Gaming is more popular than it has ever been before. Whether looking for the best casual word puzzles or trying to hone your accuracy skills in a first-person shooter, there’s something out there for just about everyone. That being said, though gaming is undergoing a meteoric rise in popularity, it’s nothing new.
In fact, the concept of playing games has been around for centuries, uniting ancient humans and modern people. In fact, some of the earliest games played by ancient peoples are still recognizable today. These early favorites included board games and dice games, which were played in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Sports, on the other hand, have been around for much longer and also remain hugely popular.
Viewed in this way, some games aren’t piggybacking on the gaming zeitgeist. Instead, they’re cultural institutions in and of themselves (more on this below). Let’s take a closer look at which games have stolen the limelight in terms of global popularity. Though the focus is largely on modern hits, you’ll notice two callbacks from the last millennia.
Sheer Titles Sold: Minecraft, Tetris, & GTA
The two most popular games in the world based on sales are Minecraft, EA’s Tetris, and Grand Theft Auto. Minecraft easily leads the pack, having sold over 300,000 copies around the world since it was released in 2011. However, it’s worth pointing out that, as a sandbox game, players are able to simply explore and build at their own pace. In other words, it’s not entirely similar to the rest of the competitive titles on this list.
Grand Theft Auto V has sold close to 200,000 copies as of 2013—which many analysts think the subsequent release will topple. Lastly, there’s EA’s Tetris. The original release was back in 1985, which means this puzzle game is nearing its half-century birthday. Since its release via EA in 2006, the mobile version has sold over 100,000 copies.
Most Dedicated Viewership & Active Players: League of Legends, Fortnite, PUBG
Let’s take another look at popularity through the lens of dedicated viewers. After all, gaming today is viewed as a spectator sport to many—and no game commands an audience like League of Legends. This title has seen over 1.7 million concurrent viewers tune in via Twitch for live competitions.
On top of its incredible live spectator count, League of Legends also has around 117 active monthly players as of February 2024. That makes it one of the highest-performing video games in terms of active player bases. However, it’s dwarfed by its competitors.
Fortnite has over 240 million active monthly players dotting the globe. Back in 2020, the game also shattered records with 45 million spectators logging on for a concert—though this was for a Travis Scott single release, not a gaming competition.
PUBG is yet another massive hit. The game has around 320 million registered and active players around the world. However, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a lot of skepticism around PUBG’s reported numbers. On Steam, its average monthly player base is only around 500,000—a far cry from other data.
Global Appeal: Chess
We’re rounding off this list with one of the most prestigious games in the world: chess. Despite the fact that the digital releases listed above have millions of active players, if not hundreds of millions, they’re typically associated with younger generations. In other words, would the average adult or elder recognize any of these games?
Aside from titles like Tetris and larger-than-life characters like Mario and Luigi, the answer is probably no. Therefore, in terms of global appeal, board games like chess still come out ahead of many digital counterparts. Chess is widely regarded as the most recognizable game in the world. Thanks to its analog functionality, it works just fine without the internet—or even electricity. Estimates from the Chess in the Olympics Campaign estimate that between 600-700 million people know how to play.
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