the 1983 video game crash.

Its success established Nintendo's dominance in the revitalized market.

Design Revolution: Game director Shigeru Miyamoto's side-scrolling platform design revolutionized game movement, level structure, and progression mechanics.

The implementation of momentum-based physics created a control scheme that felt intuitive yet offered significant depth.

8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (50+ Million Copies)

• Developer/Publisher: CD Projekt Red
• Initial Release: May 19, 2015
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Sales Trajectory: The Witcher 3's sales pattern defies industry norms with approximately 50% of its lifetime sales occurring more than two years after release—a testament to word-of-mouth recommendation and sustained content support.

Development Context: Created by Polish studio CD Projekt Red with a budget of approximately $81 million, The Witcher 3 represented a major gamble for a mid-sized developer, ultimately transforming the company into a major industry player.

7. Red Dead Redemption 2 (61 Million Copies)

Red Dead Redemption 2 Released in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s most ambitious project, costing over $500 million and involving more than 2,000 developers.

Set in a meticulously detailed rendition of the American frontier, the game combines emotional storytelling with technical mastery. Arthur Morgan’s journey captivated players with moral dilemmas and complex character development.

• Developer/Publisher: Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
• Initial Release: October 26, 2018
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia

Sales Profile: Console versions account for approximately 80% of sales, with the PlayStation 4 version leading at around 32 million units.

The PC release, which came a full year after console versions, has sold approximately 12 million copies.

Production Scale: Developed over eight years by Rockstar's consolidated worldwide studios, the game involved over 2,000 team members and reportedly cost $370-540 million to create—potentially making it the most expensive video game ever developed.

6. Mario Kart 8/Deluxe (63.9 Million Copies)

Mario Kart 8’s combined sales on Wii U and Switch make it the best-selling racing game of all time. The original game launched in 2014, with its Switch version, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, releasing in 2017.

The game’s anti-gravity mechanics and high-definition graphics enhanced its appeal, while the revamped battle mode in the Deluxe edition corrected past criticisms. Its success is amplified by the Switch’s high attach rate—roughly one in two Switch owners own the game.

• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• Initial Release: May 29, 2014 (Wii U) / April 28, 2017 (Switch Deluxe)
• Platforms: Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch

Version Breakdown: This combined total includes approximately 8.4 million copies sold on Wii U and 55.5 million on Nintendo Switch, making Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the best-selling Switch game by a significant margin.

Development Evolution: The original Wii U release represented the HD debut for the franchise, while the Switch Deluxe version added new characters, tracks, and a revamped Battle Mode, effectively serving as both a port and a significant expansion.

5. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (75 Million Copies)

PUBG marked the mainstream arrival of the battle royale genre, building on mods from ARMA 2 and H1Z1. Released in 2017 by PUBG Studios, the game became a cultural juggernaut, breaking concurrent player records on Steam.

Although it later transitioned to a free-to-play model, its 75 million paid copies reflect the initial wave of popularity. The 100-player survival formula it popularized became a template for modern shooters.

Its influence extends to competitive esports, though plagued by technical issues and cheaters.

• Developer/Publisher: PUBG Studios/Krafton
• Initial Release: December 20, 2017 (following Early Access)
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mobile

Sales Note: This figure represents paid copies only, excluding the free-to-play mobile version which has been downloaded over 1 billion times.

The game transitioned to a free-to-play model on PC and consoles in January 2022, ending its paid sales period.

Origin Story: PUBG evolved from creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene's battle royale mods for ARMA 2 and H1Z1.

Its standalone release in Early Access proved so popular that it broke concurrent player records on Steam with 3.2 million simultaneous players.

4. Wii Sports (82.9 Million Copies)

Wii Sports, bundled with the Nintendo Wii in most regions, played a crucial role in the console’s success and gaming's demographic expansion.

Its intuitive motion controls introduced millions of non-gamers to interactive entertainment, with activities like tennis, bowling, and boxing.

Despite being a pack-in title, it sold independently in Japan and played a critical role in driving hardware adoption globally.

Wii Sports helped redefine who a gamer could be—retirement homes organized Wii Bowling tournaments, and hospitals used it for physical rehabilitation.

• Developer/Publisher: Nintendo
• Initial Release: November 19, 2006
• Platform: Nintendo Wii

Sales Context: As a pack-in title bundled with the Nintendo Wii in most regions, Wii Sports benefited from the console's remarkable 101.6 million unit sales.

However, its inclusion here is validated by its standalone sales in Japan and its role in driving hardware adoption.

Technological Innovation: Wii Sports perfectly showcased the Wii's revolutionary motion controls, translating physical movements into in-game actions with an intuitive simplicity that appealed to non-gamers.

This accessibility expanded gaming demographics significantly, particularly among older adults.

3. Tetris (Mobile) (100 Million Paid Downloads)

The mobile version of Tetris, published by EA Mobile in 2006, stands as the highest-selling iteration of one of the world’s most enduring puzzle games.

While Tetris originally debuted in 1984 on Soviet hardware, its mobile resurgence was driven by intuitive touchscreen controls that maintained the integrity of the classic gameplay.

More than 100 million paid downloads were recorded before the rise of free-to-play economics shifted the mobile landscape

• Developer/Publisher: EA Mobile/The Tetris Company

• Initial Release: 2006 (EA Mobile version)
• Platform: Mobile Devices

Sales Clarification: While Tetris has appeared on virtually every gaming platform since its 1984 creation by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov, the EA mobile version released in 2006 represents the single highest-selling iteration, with over 100 million paid downloads before the market shifted toward free-to-play models.

Technical Achievement: The mobile version successfully translated Tetris's precise control requirements to touchscreens, solving significant user interface challenges while maintaining the gameplay integrity that made it addictive across generations.

2. Grand Theft Auto V (190 Million Copies)

Grand Theft Auto V (190 Million Copies) Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) showcases the power of storytelling, technical polish, and an evolving online world.

Initially launched in 2013, its staggered release across three console generations, plus PC, contributed to its massive sales.

GTA V was developed over five years with a budget exceeding $265 million, making it one of the most expensive games ever made. It broke records with $1 billion in sales within three days.

Its innovations, like seamless character switching and a living open world, set new standards for the industry.

• Developer/Publisher: Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive
• Initial Release: September 17, 2013
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Sales Breakdown: GTA V's sales distribution heavily favors console platforms, with PlayStation versions accounting for approximately 45% of total sales, Xbox platforms 35%, and PC the remaining 20%.

The game's strategic release timing across three console generations maximized its market penetration.

Development Journey: With a reported budget exceeding $265 million and a development team of over 1,000 people across multiple Rockstar studios, GTA V represented one of the most ambitious game production efforts in history.

The five-year development process created a technical benchmark that would span multiple console generations.

1. Minecraft (238 Million Copies)

• Developer/Publisher: Mojang Studios/Microsoft
• Initial Release: November 18, 2011
• Platforms: PC, Mobile, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and more (25+ platforms)

Sales Breakdown: Minecraft's unprecedented commercial success spans virtually every gaming platform, with particularly strong performance on mobile devices (over 100 million), PC (more than 70 million), and consoles (approximately 68 million combined).

This universal platform approach has been fundamental to achieving its record-breaking sales figures.

Development Journey: What began as Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson's side project in 2009 evolved through public alpha and beta testing before its official release in 2011.

Microsoft's $2.5 billion acquisition of Mojang in 2014 accelerated the game's expansion across platforms and into educational markets.