The best-selling games ever have literally sold millions and millions of copies and we’ve broken down the top 10 best-selling games including some massive franchises such as GTA, Minecraft, Pokemon, and more.
When you look back through the annals of history, there have been some truly outstanding game franchises, many of which have gone on to make hundreds of millions across various titles.
However, we’re identifying the individual titles that have reaped the most rewards and garnered the most standalone success. Franchises like Call of Duty and The Elder Scrolls have collectively sold tons of copies across the whole franchise, but neither has had a single entry crack the all-time top 10.
All this information is based on the most recent statistical reports and confirmed figures, and we all know that these figures have the propensity to change at some point.
So without further ado, here are the current top 10 best-selling games of all time from the least sold to the one ruler of them all.
10. Terraria – 44 million
It may have borrowed a fair amount of the concept and design premise from Minecraft, but make no mistake, Terraria is very much its own game.
Combining mining, building, exploring, and combat in its unique 2D world, Terraria contains countless hours of gameplay and encourages players to traverse the vastness of the game’s randomly generated worlds.
9. Red Dead Redemption 2 – 45 million
The first of two Rockstar entries on this list, Red Dead Redemption 2 embraced all of the company’s visions and aspirations for its games: a huge open world, a well-written narrative, intricate and meticulously designed gameplay and missions, and realistic horse testicle physics (ok, maybe not the last one.)
The critically acclaimed follow-up to Red Dead Redemption was lauded by almost everyone and it rightfully earned its 45 million copies sold achievement.
8. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow/Green – 47 million
The original Pokemon games probably haven’t aged that well in comparison to newer entries, but at the time they were ground-breaking RPGs that gripped gamers for a generation with a fascinating world that led to a hit anime, numerous films, and many more games.
The Pokemon Company is now worth a colossal $100 billion and this wouldn’t have been possible without the original games. Also, yes, there was a Pokemon Green edition released exclusively in Japan!
7. Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 55 million
It seems hard to believe that we haven’t had a Mario Kart 9 yet, but the success of Mario Kart 8, and later Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, has proven to be instrumental in this decision.
At 55 million units sold and counting, both editions of Mario Kart 8 are still flying, and drifting, to victory — with more DLC planned for the future. So it could be a while until the ninth mainline game leaves Mario Kart 8 in the dust.
6. Super Mario Bros. – 58 million
Widely regarded as the game that single-handedly saved the entire industry and paved the way for future generations, Super Mario Bros. delivered unbelievable innovation and imagination at a time when the medium needed it the most.
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Released in 1985, Super Mario Bros. actually still holds up pretty well! Whilst it will never cross the 60 million copies sold landmark, its importance and place in history have been cemented forever.
5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) – 75 million
Before Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite came along and scooped up the majority of the battle royale market, PUBG was actually the sole survivor basking in all the adulation of the genre.
It’s true that H1Z1 was the main originator of the unique concept, but PUBG popularized the idea and expanded upon it greatly. This shows in its unreal sales figures and whereas other games have come along and knocked it off its perch, PUBG still receives regular updates and is still beloved by a large player base.
4. Wii Sports – 82 million
Did Wii Sports have the benefit of being bundled with the majority of Wii Consoles? Yes. Does it matter? Not really. The fact is that Wii Sports is a large reason why the Wii was such a phenomenon.
Simulated bowling and tennis using revolutionary peripheral devices proved to be engaging for entire families and its inclusivity is what drew people to Wii Sports, even leading to sales of the game outside of packaged bundles too.
3. Grand Theft Auto 5 – 170 million
Given that Grand Theft Auto 5 could only be legally bought and played by adults, this immediately slashed GTA 5’s selling potential, meaning 170 million units sold is quite frankly astonishing.
Rockstar Games, much to the chagrin of gamers who have been clamoring for GTA 6 for years, have released the game across three different generations of consoles, and no doubt this has had a massive bearing on its sales stats.
Nevertheless, the mature-intended title is coming up to 200 million copies sold, it’s the most profitable piece of media ever when you factor in GTA Online, and the bar has been set for GTA 6.
2. Minecraft – 238 million +
The stats for the final two games in this list do start to become a bit vaguer as they are still selling copies every day, but Minecraft is an example of a simple idea that has turned into a goldmine for Mojang.
Players are still taking the plunge and diving into the game’s endless sea of exploration and customization. Despite spin-off titles and an upcoming film, the original Minecraft is still a timeless classic that continues to reel in several million active players each month.
1. Tetris – 500 million +
Like Wii Sports, Tetris’ figures may vary according to who you believe, but the fact is that combined with well over 400 million in paid mobile phone sales, the basic and authentic version of Tetris has surpassed 500 million in sales and is head and shoulders above the rest.
The line-clearing puzzle game has kept players absorbed for the better part of nearly 40 years and despite its own spin-offs in the form of Tetris Effect and the battle royale-inspired Tetris 99, OG Tetris is on top of the hill – and probably will be forever.
