The video game industry has grown dramatically over the past few decades and now generates hundreds of billions of dollars each and every year. A big part of this success can be attributed to the vast and varied selection of games that are on offer these days, although some of these titles are responsible for a lot more revenue than others.
The most successful video games have sold tens of millions of copies, with a select few even breaking through the 100 million-unit mark. Their impressive longevity and enduring appeal have helped them to remain relevant across multiple console generations, cementing their place among the best-selling video games of all time in the process.
10Human: Fall Flat
50,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of December 2023)
Physics-based games were all the rage in the mid-2010s, though none were quite as successful asHuman: Fall Flat. The popular puzzle platformer has been released across multiple platforms and offers one ofthe best co-op experiences on the marketwhen it comes to wild and chaotic gameplay. It’s managed over fifty million sales since its 2016 release, with a sequel being announced in 2023.
9The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
50,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of May 2023)
Many considerThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntto be the best multiplatform game released on eighth-generation consoles, and for very good reason. It’s one ofthe most immersive open-world games ever made, with stunning settings and a vast and varied cast of well-written characters for players to interact with. The current-gen version is even better, offering more vibrant visuals and higher-resolution textures.
8Super Mario Bros.
58,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of February 2010)
Super Mario Bros.helped to save the home console market followingthe great video game crash of 1983. The series would go on to sell hundreds of millions of copies, with various spin-off games and series introduced in the following decades. The NES release shipped more than 50 million units before handheld and virtual ports helped to further bolster the game’s impressive sales total.
63,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of May 2024)
Grand Theft Autoquite rightly takes most of the plaudits, but Rockstar’sRed Dead Redemptiongames are incredibly impressive nonetheless. More than half a decade on from its original release,Red Dead Redemption 2remains one of the most immersive andwell-written video gamesever made, which has resulted in more than 60 million lifetime sales.
6Mario Kart 8
70,430,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of March 2024)
When it comes tospin-off games and series, they really don’t come much bigger thanMario Kart. The first of Mario’s many side projects is bigger than most mainline franchises, as evidenced by the impressive sales figures ofMario Kart 8. It’s worth noting that the Wii U version does account for some of the 70 million+ units shipped, though, even without these sales, the Switch port sits comfortably in the top ten best-sellers.
5PUBG: Battlegrounds
75,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of December 2021)
Together with the likes ofFortniteandH1Z1,PUBG: Battlegroundsplayed a pivotal role in the popularization of the battle royale genre. It was developed by Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene, a well-respected member of theArma 2modding scene. The game has racked up over 75 million lifetime sales since its release in late 2017, inspiring countlessother battle royale gamesin the process.
4Wii Sports
82,900,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of March 2024)
The success ofWii Sportsis made all the more impressive by the fact that the game is only available on one platform. Granted, it was bundled with the Wii in many regions, but a lot of the people who bought the console were doing so specifically for this popular fitness game. Its 82 million lifetime sales make it the best-selling video game on a single platform, not to mention one ofthe best system sellers ever made.
3Tetris
100,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of January 2010)
It could perhaps be argued thatTetrisis technically the best-selling video game of all time, given how similar some ofthe many different versions of the titleare. However, when it comes to sales of just a single version ofTetris, EA’s mobile release leads the way with over 100 million paid downloads between its release in mid-2008 and the game being delisted from digital storefronts some twelve years later.
2Grand Theft Auto V
200,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of May 2024)
Given that it’s beenreleased across three different console generations, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn thatGrand Theft Auto 5is one of the best-selling video games of all time. In fact, with over 200 million lifetime sales, it’s sold more copies than every other mainlineGTAgame combined, such is the enduring quality of Rockstar’s 2013 title.
1Minecraft
300,000,000+ Lifetime Sales (as of October 2023)
Not all ofMicrosoft’s big acquisitionshave paid off, but the $2.5 billion that the tech giant paid for Mojang seems like something of a bargain given the monumental success ofMinecraft. The game has now sold more than 300 million units, with around a quarter of a billion of those sales coming in the decade or so since the Mojang deal was initially struck.
