The Best Selling Video Games of All Time Ranked
A tiny sandbox game, a chaotic crime epic, and a pack-in sports title sit at the top of gaming history. This ranking focuses on reported unit sales for individual games, not full franchises, free-to-play downloads, or lifetime revenue. That matters because top grossing video games can look very different once subscriptions, mobile spending, and microtransactions enter the picture.
Sales totals change as publishers update numbers, but these are the biggest names that have shaped the conversation around the best selling video games ever.
1. Minecraft
Minecraft leads the list by a huge margin, with reported sales above 300 million copies. Its success comes from a simple idea with endless room to grow: build, explore, survive, and create your own goals.
It also benefits from being available almost everywhere. Consoles, PC, mobile devices, and education editions all helped it become more than a game. For many players, it is a toy box, a survival challenge, and a social space at the same time.
2. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V ranks near the top with well over 185 million copies sold, and its long life is rare in any entertainment medium. It first launched in 2013, then stayed relevant across three console generations.
The story mode helped sell the first wave. GTA Online kept the momentum going for years. Few games have mixed open-world freedom, satire, missions, and multiplayer staying power this well.
3. Wii Sports
Wii Sports sold more than 82 million copies, helped by its role as a bundled game with the Nintendo Wii in many regions. That does not make its impact smaller. It turned motion controls into a living room event.
Bowling was the breakout star. It was simple enough for grandparents, kids, and non-gamers to understand in seconds. Few games have expanded the gaming audience so quickly.
4. PUBG Battlegrounds
PUBG Battlegrounds helped popularize the modern battle royale format. Before it became free-to-play, it had sold more than 75 million copies.
Its loop was tense and easy to explain. Drop onto a map, find gear, survive, and be the last player standing. Later games built on the formula, but PUBG gave the genre its mainstream spark.
5. Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8, especially through Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, has become one of Nintendo’s biggest sellers. Combined sales are often counted among the highest in gaming.
Its strength is instant fun. The handling feels smooth, the items create chaos, and local multiplayer keeps it useful long after release day.
6. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold more than 60 million copies and stands out for its craftsmanship. It is a slower game than many blockbusters, but that became part of its identity.
The world feels dense, detailed, and lived in. Its sales prove that a story-heavy single-player game can still compete at the highest level.
7. Terraria
Terraria is one of the most impressive long-tail success stories in gaming. It has sold tens of millions of copies through years of updates, ports, and word of mouth.
It blends crafting, combat, exploration, and boss fights into a compact 2D world. Players keep returning because there is always another cave to search or build to finish.
8. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt became a benchmark for open-world role-playing games. Its exact sales have grown over time, helped by expansions, next-gen updates, and renewed interest from the Netflix series.
Its best trick is not just scale. Side quests often feel as carefully written as the main story, which helped it build a lasting reputation.
9. Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow
The original Pokémon games helped launch one of the biggest entertainment franchises ever. Across their early versions, they sold tens of millions of copies on Game Boy.
They worked because collecting, trading, battling, and exploring all fit together perfectly. The social element made the games spread across playgrounds and link cables.
10. Animal Crossing New Horizons
Animal Crossing New Horizons became a massive hit on Nintendo Switch, especially during 2020. Its gentle pace gave players a place to decorate, collect, fish, and visit friends.
It is one of the best examples of comfort gaming reaching blockbuster scale.
The top pick is still Minecraft
Minecraft remains the clear number one because its appeal cuts across age, platform, and play style. Some games sell through spectacle. Minecraft sold through possibility, and that has made it the biggest game on the list.
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