Video game players love games that bring excitement and a sense of accomplishment. The most popular video games (by player count) consist of battles, lots of weapons and dozens of participants.
However, other games work if you want to play a low-key, high-strategy game. Solitaire falls under this category as well as games where you can build your own customized community.
These are the most played video games — and they have made a lot of money.
26. Call of Duty: Warzone (Tie)
battleroyalecod / Twitter
No. of games played: 100 million*
Release date: March 20, 2020
Developer: Infinity Ward; Raven Software
The first 11 games on this list are all tied in the 26th spot with 100 million games played. Besides being an all-out war competition, Call of Duty: Warzone has a couple of nice features, such as a new in-game currency system that can be used at “Buy Stations” around the map. The game features two main modes — Battle Royale and Plunder. “Loadout” drops are places where Cash can be traded for limited access to players’ custom classes, and players can also use Cash to buy “killstreaks” and gas masks. Players can gain more cash just by killing players who have cash or looting.
* Note: The most played video games by player count factors in the number of global players since the game's inception, which means that some games may no longer be available to play in certain gaming markets.
26. Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Nov. 24, 2015
Developer: EACapital Games; EA Mobile
This is a great game if you don’t mind playing for or against other live participants. With Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, players team together to achieve common goals. Guilds consist of a maximum of 50 players who go on raids and participate in Territory Wars and Territory Battles. Raids were added to the game in April 2016. Guilds send in five hologram avatars at a time to battle powerful bosses over four different stages. Bosses share a universal health bar that splits into each stage, which decreases as guild attacks increase. Once it empties completely, the raid is won.
26. Apex Legends (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Feb. 4, 2019
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
This battle royale hero shooting game features players forming two- or three-player squads, and they select from pre-designed characters with particular abilities known as “Legends.” There are also two gameplay modes. In “Battle Royale,” up to 20 three-person teams or 30 two-person squads land on an island, and they search for weapons and supplies before taking on other players in combat. In “Arenas,” players form into three-person squads to fight against another three-person squad in a deathmatch to determine the winner.
26. Heartstone (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: March 11, 2014
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
This is definitely a fun digital collectible card game that builds upon the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters and relics. A nice addition allows cross-platform play where players on any supported device compete against each other with a restriction only by geographical region account limits. The game is simply a turn-based card game between two opponents in which they use a constructed deck of 30 cards along with a selected hero who has a unique power. The versatile game also features several modes of play, such as casual and ranked, drafted arena battles and single-player adventures.
26. Microsoft Solitaire Collection (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Oct. 26, 2012
Developer: Arkadium; Microsoft Casual Games; Smoking Gun Interactive
The game includes Klondike, which is classic Solitaire, along with Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid and TriPeaks game modes. The cool thing here is users can create their own custom themes. Other features include in-game music, cloud syncing and Xbox Live integration. So, when a player wins a game, the game takes over and randomly selects a card animation based on animations from previous versions of Windows card games. The app has a page dedicated to statistics on Klondike, Spider, FreeCel, Pyramid, TriPeaks, Daily Challenge and Star Club.
26. Zhengtu (Tie)
ZhugeEX / Twitter
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: 2007
Developer: Zhengtu Network
This is a massively popular multiplayer role-playing game. During its release year, Zhengtu was returning a profit of more than $15.5 million. At one point, Zhengtu was the second most popular online game behind Fantasy Westward Journey. The game’s look wasn’t too impressive, but Chinese players embraced this game because of the overarching metagame in which every player population was divided into 10 kingdoms. Kings and generals were all individual players, and they dictated politics to their neighbors, primarily kicking off a player versus player warfare. The big drawback is if you want the best weapons and armor, you need to pony up some cash. Of note, Zhengtu ceased operations on Dec. 26, 2018, which makes it even more impressive that the game's player count is still on top.
26. The Sims Social (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Aug. 9, 2011
Developer: Playfish
This was a Facebook addition to the Sims series of video games. This version is similar to the original games in which The Sims Social will let users create their own customized character, but in this version, the player uses their character to interact with that person’s Facebook friends. Another interesting aspect is that the characters can develop likes and dislikes for other Sims, thus creating relationships that can be publicized on the user’s Facebook page.
26. Scions of Fate (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Nov. 25, 2004
Developer: KRG Soft
The game is based on a Korean martial arts comic that shares its name and is particularly popular in the Asian sector. The premise for this game is that there are two factions in Yulgang (Scions of Fate) named The Order and Chaos. Both factions have their own stories and backgrounds along with unique character looks to tear the factions apart. There are different styles of clothing and different types of weapons. Anyone can choose which factions they wish to enter at level 35. But that comes after doing the “2nd Promotion Quest” by talking to the corresponding Faction Agent.
26. Happy Farm (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: November 2008
Developer: 5 Minutes
This multiplayer online game was played mainly by users from Mainland China and Taiwan and, at the height of its popularity, there were 23 million daily active users logging onto the game at least every 24 hours. What users liked about this game is it allowed players to grow crops, trade with others, sell produce and, yes, steal from neighbors. Due to the popularity of the game, the game’s host, Tencent QC, capped the number of new players per day to 2 million. Happy Farm was discontinued on Sept. 25, 2017.
26. CityVille (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Dec. 2, 2010
Developer: Zynga
CityVille was a game in which players became owners of virtual cities and oversaw their development into larger cities. Basically, the player grew into different roles, such as being a city planner for managing all sorts of projects. The city grows as various tasks are performed. The amount of energy available depended on how many experience levels a player can gain, such as to a maximum of 30 or 38 with a dam addition and up to 47 for a wind farm. Also, the player can visit a neighbor’s city and perform up to five different jobs every 12 hours. CityVille was terminated on April 30, 2015.
26. World of Warcraft (Tie)
World of Warcraft / Facebook
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: Nov. 23, 2004
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
This game is similar to other role-playing contests. However, in this case, the game allows players to create a character avatar and check out an open game world from either a third- or first-person perspective. Players can explore the landscape, battle with monsters, complete quests and interact with non-player characters or other players. The game also encourages participants to work together to complete tasks. Since its launch, World of Warcraft has had eight major expansion packs. The game has been cited by gaming journalists as the greatest massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of all time.
26. Transformice (Tie)
No. of games played: 100 million
Release date: May 1, 2010
Developer: Ateller 801
The object of this game is to collect a piece of cheese placed in at least one location on a map. Players control a mouse with the arrow keys or the WASD keys to run, duck, jump and perform various techniques such as wall jumping, long jumping, turnarounds and corner jumping. A player’s mouse must touch the cheese to collect it. Then, the player must take the collected cheese back to the map’s mouse hole to finish. The number of cheese and mouse holes vary with different maps. The game sounds easy, but it’s more difficult than expected.
25. League of Legends
No. of games played: 111 million
Release date: Oct. 27, 2009
Developer: Riot Games
You might say this is the video game version of LOL. This is a great game to hang out with friends. Ideally, you need 10 players broken into two teams of five in a player-versus-player standoff as they defend their side of the map. Each player controls a character known as “champion,” with unique abilities and styles. Players can become more powerful by collecting experience points, earning gold and purchasing items to beat the opposing team. The team that pushes through to the enemy base and destroys their “Nexus” is the winner.
24. The Legend of Mir 3
No. of games played: 120 million
Release date: October 2004
Developer: WeMade Entertainment
This is the sequel to The Legend of Mir 2 in which the basic game mechanics are pretty much the same, but the graphics have been upgraded. The game had a great following, particularly in China and South Korea, yet the game was closed in February 2012 despite having 120 million registered users. Of note, back in 2005, a dispute between two Chinese players wound up leading to murder. Qiu Chengwei had won an in-game virtual sword, and he lent the sword to his friend, Zhu Caoyuan, who turned around and sold it on eBay for 7200 yuan (or $870). Qiu was furious, and he subsequently stabbed Zhu to death. Yikes!
23. Grand Theft Auto V
No. of games played: 140 million
Release date: Sept. 17, 2013
Developer: Rockstar North
Like its precursors, this game packs a punch. It can be played either from a first- or third-person perspective. The only way to advance in this game is for players to complete missions, but players can roam through the open world in the process. To reach the goal of completing missions, players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to battle enemies and navigate the world. Players have the ability to run, jump, swim or use vehicles. Unlike Grand Theft Auto IV, for example, this version introduces some cool vehicle types such as fixed-wing aircraft. Sounds like some fantastic fights are on the horizon.
22. World of Tanks
No. of games played: 160 million
Release date: Aug. 12, 2010
Developer: Wargame Minsk
If you ever had a thought about driving a tank into battle, this game is for you. You take control of a single armored tank of your choice, and you’re placed in a battle on a random map. Now you have control of the tank’s movement and firing on opponents, and you can communicate with allied players and other players either through typed or voice chat. Players can select six primary types of battles and five different types of vehicles. The game has more than 600 armored vehicles, so things can heat up right away. If you really want to slug it out, a random battle can include 15-on-15 players with bots filling in the gaps if needed.
21. Animal Jam Classic
No. of games played: 160 million
Release date: Sept. 9, 2010
Developer: WildWorks
This game is a big hit for the little ones in which it is actually recommended for kids up to the age of 12. What attracts players is they can find out various facts about zoology using the game’s many features that include mini-games, puzzles, adventures, parties and social interactions. Animal Jam Classic takes place in Jamaa with various different biomes and customized animals. In fact, new players can create an animal with a name that has three words. Players can customize their dens, or virtual houses, with furniture. They can adopt pets, play mini-games, purchase clothing and furniture with currency, trade items, attend parties and go on RPG-type adventures. You can also do in-game with various levels of restriction.
20. Tetris
No. of games played: 177 million
Release date: 1984 (USSR)
Developer: Alexey Pajitnov
This is the oldest running game on this list, and for some reason, users cannot get enough of this famous puzzle game. This is a game where you have already convinced yourself of how easy it is to fit various shapes and then reality sets in once you start playing. This is one of the reasons why Tetris has survived throughout time. In fact, studies have been conducted to show how a human brain reacts following a session, which has come to be known as the Tetris effect.
19. MapleStory
No. of games played: 180 million
Release date: April 29, 2003
Developer: Wizet
Players travel the “Maple World” while defeating monsters and developing their character’s skills and abilities along the way. Yes, it's another role-playing game, but perhaps the best feature of this game is interacting with other players in various ways. For instance, groups of players can get together in parties to hunt monsters and share in the rewards. In addition, players can visit the in-game “Cash Stop” to buy a variety of character appearances or gameplay enhancements with real money.
18. Dragon Nest
No. of games played: 200 million
Release date: March 2010
Developer: Eyedentity Games
What makes Dragon Nest stand out is its non-targeting combat and skill system within instance dungeons, but it also revolves around a story that is told from different points of view depending on the player’s chosen class. In addition, Dragon Nest gets new content, balance patches and cash shop items on a monthly basis. So, the game is intended to create a fast-paced, action-filled experience. Players can choose from a range of hero classes and characters that go with the Dragon Nest storyline, and they can equip themselves with custom gear and weapons.
17. Club Penguin
No. of games played: 200 million
Release date: Oct. 24, 2005
Developer: New Horizon Interactive; RocketSnail Games; Disney Interactive Studios
This game was intended for players ages 6 to 14, but essentially anyone can play it, and the solid numbers prove that more than young kids were playing this game. The focus of developers was child safety, and new features to this game had that in mind. Of note, on March 30, 2017, Club Penguin was discontinued and replaced by “Club Penguin Island,” which only survived about a year before it was discontinued as well.
16. Roblox
Roblox / Facebook
No. of games played: 202 million
Release date: Sept. 1, 2006
Developer: Roblox Corporation
This is a fascinating game that allows users to program games and play games created by other users. In addition, the platform hosts user-created games of multiple genres coded in the programming language Lua. Roblox allows users to buy, sell and create its proprietary engine, Roblox Studio, which can be played by other users. What’s also interesting is Roblox wound up being a benefactor of COVID-19. It was a rather small operation until the latter part of the 2010s, but as of August 2020, Roblox had over 164 million monthly active users.
15. Rules of Survival
No. of games played: 230 million
Release date: May 31, 2018
Developer: NetEase Games
This is a classic battle royale genre where players or teams fight to the finish. Players can join the match in different modes, such as Solo, Duo, Squad of four players or a Fireteam of five players. There are two playable maps in the game. There are also different game modes such as Gold Mode, in which players can pick up gold, or Diamond Mode, in which players can pick up diamonds. A different type of match was added to this game called the Blitzkrieg in which players land on a place on the map with only a pistol, backpack and basic armor. The Blitzkrieg is intended to make players clash head-on.
14. RuneScape
No. of games played: 280 million
Release date: Jan. 4, 2001
Developer: Jagex
This game has a lot going on as a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game. RuneScape takes place on Gielinor, a medieval fantasy realm divided into different kingdoms, regions and cities. Each region has its types of monsters, resources and quests. Here is the interesting part — players are represented in this game by customized avatars, but RuneScape does not follow a specific storyline. It’s up to the players to set their own goals and objectives.
13. Fantasy Westward Journey
Lisa Mona / YouTube
No. of games played: 310 million
Release date: December 2001
Developer: NetEase
To this day, Fantasy Westward Journey is still a very popular game despite the fact that 21 years have passed since its release. One of the unique mechanics in this game is the ability to marry, have children and then put them to work in your shops. Incidentally, if you’re not the family type of player, you can auction them off to the highest bidder. Another feature is Turn-based Combat in which you can maximize your strategy but do so at a nice pace.
12. Fortnite
No. of games played: 350 million
Release date: July 25, 2017
Developer: Epic Games
What’s attractive about this game is it’s available in three different versions. For instance, in Fortnite Battle Royale, up to 100 players engage each other in battle with the last one standing declared the winner. There is Fortnite: Save the World, in which up to four players take on zombie-like creatures and defend objects with traps they can build. Then another choice is Fortnite Creative in which players are given the freedom to create worlds and battle arenas. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of variety in your game selection.
11. Crazyracing Kartrider
No. of games played: 380 million
Release date: June 1, 2004
Developer: Nexon Korea Corporation
This game is a lot like “Mario Kart” in that it offers a number of modes, primarily based around items racing using power-ups. Kartrider features fictitious fantasy vehicles and branded game modes based on real-life cars. Speed racing is another aspect of this game in which the player drifts to gain boost items. In fact, another version of the game called KartRider: Drift recently launched and is available for download.
10. Mini World
No. of games played: 400 million
Release date: April 2020
Developer: Miniwan Technology Company, Limited
Mini World is a 3D sandbox game in which players explore and create nice and fun 3D worlds together. For instance, there are hundreds of blocks to choose from with more than 1,000 in-game items to play with. That means you can express yourself in the world any way you like. There are no levels of restrictions. The multiplayer settings allow you to connect with PC or smartphones anywhere at any time.
9. Microsoft Solitaire
No. of games played: 400 million
Release date: May 22, 1990
Developer: Wes Cherry
There’s something to be said about playing a game that’s designed to be played by one person. One of the big features of this particular game is that when a game is won, the cards appear to fall off each stack and bounce off the screen. Over the years, many additions have been made such as allowing users to select the design of the cards and how they are dealt, switching between Las Vegas scoring and Standard scoring, and there are versions that save statistics on the number and percentage of games won. Seeing stats like this while playing tends to inspire users to keep playing with hopes of improving their scores.
8. Among Us
No. of games played: 500 million
Release date: June 15, 2018
Developer: Innersloth
Among Us takes place in a space-themed setting where players look like colorful armless astronauts. This game brings a little mystery into play. Among Us contains four to 15 players, but it is recommended for at least five. Up to three players are randomly and secretly chosen to be the Impostor(s) in each round. The Impostor(s) wins either by killing most of the crew or sabotaging a critical system on the map. Crewmates win by either completing all tasks or by identifying and ejecting all Impostors.
7. Candy Crush Saga
DroidCheat / YouTube
No. of games played: 500 million
Release date: April 12, 2012
Developer: King
Candy Crush Saga is a popular game that is much tougher than it looks. Players complete levels by swapping colored pieces of candy on a game board to make a match of three or more of the same color while eliminating those candies from the board and replacing them with new ones, which could lead to more matches. Matches of four or more candies create candles that act as power-ups with larger board clearing abilities. Even though it looks like a kid's game, it certainly does not play like one.
6. Pac-Man Doodle
No. of games played: 505 million
Release date: May 2010
Developer: Google
Actually, Google is the reason for Pac-Man Doodle’s great numbers. First off, the illustrators, engineers and artists who design Google Doodles are called “Doodlers.” Google Doodles is where the logo on the home page turns into you might say, the news of the day. For instance, in May 2010 on the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man, Google unveiled worldwide its first interactive logo, created in association with Namco. Anyone who visited Google could play Pac-Man on the logo that featured the letters “Google” on the Pac-Man maze. Users loved that idea and came out in droves. At one point, the logo drew 1 billion players worldwide.
5. QQ Speed / GKART / Speed Drifters
Garena Speed Drifters / Facebook
No. of games played: 700 million
Release date: Oct. 1, 2010
Developer: TiMi Studio Group
GKART, aka QQ Speed aka Speed Drifters, is considered a massively multiplayer online kart racing game. The game was released in China where it took off. The action this game produces is addicting, and since it’s simple to play, it’s no wonder why the game is so popular among casual players and even professional racers. The fundamental keys of GKART are Drifting and Nitrous boost. In speed mode, for instance, drifting gains N20, which converts into a usable speed boost when a full tank is reached. In props mode, various items can be used to hinder an opponent's performance.
4. Minecraft
Minecraft / Facebook
No. of games played: 738 million
Release date: Nov. 18, 2011
Developer: Mojang Studios
One of the most popular sandbox games out there, Minecraft players are very busy with this one. They must navigate through a blocky, procedurally generated 3D world with infinite terrain, extract raw materials, craft tools and items, and build structures, earthworks and simple machines. Meanwhile, depending on the game mode, players go up against computer-controlled mobs as well as cooperate or compete against other players in the same world. Players are also allowed to modify the game to recreate new gameplay mechanics, items and assets. Yes, as a player, you have a lot to do.
3. Dungeon Fighter Online
No. of games played: 850 million
Release date: August 2005
Developer: Neople
If you like to mix it up in an action role-playing game, this is right for you. Dungeon Fighter Online is similar to the classic 2D side-scrolling arcade hack and slash games. Players have a difficult time traversing 2D screens while fighting a whole lot of monsters. What’s important is skills can be designated upon an upper row of hotkeys that can be further expanded if the player decides to do so. The player has the option to manually input the command to perform a certain skill. Directly inputting the skill makes the skill cost less MP and lowers the time needed to wait to use that skill again.
2. CrossFire
No. of games played: 1 billion
Release date: May 3, 2007
Developer: Smilegate Entertainment
One thing that’s consistent with users is they love to shoot all kinds of weapons. That’s one reason why CrossFire is one of the most popular games out there. This game is a tactical first-person shooter game that translates into firing away at your opponents. The plot of this game is there are two mercenary corporations named the “Black List” and “Global Risk.” What’s at stake is winning a global conflict. Players can join any side they desire, and the online team must work together within a host of scenarios if they are to survive. The game supports a maximum of 16 players divided into two eight-person teams.
1. PUBG: Battlegrounds
No. of games played: 1.2 billion
Release date: Dec. 20, 2017
Developer: PUBG Studios
You may want to strap in for this game. It’s exciting and very challenging, and you get to shoot at will. As many as 100 players parachute onto an island and search for weapons and equipment with hopes of killing other players while avoiding being killed yourself. What makes it more challenging is the available safe area on the game’s map decreases in size over time, meaning players are directed into tighter areas to force encounters. The last player or team standing wins the round.