The top 50 best-selling games of all time provide insight into how player appeal, player reach, and monetization fit into a video game’s design. Featuring among the top 50 are genre-definers, established long-running franchises, and games that pioneered or perfected unusual gameplay mechanics. The continued success of franchises like Pokémon, Super Mario, and Call of Duty indicate design strategies that have created a brand, culture, and nostalgia to maintain their appeal. Games on the top 50 list are diverse, including genres like role-playing games (RPGs), first-person shooters (FPS), massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and others. Read below to learn about the top 50 best-selling games of all time.
1. Pokémon Franchise
The Pokémon franchise is a series of role-playing games (RPGs) published by Nintendo and created by the Japanese studio Game Freak. Pokémon games centre around playing as a “Pokémon trainer”, catching small monsters called pokémon to evolve and use in combat against other trainers’ pokémon. Pokémon as a franchise became world-famous after the first games, Pokémon Red and Green, were released for Game Boy in 1996, expanding into an anime, collectible cards, and succeeding games on Nintendo platforms. As of 2025, the Pokémon franchise’s revenue since its inception exceeds $166 billion, and it has sold over 489 million video games in total. Besides the original Game Boy platforms, Pokémon games have been played on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS and 3DS, mobile phones, GameCube, Wii and Wii U, and PC.
2. Super Mario Franchise
The Super Mario franchise is a platformer video game series dating back to 1985, created by Nintendo. Super Mario is centered around the titular character, Mario, and his quest to rescue Princess Peach by defeating monsters, tunneling through pipes, jumping over dangerous obstacles, and gaining power-ups. The Super Mario franchise has maintained global cultural recognition over the years, with over 200 games featuring the titular character, and spin-offs like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros becoming lucrative franchises in their own right. The Super Mario franchise’s total revenue has surpassed $63.1 billion, selling over 900 million games worldwide. Super Mario games originated at arcades and have been played on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Wii platforms, Nintendo DS and 3DS, Switch, and others.
3. Call of Duty Franchise
The Call of Duty franchise is a series of first-person shooter (FPS) games published by Activision and developed first by Infinity Ward, with succeeding games developed by Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, and Infinity Ward. Gameplay focuses on simulating a combat experience in single-player and team-based settings. The original Call of Duty game had themes of World War II, with later games in the series incorporating styles such as modern or futuristic warfare, and including new modes like battle royale. Call of Duty has a notable esports following, with the 2025 Call of Duty League Championship achieving 353 525 viewers. The Call of Duty franchise has passed $35 billion in gross revenue and has sold over 500 million units in global sales. Platforms supporting Call of Duty games include PC, mobile devices, and PS and Xbox consoles.
4. Fortnite
Fortnite is a battle royale game created and published by Epic Games in 2017. Gameplay on Fortnite is focused on survival, exploring the terrain, and building while competing in an online environment. Fortnite’s high speed while competing against 100 other players appealed to a young audience, resulting in over $26 billion in revenue since its release. As a free-to-play game, Fortnite’s revenue comes from microtransactions on cosmetic items like skins and emotes, as well as battle passes and other items. Registered users on Fortnite exceed 650 million, and the game is played on mobile devices, PS4 and PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
5. Dungeon Fighter Online
Dungeon Fighter Online is a beat ‘em up action role-playing game (ARPG) created by Nexon subsidiary Neople. Gameplay of Dungeon Fighter Online resembles a side-scrolling platformer style, as well as MMORPG dungeon crawling while battling monsters. The online free-to-play game has achieved a strong following in Asia, with total earnings reaching above $22 billion, through the support of over 850 million players around the world, playing on Windows PCs and Android mobile devices.
6. League of Legends
League of Legends is a free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game developed by Riot games in 2009. Gameplay in League of Legends involves teams of 5v5 with specialized roles facing off against each other in lanes and jungle environments. League of Legends’ total revenue exceeds $20 billion through selling champion skins and other items, with an active player base of 131 million active players per month and 30 to 40 million active players per day. Riot Games runs its own esports events, including the League of Legends World Championships. League of Legends is playable on Windows PCs and MacOS.
7. EA Sports FC / FIFA Franchise
EA Sports FC, formerly named FIFA Franchise, is a sports game series where players build and manage virtual FIFA World Cup soccer teams and control the team’s players in simulated matches. The original FIFA games were created by EA, licensing the FIFA brand, with EA changing the name after the partnership came to an end. The EA Sports FC/FIFA franchise has gained popularity with soccer fans worldwide, in particular in Europe and Africa. The series has grossed in excess of $20 billion, with over 300 million games sold over its lifetime across PC and Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.
8. Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga (Candy Crush) is a match-3 puzzle game, where players match sets of 3 or more objects in under a set number of actions. Developed by Activision Blizzard subsidiary King, Candy Crush started as a Facebook game in 2012. Through its broad appeal to a diverse player base, Candy Crush developed into the highest-grossing mobile game of all time, with a lifetime revenue exceeding $20 billion, over 3 billion downloads, and around 273 million active users per month. Since its Facebook launch, Candy Crush has been played on Android, IOS, and Windows Phone devices, and on Tizen and Fire OS.
9. Honor of Kings / Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor (AOV) and Honor of Kings (HOK) are Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games designed for mobile. Gameplay in both AOV and HOK involves competition between two teams in a three-lane map, with the objective of defeating the opposing team’s base. AOV is an international adaptation of the original HOK, which was developed in China by Tencent Subsidiary TiMi Studios and gained a following in the country. The two games have a combined revenue surpassing $18.6 billion, through the support of 272.4 million players online every month, with 260 million of those players on HOK. Both games are available on Android and IOS mobile devices, with AOV including a Nintendo Switch version.
10. PUBG Mobile / Battlegrounds
PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) is a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) survival and shooter game series. PUBG was developed by Brendan “Player Unknown” Greene and Bluehole, and is now under a Bluehole subsidiary, PUBG Corp. The original PUBG game was developed for PC and is known for its battle royale, pitting 100 players against one another to be the sole survivor, or sole surviving group. The PUBG franchise includes other modes and games beyond the battle royale, including a Team Deathmatch mode, a first-person extraction shooter game, and a mobile game, PUBG Mobile. PUBG has achieved over $17 billion in revenue, with its mobile active players approximating 25 million daily. Platforms supporting PUBG include mobile platforms, PC, PS4 and PS5, and Xbox One and Series X/S.
11. Crossfire
Crossfire is a first-person shooter (FPS) game series, with the first game created by Smilegate in 2007. Gameplay of Crossfire focuses on tactical combat between warring factions of mercenaries, Black List and Global List, with players facing off to secure objectives. Crossfire gained strong support in Asia, in particular South Korea. The 2007 Crossfire game has over 1 billion players across all platforms. The game series has grossed over $14.3 billion internationally and is played on Windows PCs, Xbox One and Series X/S, PS VR2, PC VR, Android, and IOS.
12. World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft (WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing video game (MMORPG) created and published by Activision Blizzard. Playing WoW centers around creating a personalized character, exploring an open world fantasy environment, and combating monsters to level up. High-level gameplay lets players go on team missions known as Dungeons and Raids. WoW gained global recognition and cultural relevance, with South Park even dedicating an episode to the game. The game’s gross revenue since inception is estimated at above $14 billion, earned through its subscription model, game sales and expansions, and in-game content. WoW has 8.5 million active players per month and is playable on both Windows PC and Mac.
13. Mario Kart Franchise
The Mario Kart franchise (Mario Kart) is a series of kart-racing games created and published by Nintendo, with the first game being released in 1992. The objective of Mario Kart is for players to race in go-karts, controlling driver avatars based on characters from the Super Mario Bros franchise. Mario Kart’s gameplay involves performing racing tricks and using items for power-ups, combat, and other racing advantages. Mario Kart’s racing mechanics, battle modes, and weapon items have become popular additions within the kart racing sub-genre. The Mario Kart franchise has sold upwards of 200 million copies, with an estimated gross revenue of $12.8 billion. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe alone sold over 68 million units, making it the Switch’s best-selling game. Other Nintendo platforms that have supported the Mario Kart franchise include the 64, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, DS and 3DS, Wii and Wii U, and SNES. Mario Kart games have also been released for arcades and mobile devices.
14. Monster Strike
Monster Strike is a multiplayer cooperative game that hybridizes physics and role-playing game (RPG) elements, as well as allowing co-op options. Players of Monster Strike collect and evolve monsters, take on quests, and bounce the monsters off of each other in a pinball fashion. Monster Strike was developed by Yoshiki Okamoto of studio Mixi in 2013 and became Japan’s highest-grossing mobile game from 2014 until 2017, remaining near the top of the chart even today. Monster Strike has earned over $11 billion over its lifetime, 97% of which comes from its home market in Japan. The game averages 5.8 million monthly active users and has resulted in the spin-offs Monster Strike Stadium and the Monsoni rhythm game. Monster Strike is available on IOS and Android mobile devices, and had a version released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015.
15. Grand Theft Auto Franchise
The Grand Theft Auto franchise (GTA) is a series of games in the action-adventure genre, with gameplay involving playing in an open-world setting, with missions involving stealing cars and committing armed crimes for underground organisations. GTA was developed by Mike Dailly and David Jones of Rockstar North, then DMA Design, and the series has earned over $10 billion in lifetime revenue, with GTA V accounting for over $9.7 billion of that amount. GTA has been played on Playstation games from PS1 to PS5, on Xbox platforms from the original right through to series X/S, and Nintendo DS, as well as on Android, IOS and FireOS mobile devices.
16. Roblox
Roblox is an online multiplayer hangout environment created by Erik Cassel and David Baszucki, who founded the Roblox Corporation. The Robolox platform lets users create, play, and share games. Players customize avatars, share games, and sell items like assets in the Roblox economy. Developers of well-known games have started their careers on Roblox, such as Alex Balfanz, co-creator of Jailbreak. Children and teenage players have been drawn to Roblox for the platform’s immersive social hangout aspects, and Roblox has even hosted virtual concerts. Roblox averages 380 million active users per month and has made in excess of $10 billion since its 2006 launch, with its virtual currency, Robux, as its primary source of revenue. Platforms that support Roblox are PC, mobile devices, and Xbox and PS consoles, as well as VR headsets like the Valve Index.
17. Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is an explorative multiplayer open-world action role-playing game (ARPG) and adventure game created by MiHoYo and published by Genshin Impact in 2020. Gameplay in Genshin Impact uses gacha mechanics and involves players controlling magical characters to explore the world and engage in combat. Players were attracted to Genshin Impact’s elemental combat system and quest aspects, resulting in the game’s popularity. Genshin Impact has received the Google Play award for Best Game of 2020, the Game of the Year award at Apple App Store’s Best of 2020 awards, and other best game awards and nominations. Genshin Impact became the third highest-grossing mobile game in the world for two years after its launch, with its lifetime revenue now estimated to be at least $10 billion. The game adds regular new content, and has been downloaded over 237 million times on mobile, with 15.2 million active users per month on PS and Xbox consoles, mobile devices, and GeForce Now.
18. Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox and survival game created by Mojang Studios and released in 2011. The objective in Minecraft is to mine resources and construct buildings and tools in environments made of blocks. Survival mode requires players to manage health and gathered resources, and to defend against creatures, while Creative mode lets players build without limitations. Minecraft’s vast world environments and modding communities gave the game far-reaching appeal, leading to its 204.33 million active users per month, and upwards of $10 billion in gross revenue. The game has been played on succeeding generations of Xbox, PS, and Switch consoles, as well as on PCs, mobile devices, and VR platforms.
19. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is an action-adventure open-world game with single-player and multiplayer modes, developed by Rockstar North and released by Rockstar Games in 2013. In GTA V, the players take on the role of 3 protagonists, facing combat, coordinated heists, stealing cars, and building a criminal organisation. The open world setting, powerful sandbox features, and immersive storytelling have resulted in GTA V receiving critical acclaim, achieving scores of 97/100 on Metacritic for the Xbox and PS4. GTA V has broken multiple records, including the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, passing $815 million in its first 24 hours and $1 billion in its first 3 days. GTA V’s total revenue is over $9.7 billion, with over 220 million games sold and 1.38 million active players per month on PC, Xbox, and PS consoles.
20. Puzzle & Dragons
Puzzle & Dragons is a match-three puzzle game with dungeon-crawling role-playing game (RPG) features, which was designed for mobile platforms by Gung Ho Online Entertainment and released in 2012. Puzzle & Dragons is among the first games to combine puzzle features and a complex RPG system with gacha mechanics for monetization. Surpassing $8.6 billion in earnings, Puzzle & Dragons broke records as the highest-grossing mobile game of all time, before being beaten by Monster Strike in 2018. Puzzle & Dragons has over 80 million downloads of the free-to-play mobile game. Unit sales include 1.5 million copies sold of the Puzzle & Dragons Z game on Nintendo 3DS, with the same number selling for Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition on the same platform. Puzzle & Dragons maintains an active player base on IOS, Android, and FireOS.
21. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) is an updated version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), a tactical first-person shooter (FPS). CS: GO was developed by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment, and CS2 by Valve. In both games, players on two teams compete by killing enemy players, fulfilling objectives, or denying enemies objectives. Players buy weapons in between matches with money earned from kills and objectives. The Counter-Strike games have developed an active esports community, contributing to their ongoing popularity. CS: GO achieved an estimated 25 million in unit sales before going free-to-play in 2018, and grossed $6.7 billion before being replaced by CS2 in the Steam Store in 2023. CS2 grossed an estimated $1 billion by the end of the same year, earning revenue from its skin market and loot boxes. CS2 ranks at number 8 of over 110 000 Steam games in total lifetime revenue, with the two games estimated at over $8.3 billion. CS2 is played on both Windows and Linux PCs.
22. Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is a mobile augmented reality (AR) location-based game created by Niantic that maps game locations onto a real-world maps, using map data and the player’s location and real-life outdoor exploration. As players walk in the real world, Pokémon Go levels up progress and spawns Pokémon to capture, train, and battle against other players’ pokémon. The game’s popular AR mechanics, nostalgic appeal to Pokémon lovers, and integration with real outdoor exploration have kept it active, with over 1 billion downloads across Android and IOS mobile devices and events like the Pokémon Go fest. Pokémon Go’s grossed revenue is estimated at well above $8 billion since going live in 2016.
23. Gardenscapes / Homescapes
Gardenscapes and Homescapes are puzzle & decorate games, where players use match-3 mechanics to decorate a garden or renovate a house, while playing through a narrative storyline with the game’s characters. Playrix developed both games as part of the Scapes series, with Gardenscapes released in 2016 and Homescapes in 2017. The puzzle mechanics, decoration aspects, interesting characters, and story elements piqued players’ interest, leading to the games’ popularity. Gardenscapes has grossed over $4 billion and averages 42 million active users per month, while Homescapes upward of $3.6 billion, averaging 48 million active users per month. The two games combined have been downloaded over 1 billion times, and are available on Android, IOS, and Facebook, with Homescapes also available on IPadOS and Huawei.
24. Fate/Grand Order
Fate/Grand Order is a mobile turn-based role-playing game (RPG) and card game created by Type-Moon, developed by DelightWorks and Lasengle, and published by Aniplex, a Sony subsidiary. Gameplay uses a command card system, where players summon servants and select action or attack cards to resolve anomalies or “singularities” and save the world. Fate/Grand Order capitalized on the success of the Fate franchise and was a critical success in Asia, frequently achieving the rank of highest-grossing mobile game in Japan, despite being a decade old. Total gross revenue of the game has passed $7 billion since its 2015 launch, with over 33 million downloads and upwards of 1 million active users per month on IOS and Android mobile platforms.
25. Clash of Clans
Clash of Clans is a strategy game built for mobile by Supercell in 2012. Players in Clash of Clans construct a defensive village to battle against goblin enemies or other players. Gameplay involves managing resources, combat, spellcasting, and planning attacks and defenses. Clash of Clans is known for pioneering the strategy sub-genre of base building on mobile games. The game’s innovative and engaging gameplay has earned it over $7 billion since its launch, with downloads of over 600 million, and an average of 40 million users active per month. Clash of Clans is available for IOS, and Android mobile devices.
26. Wii Sports
Wii Sports is a sports game designed and produced by Nintendo, and released in 2006. The sports contained in Wii Sports are bowling, boxing, baseball, tennis, and golf, designed to simulate real sports as physical exercise through players moving the control wand. Wii sports’ accessibility and appeal to non-players, elderly players, and health-conscious parents led to sales of beyond 82.9 million units, with the game reaching over $6 billion in total earnings. Wii Sports’ success resulted in the spin-offs Wii Sports Club and Wii Sports Resort. The game was released as an exclusive to Wii platforms, but was later adapted to the Nintendo Switch as Nintendo Switch Sports.
27. Coin Master
Coin Master is a social village-building and defense game that uses casino slot machine mechanics, created and published by Moon Active in 2016. Playing Coin Master involves using the slot machine to build upgrades and defenses on the village, attack other villages, and receive additional utility-based rewards. The slot mechanics, satisfying village construction, and frequent events were engaging to players, resulting in the game reaching over $6 billion in gross revenue. The game became an international top grossing-mobile game, with 17.2 million active users per month, and over 300 million downloads on Android, IOS, and IPadOS.
28. The Sims Franchise
The Sims franchise is a sandbox-style life simulation game series where players direct the lives of humans called Sims, from managing daily requirements like food and hygiene to enabling career advancement, steering relationships, and building houses and entertainment areas. The first Sims game was created by Maxis and published by EA Games in 2000. Players were attracted to the character customization, sandbox building, and life simulation aspects, which appealed to non-traditional as well as mainstream gaming audiences. Since launch, the franchise has had over 500 million sign-ups and exceeded $5 billion in gross revenue from games, expansions, and microtransactions. Sims have been played on PCs, mobile devices, and generations of Xbox, PS, and Nintendo consoles.
29. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open-world action-adventure game created and published by Rockstar Games in 2018. Gameplay involves playing as an outlaw in a Wild West setting and surviving gangs and law enforcement. Players were attracted to Red Dead Redemption 2 based on the success of the first game, with the sequel making over $725 million during its opening weekend, placing the game as the fourth best-selling game ever. Red Dead Redemption 2 gained popularity in its own right for its narrative depth, well-constructed characters, and detailed and immersive open world. The game amassed over 79 million in total unit sales and an estimated total gross revenue of above $5 billion, including online microtransactions from its online mode, Red Dead Online. Red Dead Redemption 2 is played on PS4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
30. Lineage M
Lineage M is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built for mobile devices as a port of the Lineage PC game, and was released in 2017 by NCsoft. The game has fantasy aesthetics, with players exploring open worlds and undertaking quests to battle dungeon monsters, in addition to fighting player vs player (PVP). Nostalgia for the original game, and mobile game’s portability and auto-play features, endeared Lineage M to players, resulting in 8.2 million downloads. The Lineage franchise – which included Lineage M, Lineage 2M and Lineage W – is estimated at over $7 billon in revenue, with Lineage M making up over $4.2 billion of that amount. Lineage M is available on both Android and IOS mobile devices.
31. Runescape
The Runescape series are free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The original Runescape game was created and published by Jagex and released in 2001. Gameplay has players fighting against monsters, exploring the world solo or with other players, undertaking quests, and gathering resources to craft with. Runescape appealed to audiences through the story-rich gameplay that let players play at their own pace, leading to a total lifetime revenue of beyond $3 billion for the Runescape games, with upwards of 300 million players registering accounts on the updated Runescape RS3 alone since the game went live. RuneScape is played on Windows PC, Linux, MacOS, Android, and IOS.
32. Clash Royale
Clash Royale is a mobile real-time strategy (RTS) card game developed and published by Supercell and released in 2016. Gameplay uses card plays to attack the other player’s towers or to defend against attacks, with the objective being to win crowns or defeat the King’s Tower. Using cards requires players to manage an Elixir resource. Clash Royale’s strategic elements and tower defense play, and the short duration of its matches, attracted players and led to the game’s expansion into the mobile esports scene. Clash Royale has accumulated earnings of over 3 billion, has 32.4 million active players every month, and is available on Android, IPadOS, and IOS mobile devices.
33. Valorant
Valorant is a free-to-play tactical first-person shooter (FPS) game developed and published by Riot Games in 2020. In Valorant, teams play rounds of either attacking or defending against an enemy team, using gun mechanics and other abilities. The attacking team plants a bomb called a “Spike” to protect until detonation, which the defending team attempts to prevent the Spike’s planting or defuse it once planted. Valorant’s selling point was its precise shooting abilities, reminiscent of Counter-Strike’s mechanics, as well as the tactical gameplay through the special abilities of playable characters, or “Agents”. Widespread appeal led to Valorant’s use in esports, further cementing its prominence. Valorant’s total lifetime revenue has surpassed $3 billion since launching, with the game maintaining over 20 million active players per month on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
34. Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale squad-based game by Respawn Entertainment, published by Electronic Arts in 2019. Players in teams select characters, or “Legends”, with special abilities, to compete against other teams for survival. The fast gun mechanics, unique Legend abilities, strategic team-based elements, and ability to move smoothly through the game made Apex Legends a success among players, achieving in excess of $3 billion since its initial release. The game averages upwards of 130 million active players in a month, across the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS, and Xbox platforms.
35. Rise of Kingdoms
Rise of Kingdoms is a real-time strategy (RTS) game developed for mobile devices by Lilith Games, the developers of AFK Arena, and released in 2018. Playing Rise of Kingdoms involves developing a city to conduct battles against barbarians and other players in the world. Gameplay includes resource management, strategy, and game alliances. The popularity among strategy game players and war game enthusiasts has led to over 100 downloads, and 7.9 million players active per month on Android and IOS. Rise of Kingdoms has since become available on Windows PC and MacOS, launching on those platforms in 2022, and has grossed over $3 billion.
36. Dota 2
Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) created and published by Valve and released in 2013. Dota 2 was based on the original Dota mod of Warcraft III and involves teams of 5 facing off against each other across a symmetrical, 3-laned map, with the aim of taking down enemy towers, minion “creeps”, and base, or “Ancient”. The game’s recreation after the original Dota mod gave the game instant appeal among existing enthusiasts, leading to widespread adoption. Dota 2’s average players per month exceed 7.6 million, playing on Windows PC, Linux, and MacOS. Although Valve doesn’t release Dota 2’s total gross revenue, estimates of its annual earnings exceed $800 million, with its total revenue estimates exceeding $3 billion. These calculations are extrapolated from the extensive International Prize Pool of Dota 2’s final tournament, the International, which famously comprises 25% of the sales of Compendium or Battle Pass purchases, making it one of the largest esports prizes in existence.
37. Lords Mobile
Lords Mobile is a free-to-play combined Real-Time Strategy (RTS) that contains role-playing game (RPG) aspects, created and published by I Got Games Incorporated (IGG Inc.), released in 2016 for mobile devices. Key elements of Lords Mobile’s gameplay include building a kingdom, managing armies and specialized heroes, combating other players and monsters, and undertaking RPG campaigns. Lords Mobile’s combination of strategy and building mechanics attracted players of all levels, resulting in an estimated total gross revenue of over $3 billion since its release. Player downloads of the game have surpassed 500 million on the Google Play Store alone. Besides Android devices, Lords Mobile is available on IOS, Windows PC, Fire OS, and IPadOS.
38. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fifth Animal Crossing game in the series, and is a social simulation and adventure game developed by Nintendo EPD and released in 2020. In Animal Crossing, players build a town on a desert island. Gameplay has the player gathering resources, crafting, exploring, and interacting with animal villagers. The creative and relaxing gameplay and social features through online sharing gave Animal Crossing wide success, making it Nintendo’s fourth highest-played game in September 2025. Further evidence of the game’s success is shown through its passing 48.19 million units in lifetime sales and over $2.8 billion in gross revenue. Animal Crossing has been played on Nintendo’s 64, GameCube, DS and 3DS, Wii, Switch, and Switch 2.
39. Wii Fit
Wii Fit is a fitness and sports simulation game developed by Nintendo EAD, published by Nintendo, and released in 2007. Gameplay in Wii Fit has players doing physical exercises through gameplay, using four different game modes: Yoga, Aerobics, Strength Training, and Balance Games. The game’s focus on exercise appealed to even non-players wanting to improve their fitness, earning Wii Fit above $2.8 billion in revenue through 22.67 million unit sales. Wii Fit released a new iteration, Wii Fit Plus, which sold 21.13 million copies, increasing the total combined revenue to over $4.4 billion. Wii Fit was designed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.
40. Diablo Franchise
The Diablo Franchise is an action role-playing game (ARPG) series that was created by David Brevik and Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Gameplay centres around hack-and-slack combat against monsters, collecting treasure, and defeating demon lords. Players level up a character’s abilities and acquire better gear as the games go on. Players were attracted to Diablo’s lore, skill-tree, loot drops, and cooperative gameplay. Diablo IV broke Blizzard’s own record as its fastest-selling game, achieving $666 million in the first 5 days of launch, and has exceeded 25 million units sold and $1 billion in total revenue. The Diablo franchise is estimated to have grossed well over $2.5 billion in revenue over its lifetime, and has been played on PS and Xbox consoles, mobile devices, PCs, and the Nintendo Switch.
41. Elden Ring
Elden Ring is an open-world action role-playing game (ARPG) created by FromSoftware, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with the game world’s lore created by George R.R Martin. Players in Elden Ring create a character and explore the world of “The Lands Between” to progress the story, levelling up and fighting monsters in the process. Elden Ring is considered an extension of FromSoftware’s renowned “Souls” gameplay style, making it appealing to players, and the game has achieved over $2 billion in lifetime revenue, with sales of the base game exceeding 30 million copies, and 10 million copies sold of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Elden Ring is played on PS and Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
42. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) designed for mobile devices, created and published by Moonton in July, and released in 2016. Two teams of players compete in 5v5 games on 3-lane maps to destroy the enemy team’s base, using coordinated attacks of player-selected characters with unique abilities. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang became popular for MOBA mechanics with shorter match times, as well as characters based on mythology from its local Southeast Asian market. Interest in the game skyrocketed its sales to upwards of $1.8 billion in revenue, with app downloads exceeding 695 million on both Android and IOS device platforms.
43. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure open-world game that was developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo in 2017. Players play as Link, exploring the world, fighting enemies, and solving problems in the environment. Breath of the Wild was popular with players due to its continuation of the Zelda franchise, and the resulting sales generated over $1.5 billion in revenue through over 34 million units sold for the Wii U, Switch and Switch 2.
44. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action role-playing game (ARPG) based on the same-named role-playing tabletop game, and was developed and published by CD Projekt Red and released in 2020. Players of Cyberpunk 2077 control V, a gun-for-hire, who is on a race against time to save his or her life (with the gender selected by the player). Gameplay involves battling both megacorporations and gangs in Night City, using player-selected combat styles. Despite the game having significant performance issues and bugs on launch, the immersive narrative RPG style, open world, and cyberpunk setting drew a large player base. The interest in Cyberpunk 2077 resulted in upwards of 35 million units sold of the base game, and over 10 million sold of the Phantom Liberty expansion. Combined revenue of Cyberpunk 2077 and the expansion is estimated at over $1 billion, with the game being played on PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Windows PCs.
45. Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is an action role-playing game (ARPG) which was created by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros in 2023. The Hogwarts Legacy game is based on the Harry Potter book and movie series and set in the 1800s, centred around the magic school, Hogwarts. Play involves customizing a character and home, exploring the game’s world, and fulfilling magical studies as a Hogwarts pupil. The game became a success with fans of the Harry Potter universe, grossing above $1 billion and selling over 34 million copies. Hogwarts Legacy is played on Switch platforms, PS and Xbox consoles, and Window PC.
46. State of Survival
State of Survival is a survival and strategy game for mobile phones that was designed by KingsGroup and released by FunPlus in 2019. State of Survival’s theme is surviving a zombie apocalypse, with the gameplay centred around survival through managing resources, constructing a settlement, building an army of trained heroes, and forming alliances to survive. Core objectives of the game are fighting against players or completing missions in the world. State of Survival’s zombie themes, frequent updates, free-to-play mobile version, and support of both active and passive gameplay popularized it with players, resulting in an excess of $1 billion in gross total revenue since going live. The game’s mobile popularity led to over 190 million in global downloads across both IOS and Android devices, and even a Windows PC version of the game becoming available in 2022.
47. AFK Arena
AFK Arena is a role-playing game (RPG) that uses idle and turn-based gameplay, created by Lilith Games, and published by Farlight Games in 2019. Players of AFK Arena collect and level up heroes to manage into a team. Teams of heroes are used to battle other players, investigate labyrinths, and embark on story campaigns divided into chapters. Players were attracted to AFK Arena’s fantasy-inspired visual design, as well as its combination of strategic elements and casual play through idle mechanics. AFK Arena amassed over $1 billion in total revenue since launch, and has over 45 million downloads across both IOS and Android mobile devices.
48. EVE Online
EVE Online is a free-to-play sandbox Massively Multiplayer Online role-playing game (MMORPG) created and published by CCP Games and released in 2003. EVE Online allows players to focus on preferred activities rather than having one way to succeed. Examples of activities in EVE Online are PVE or PVP combat, exploration, or mining for resources. EVE Online is famous for player-led events that have taken place on a global level. The rich MMORPG design and the freedom given to players made it appealing as a form of immersion and escapism, leading to the game’s success. EVE Online is estimated to have achieved above $1 billion in total gross revenue, with the game being played on Windows and Linux PCs, MacOS, and GeForce Now.
49. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Modern Warfare) is a first-person shooter (FPS) game created by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2019 as a reboot of the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games. Playing Modern Warfare involves using stealth and armed combat with customizable weapons to defeat enemy players. Players have the option to take on cooperative missions, campaigns, or other multiplayer modes, or to play a separate single-player campaign. The popularity of the original Modern Warfare game and the realistic military setting attracted players, resulting in over $1 billion in total revenue since launch and over 41 million games sold. Modern Warfare is played on PS4, Windows PC, and Xbox One.
50. Star Citizen
Star Citizen is a massively multiplayer online game, combat simulator, and space simulator that is in alpha stage of development by Cloud Imperium Games. Early access of the game has been available since 2017. Star Citizen’s design focuses on an immersive futuristic space travel experience, with options to engage in FPS and space combat, take on missions such as bounty hunting or piracy, trade resources, or explore the galaxy. Although the game is still under construction, Star Citizen has surpassed $900 million in lifetime revenue, including crowdfunding, has registered 5.47 million users, and has over 1.7 million game packages sold. The early access game is available on Windows PC, with plans to support Linux in the future.
What do the best-selling games have in common?
The best-selling games appeal to a large player base, include multiplayer or social aspects, have effective monetization, and are available on accessible platforms. Novel and immersive mechanics add appeal to games like Pokémon Go, while established franchises like Diablo, Super Mario, Pokémon, and Call of Duty thrive on recognition and nostalgia. Games with a low barrier to entry that still provide a challenge for experienced players increase both a game’s sign-ups and its retention. Social elements such as team play, competitive ranking, and large online bases incentivize players to invite friends or to socialize within the game, creating a culture and shared identity around the gameplay.
What game design principles do best-selling games follow?
Design principles that best-selling games follow are building an engaging player experience, making play accessible to players, and having monetization models that are well-suited to the gameplay experience. The most reliable ways to engage players are giving them greater agency, adding social aspects, and ensuring the gameplay is rewarding for players of all levels. Rewarding gameplay design means that players receive effective feedback and feel a sense of progression in the gameplay. The game ought to offer interesting new experiences or challenges as players advance.
Does the success of the best-selling games come from timing and luck, or from great game design?
The success of the best-selling games comes from great game design that keeps players invested in the gameplay. Motivators for players include joining communities, mastering gameplay, expressing creativity through their play style, or competing against other players. Although timing and luck provide some opportunities, they aren’t the full story. What keeps a game successful is when it remains engaging and appealing to players, whether the specific draw comes from its social aspects, its world immersion, its mechanics, or the challenges that it poses players.
