The older you get, the quicker each new year seems to roll around, and we’re now somehow a quarter of the way through the 21st century. There have been a lot of games released in those 25 years, some doing better than others, smashing records along the way.
In a world where most people have access to at least one gaming platform, with many hoarding multiple different consoles to play on, successful games sell incredibly well. While most of the bestsellers are obvious, some in the top 20 may surprise you.
Hogwarts Legacyis one of the most recently released titles on this list, and despite that, it has sold more than 30 million copies across all platforms. The wizarding world never seems to fail at bringing fans back time and again, and this open-world exploration of familiar locations did a great job of putting them in the flying seat.
There is an almost endless list of Mario titles to play, andNew Super Mario Bros. Wiifeatures all of the tell-tale and beloved features from the franchise. Any Mario release will sell well, butNew Super Mario Bros. Wiiperformed incredibly well and is still remembered fondly.
If you’re wondering howWii Sports Resortmanaged to climb to this point, it may be because it was included for free whenever someone purchased a Wii after the game was released. Whether that’s the explanation or not,Wii Sports Resortwas actually pretty fun to play and featured a variety of sports, from golf and basketball to swordplay and even frisbee.
It’s perhaps surprising that only one of theLegend of Zeldagames released in the last 25 years has made its way onto this list of bestsellers, but I, for one, am glad and not surprised that it’sBreath of the Wild. Hyrule is stunning, the open-world gameplay is truly immersive, and the fights are challenging on many different levels.Breath of the Wildis timeless and definitely a modern classic.
Regardless of which version you pick up,Mario Kartis simply fun to play, and the concept is easy to pick up for anyone, whether it’s grandma during the holidays or your younger family members after watching you play.Mario Kart Wiibrought in motion controls that had previously only been seen in arcades, bringing a new element of fun to home gaming.
21Call of Dutytitles have been released over the years since the original in 2003. Modern Warfare was released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Oneand quickly became hugely successful, although that came as no surprise to anyone considering the huge fanbase for the franchise.
MatchingCall of Duty: Modern Warfarein terms of sales but dramatically different in terms of style and gameplay,Stardew Valleyhas gone on to become the baseline of cozy games in the nine years since it was released. ConcernedApe surely had no idea when he was solo developing the title that it would go on to be as successful as it currently is, and he’s still updating it to this day.
Black Ops IIIwas the 12th entry in theCall of Dutyseries and quickly climbed up the ranks of bestsellers thanks to an already established playerbase who are always hungry for moreCoDgames. The fan-favoriteZombiemode returned inBlack Ops III, leaving players with plenty to do and discover.
Again, a lot of the sales ofWii Fitwere made alongside Wii consoles, with the fitness game coming as part of a package deal with the console soon after its release. However,Wii Fitalso earned plenty of sales on its own, especially when you factor in the release of theWii FitBalance Board that enabled people to perform yoga and other balance exercises at home, as well as track their weight and fitness.
I think it’s fair to say thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizons’ success can, at least in part, be attributed to the state of the world at the time when it was released. With the Covid-19 pandemic leaving the majority of the world facing lockdown measures, gaming became even more of an escape from reality than it had always been, and the cozy design-your-own-island gameplay offered a valuable distraction from what was happening outside doors that remained permanently closed.
The Witcherseries has become endlessly popular since it was originally given to the world by Andrzej Sapkowski in book form. Since the first book was released in Poland in 1993, the world and characters created by Sapkowski have gone on to spawn hugely successful video games and a Netflix series.Wild Huntis the most successful of the video games and still remains a fan favorite to this day.
It may be hard to believe, but this silly and goofy multiplayer ragdoll physics game has matched bothThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntandOverwatchin terms of sales. At first glance, it might be hard to understand whyHuman: Fall Flatis so popular, but anyone who has played will quickly tell you how much chaotic fun can be had while playing either alone or with friends. Sometimes a game doesn’t have to be particularly serious to do well, sometimes fun is all that matters.
In the time thatOverwatchwas live and available to play prior to the shutdown of its servers in 2022,Overwatchsold a huge number of copies across PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and eventually Nintendo Switch. It’s easy to see why when you consider the constant updates that the game received, cross-play compatibility across all platforms, and the sleek design of the game’s elements. Sadly, the originalOverwatchis no longer available to play, butOverwatch 2has taken over where it left off.
At first glance, or if you’re not familiar with these pixel-based games, it can be hard to understand why so many players have flocked toTerrariasince its release, but the answer is simple. There’s an almost endless amount of things to do, items to craft and collect, and creatures to overcome in this procedurally generated world, and that keeps people coming back. Plus, there’s something nostalgic about the graphics, which always helps.
Red Dead Redemptionwas released back in 2010 and was the best-selling game of May in that year, going on to become massively successful and selling around 22 million copies so far. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise thatRed Dead Redemption 2also did incredibly well, smashing the sales of the previous game thanks to improved graphics, a new story, and immersive gameplay.
Mario Kart 8was released for the Wii U in 2014, withMario Kart Deluxebeing the rerelease of the same game for Nintendo Switch in 2017. Deluxe featured all of the additional content that had been optional on the Wii U, making it the more cost-effective option, and also benefited from updates including new circuits and characters.
There’s no arguing that Battle Royale games always do very well in terms of sales and retaining a playerbase, andPUBG: Battlegroundsis no different. It’s worth noting that this extraordinary sales figure is only applicable from release until January 2022, when the game went free-to-play on all platforms.
As I’m sure will come as no surprise by this point, a large amount of the thanks forWii Sports’incredible sales figure is thanks to the fact that it came as part of a bundle with the Wii upon its initial release. However, it is now accepted as the third best-selling video game of the 21st century, and the best-selling console-exclusive video game of all time.
Sales figures take a huge leap between the third and second spots, withGrand Theft Autoselling over 200 million copies since it was released, which isn’t surprising when you consider how hugely popular the entire franchise of games has been for decades. Combining the locations of San Andreas and Los Santos, the map is absolutely massive and filled with new things to discover. The story is split between three equally enjoyable characters, and all of the familiar crime-related features fromGTAhistory are present.
At the end of 2024,Minecraftbroke sales records by reaching 300 million copies sold and maintains around 170 million monthly players, even 15 years after it was initially released. The simple blocky style combined with the at times terrifying survival aspect verify thatMinecraftappeals to both seasoned gamers and the younger generation, continuing to draw new players in to this day. The game has earned its place in history, and it’s hard to believe that anything could knock it from the top spot.
Will anything ever outsell Minecraft?
It’s hard to fathom a game releasing in 2025 or beyond managing to soar to a sales record that has been built over 15 years, so it’s likely thatMinecraftwill remain the best selling video game of the 21st century for quite some time. However, there are upcoming games that are anticipated enough to potentially reach such great heights.
Grand Theft Auto VI, for example, has players practically shaking with anticipation. WithGrand Theft Auto Vtaking the second spot on this list and knowing how many fresh players the title brought to the franchise, it’s likely that a similar number will pop up to pickGrand Theft Auto VIup onto this list as well, with potentially more who will discover the franchise for the first time.
