Best Selling Video Games

Introduction

This webpage provides the top 25 best-selling video games since 1985. By examining the details and statistics, users can gain insights into the evolution of the video game industry, as well as know which game they should purchase during weekends. ：）
Additionally, this webpage includes some textual information about the video game's details for further data anaylsis.
Table 1: Video Game Sale Number since 1985:
Rank Title Sales
(millions)		 Series Platform(s) Release
year		 Developer(s) Publisher(s)
1 Tetris 520 None Multi-platform 1988 Various Various
Minecraft 400 Minecraft Multi-platform 2011 Mojang Studios Mojang Studios
2 Grand Theft Auto V 230 Grand Theft Auto Multi-platform 2013 Rockstar North Rockstar Games
3 Red Dead Redemption 2 87 Red Dead Multi-platform 2018 Rockstar Games Rockstar Games
4 Wii Sports [b] 82.9 Wii Wii 2006 Nintendo EAD Nintendo
5 Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe 79.99 Mario Kart Wii U / Switch 2014 Nintendo EAD / Nintendo EPD (Deluxe) Nintendo
6 PUBG: Battlegrounds 75 PUBG Universe Multi-platform 2017 PUBG Studios Krafton
7 Terraria 70 None Multi-platform 2011 Re-Logic Re-Logic / 505 Games
8 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 65 The Elder Scrolls Multi-platform 2011 Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 65 The Witcher Multi-platform 2015 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt
10 Super Mario Bros. 58 Super Mario Multi-platform 1985 Nintendo R&D4 Nintendo
Human: Fall Flat 58 None Multi-platform 2016 No Brakes Games Curve Digital
12 Animal Crossing: New Horizons 50.29 Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2020 Nintendo EPD Nintendo
13 The Sims 50 The Sims Multi-platform 2000 Maxis Electronic Arts
Stardew Valley 50 None Multi-platform 2016 ConcernedApe Chucklefish / ConcernedApe
Overwatch 50 Overwatch Multi-platform 2016 Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment
16 Pokémon Red / Blue / Yellow 47.44 Pokémon Multi-platform 1996 Game Freak Nintendo
17 Wii Fit / Plus 43.8 Wii Wii 2007 Nintendo EAD Nintendo
18 Call of Duty: Black Ops III 43 Call of Duty Multi-platform 2015 Treyarch Activision
19 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 41 Call of Duty Multi-platform 2019 Infinity Ward Activision
20 Sonic the Hedgehog 40 Sonic the Hedgehog Multi-platform 1991 Sonic Team Sega
Payday 2 40 Payday Multi-platform 2013 Overkill Software 505 Games
Cyberpunk 2077 40 Cyberpunk Multi-platform 2020 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt
Hogwarts Legacy 40 Wizarding World Multi-platform 2023 Avalanche Software Warner Bros. Games
24 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 38.14 Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch 2018 Bandai Namco Studios / Sora Ltd. Nintendo
25 Mario Kart Wii 37.38 Mario Kart Wii 2008 Nintendo EAD Nintendo
Game Logo Gallery:

Tetris

Minecraft

Grand Theft Auto V

Red Dead Redemption II

Wii Sports

Mario Kart 8

PUBG

Terraria

Skyrim

The Witcher 3

Super Mario Bros.

Human Fall Flat

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The Sims

Stardew Valley

Overwatch

Pokémon Red and Blue

Wii Fit

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

Black Ops 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 1

Payday 2

Cyberpunk 2077

Hogwarts Legacy

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mario Kart Wii

Data Analysis: Individual Developers vs. Triple-A Studios

An exploration of how solo developers and small indie teams compete with massive multi-million dollar studios in global sales.

Indie Success Stories

Games like Stardew Valley (built primarily by a single developer, ConcernedApe) and Terraria prove that massive budgets are not required to achieve successful sales. By relying on creative gameplay design and direct community engagement on social media, indie can match or even exceed the lifetime sales of major studio releases.

Title Sales (M) Developer
Stardew Valley 50 ConcernedApe
Terraria 70 Re-Logic

Triple-A Heavyweights

In contrast, studios like CD Projekt Red (*Cyberpunk 2077*) and Rockstar Games (*GTA V*) utilize massive workforces, high-end graphical engines, and multi-million dollar marketing campaigns. While they achieve high sales rapidly, they carry significantly higher financial risks and development timelines.

Title Sales (M) Developer
Cyberpunk 2077 40 CD Projekt Red
Grand Theft Auto V 230 Rockstar North
Video Game Statics Glossary:
Rank
The position of a video game on the list based on its total global sales numbers.
Sales (Millions)
The total number of individual copies of a game purchased by consumers worldwide, measured in millions.
Series
The brand/series name that the video game belongs to (e.g., Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft).
Platform(s)
The hardware systems or gaming consoles (e.g., PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC) that the game can be played on.
Developer(s)
The specific studio or team responsible for programming, designing, and creating the video game.
Publisher(s)
The company responsible for financing, marketing, and distributing the vidoe game to the public.