30 most popular games | How to choose?

The lack of any statistics or research on video game sales makes our task much more difficult, so we rely on rankings and results that are published on VGChartz and Wikipedia. The problem is that these resources only take into account physical copies, but do not keep track of online sales. In addition, VGChartz does not categorize games based on compatibility with operating systems - Windows, Mac and Linux. It is sometimes impossible to differentiate between PC and console sales because publishers provide incomplete information.

Overall, in order to create the most accurate ranking, we researched various publications and charts while discussing the cultural impact of a given game. That is why we did not call this article simply a ranking of bestsellers (by sales volume) and prepared a list of the most popular games in alphabetical order so that it looks the least subjective.

We also decided to write about one game from the franchise, so as not to clutter the rating with them and ultimately consider as many as possible different games. For example, we did not include The Sims in the ranking because The Sims 2 sold many more copies. There are a number of other games that undoubtedly left their mark on history (we are talking about Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto), but they were not included in our list because they were sold in much smaller quantities.

30 most popular games | Age Of Empires

Age Of Empires is a strategy released in 1997 in which you had to build a civilization with the transition to different eras(starting from the Stone Age to the age of agriculture, then to the Bronze and Iron Ages). It could be said that the game combined Civilization II and Warcraft II, and its sales volume eventually reached the three million mark.

30 most popular games | Anno 1503: The New World

Anno 1503 A.D.: The New World combines real-time strategy and city building simulator. The game was developed in Austria, released in 2003 and subsequently sold over three million copies

30 most popular games | Baldur's Gate

This role-playing game (RPG) appeared in 1998, and since then sales have exceeded two million copies. Baldur's Gate is the first game in the famous fantasy world of Forgotten Realms, the creation of which was largely influenced by the tabletop role-playing game Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, released back in 1974.

30 most popular games | Battlefield 2

The acclaimed first-person shooter game, based on a fictional conflict set in the 21st century, was released by Digital Illusions CE (DICE) in 2005, using certain role-playing and strategy mechanics to help create a fun multiplayer game. The game sold a million copies within the first month of its release, and currently has ten million licenses sold worldwide, surpassing even Battlefield 3 (although it's difficult to estimate such figures since EA doesn't separate sales of PC and console games ).

30 most popular games | Command & Conquer: Red Alert

This real-time strategy game appeared back in 1996, and since then it has sold more than three million copies, although it gained popularity more slowly than the new version - Red Alert 2. However, fans' interest in this RTS game was maintained for a long time time, and at the moment Command & Conquer: Red Alert can be downloaded for free on the Internet.

30 most popular games | Cossacks: European Wars

"Cossacks" is another bright representative of the real-time strategy genre. The game was released in 2001 for operating systems Windows 95/98 then sold four million copies and also received a lot of awards and rave reviews in the press. The game's graphics were especially praised, as was its welcome video.

30 most popular games | Counter-Strike

Although Counter-Strike is a modification of the game Half-Life, we could not pass it up, if only because of the large number of copies sold - after all, it reached four million units. In addition, the game had a significant influence on the first-person shooter genre. In addition to popularizing gameplay and attracting new fans, Counter-Strike can also be praised for its contribution to the development of various gaming tournaments.

30 most popular games | Crysis

According to Crytek, three million copies of the game have been distributed, which was released in 2007 and went on to become one of the most popular in the series. The game takes place in a fictional future after the discovery of an alien spaceship. The player, protected by a special exoskeleton nanosuit, has to fight with the military North Korea, and also with aliens.

30 most popular games | Diablo III

Diablo III is a new name in our list of popular video games. Blizzard created this game in 2012 and, according to recent data, has already sold 15 million copies. By the way, Diablo III holds the record for fastest sales among PC games, since gamers purchased 3.5 million copies in the first 24 hours after release.

30 most popular games | Doom 3

Another famous FPS shooter is still the most popular game from id Software. IN new version, unlike previous games, a different plot was used, although the gameplay remained the same, despite the use of various techniques from the horror genre. Another drawback - the inability to use a flashlight and a weapon at the same time - did not prevent Doom 3 from selling more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

30 most popular games | EverQuest

EverQuest is a 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game that is still undergoing modernization. Since the game's release in 1999, Sony has sold over four million copies, and by 2012 had released over 19 expansions.

30 most popular games | Far Cry

Far Cry is a story about an American special forces soldier who is looking for a journalist who has disappeared on a mysterious island. The game went on sale in 2004, received generally good reviews from the press, and has since sold 2.5 million copies.

30 most popular games | Guild Wars

Guild Wars is a prominent representative of the genre of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, in which gamers are required to choose any of six main professions and develop the corresponding skills. The game includes a PvP mode. Since its release in 2005, more than 6.5 million copies have been sold.

30 most popular games | Half-Life 2

By 2008, Valve announced sales of more than 6.5 million copies of Half-Life 2. This is exactly the case when the sequel became more successful than the original, which sold 10 million copies, because Half-Life 2 has already sold more than 12 million copies , not including online sales. Initially, $40 million was invested in Half-Life 2, and the creation of the game, released in 2004, took 5 years. By the way, it was introduced at the same time when Valve launched its Steam service. Thus, Half-Life 2 became the first single-player game to require online activation.

30 most popular games | Microsoft Flight Simulator

The game was released in 1996 under the name Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows 95 and became a real hit in North America. The popularity resulted in five million sales, and in 2009 the project was suspended. It is known that in 2012, the Microsoft Flight game was released without the Simulator prefix, which was characterized by more advanced graphics compared to previous versions of the popular simulator.

30 most popular games | Minecraft

The game's official website proudly reports 14 million copies sold, which is not much less than Diablo III's 15 million. In Minecraft, gamers have to build for the sake of their own survival and use as many resources as possible for this. However, there is also a special “creative mode” (Creative mode), where it is impossible to die, and where literally all the conditions for creativity are created.

30 most popular games | Myst

Next comes one of the few adventure games on our list, which was published back in 1993 and has since registered six million licenses sold. According to the plot main character named Wanderer finds a magic book, with the help of which he goes on a journey through different worlds. The game is extremely exciting artistically and, unlike many adventure games of the time, it features a first-person perspective.

30 most popular games | Populous

The old Lionhead website lists the number as 4 million, which is how many copies have been sold since Populous was released in 1989. The real-time strategy contains as many as 500 levels, and in each of them a piece of land is played out that needs to be conquered. With this game the foundations of the so-called "god simulator" were laid, and in Populous the player uses supernatural abilities to help his people “be fruitful and multiply.”

30 most popular games | Portal 2

According to Valve, this first-person puzzle game has sold more than four million copies. Portal 2 is a sequel to the game released in 2011, where all the principles of the previous version are followed. The action takes place in the Aperture Science Laboratory, where special weapons are used to create portals, and each level is filled with difficult puzzles that will help you escape from the evil artificial intelligence.

30 most popular games | RollerCoaster Tycoon

RollerCoaster Tycoon is a 1999 game that has sold four million copies in North America alone. It represents the economic strategy genre, and is one of the most popular amusement park simulators. However, like many strategy games, the Xbox version of RollerCoaster Tycoon was much less successful.

30 most popular games | SimCity 3000

The famous city-planning simulator was released in 1999 and, according to EA statistics, has sold five million copies, including an expanded version of SimCity 3000 Unlimited. SimCity 3000 featured many changes over its predecessor that received rave reviews from the press, and the game itself served as a great example of a powerful city-building simulator.

30 most popular games | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a representative of the RPG genre, released in 2011. The action takes place 200 years after the events of the previous game in the series (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion), and the main character will have to stop the return of the dragons and defeat the most powerful of them, Alduin. Currently, five million copies of this game have been sold.

30 most popular games | StarCraft

The most popular in the StarCraft series was the first version of the game, in which players find themselves in the fictional 25th century, where three playable races are trying to conquer the galaxy. StarCraft, released in 1998, is a real-time strategy game. Sales eventually reached 11 million copies, half of which were owned by residents South Korea, where this game gained wild popularity.

30 most popular games | Star Wars: The Old Republic

According to some sources, Star Wars: The Old Republic sold about three million copies. It is noteworthy that approximately $150-200 million was spent on the creation of this massively multiplayer online role-playing game. At the same time, Star Wars: The Old Republic became the fastest growing MMORPG project, as the number of players exceeded a million people in the first three days after release.

30 most popular games | The Sims 2

The Sims 2 is arguably the best-selling game in history, with total sales of 20 million copies. In the new version of the “life simulator” from 2004, the main idea of the first The Sims product was supported, but the issue with the presence of naked characters, who could be seen using special cheat codes, also had to be resolved. Later this error was eliminated.

30 most popular games | Theme Park

This economic simulator appeared in 1994, and since then the developers have managed to sell 3.5 million copies of the game. At the very beginning, gamers will have to build an amusement park in the UK, for which only 100 pounds are allocated. The game gained popularity, in part, due to its eccentric humor and gameplay, which reminded us of RollerCoaster Tycoon.

30 most popular games | Tomb Raider II

This version can be considered the most successful game in the Tomb Raider series, with improved gameplay and graphics, which helped it become a cult favorite and sell eight million copies worldwide (3 million of which were intended for PCs). It’s unlikely that anyone could forget that the action here revolves around the Dagger of Xian, which gives the owner supernatural abilities.

30 most popular games | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War

Developer THQ reports more than four million copies of this game sold, including all its add-ons. The real-time strategy game, published in 2004, tasks players with defending certain areas on the map and collecting resources for the subsequent construction of buildings and bases.

30 most popular games | Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego

And here is the main surprise of our rating - a game released in 1985 with more than four million releases, it is also the oldest of all on our list. This educational strategy game challenges players to track down enemies around the world, requiring them to find various clues and develop their detective skills.

30 most popular games | World Of Warcraft

Well, this game had perhaps the greatest impact on video game culture in the 21st century. It was released in 2004 based on the previous version of WarCraft and united more than 10 million subscribers who invaded the world of Azeroth and chose a more suitable faction of the Alliance or Horde. In total, more than 14 million copies were successfully sold. It is worth noting that this game raised the popularity of international tournaments and received its share of ridicule in the cartoon South Park.

Well, this is what a selection of the 30 most popular games in PC history looks like, according to .

Is there a perfect recipe for releasing a great game and selling it in record numbers? Judging by the best-selling games in history, no. Here we will talk about the first-person shooters Battlefield and Call of Duty, and about the Minecraft world constructor, and about the GTA V prostitute murder simulator.

And now a riddle: what was the best-selling game in history? I'm sure most of you can handle it easily. But the answer is still at the end of the article.

World of Warcraft

The World of Warcraft game was released in 2004, by 2007 the number of users reached 8 million people, and in 2010 it exceeded 13 million. This is the most popular MMORPG in the world in terms of the number of subscribers, which is confirmed by an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. Throughout its history, more than 100 million accounts have been registered in the game, and the number of players fluctuates between 7 and 10 million people.

In October 2016, the fifteenth game in the series, Battlefield 1 based on the First World War, will be released. Time will tell if it will make it to the list of best-selling games in the future.

Call of Duty

The success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 became obvious in the first day after release, November 10, 2009. During the day, the developers set a record and sold 4.7 million copies of the game, surpassing Grand Theft Auto IV in this parameter. Seven years have passed since that moment, but the game still evokes the most warm feelings.

The game, on the contrary, caused indignation among deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. At the beginning of 2010, during the spring session of the meeting, they began to discuss Call of Duty, proposing to equate the games with extremist materials. We were talking about scenes of violence, namely the murder of unarmed people at the airport in the game. The “No Russian” level has been removed in the Russian version.

In November 2010, the Call of Duty game: Black Ops broke the record of its predecessor - 5 million copies were sold in one day. Total sales of the game exceeded 26 million copies in 2012.

On November 12, 2011, Activision announced that a Call of Duty game had set a world sales record for the third year in a row. In just one day, 6.5 million copies were bought in the USA and England. Until 2013, 28.5 million copies were sold.

This game is dedicated to the end of World War III and is a sequel to Modern Warfare 2. Personally, I think this game is the best in the series. But this is my subjective opinion, perhaps tied, among other things, to a nostalgic mood towards her. It's still nice to sometimes turn on the survival battle mode with bots.

Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Pokémon Gold and Silver

In 1996, Nintendo released Pokémon Red, Blue and Green in Japan for the Game Boy. These were the first games in the Pokemon series on the console. The three versions sold 23.64 million copies. As we can see, the popularity of Pokemon was already affecting the sales of video games, so the success is quite logical.

Let's remember what Pokemon Red looked like on Game Boy in 1996. With such graphical capabilities then it was necessary to create excellent gameplay. Or is the main thing to choose the right characters, what do you think?

Two new versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver were released in 1999 on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. They couldn't match the success of their predecessors, but still sold 23 million copies, making them some of the best-selling video games in history.

To the 151 types of Pokemon from previous versions, 100 more were added, bringing the total number of characters to 251. To collect all the Pokemon, it was not enough to go through one game - for example, Gold. Users needed to exchange Pokemon with players of the Silver version, as well as older games.

Some more ear balm in the form of old 8-bit music in Pokemon Silver gameplay.

Nintendogs

Long before the goat simulator, but after the Tamagotchi, Nintendo decided to make a dog simulator for the DS console. From 2005 to 2011, Nintendogs sold 23.64 million copies.

In the game you need to take care of a dog, controlled using a touchscreen and microphone. You can communicate with other users using wireless communication between consoles.

Diablo III

The famous RPG Diablo III was released in 2012. The game set a record for daily sales of games for personal computers - 3.5 million per day. Sales reached 6.3 million copies in the first week, and 30 million copies were sold in total. Perhaps if Diablo III were released on several platforms at once, it would break Call of Duty's records.

Diablo III received a warm welcome, but fans who played previous versions decided that the atmosphere was not the same. The colors are too bright, not enough gothic, and so on. In this regard, they put forward a petition to Blizzard demanding to change color scheme. The company refused.

Below is the trailer for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.

And a little humor - a television advertisement for a game for game consoles.

Super Mario

Any ranking like this should have Super Mario. If we were talking about gaming franchises, this character would be at the top. Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (in Russia read “for Dendy”) it sold 40.24 million copies.

The game was made into an anime, a strange 1993 feature film, and, of course, porn, in which Ron Jeremy took part. Nintendo had to buy the rights to two porn films in order to. But Youtube remembers at least such a small cut without, in fact, the main action.

Keep the game's slightly weird advert straight out of the 1980s.

The list of best-selling games in history includes Mario Kart Wii, New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Each of these games sold at least 23 million copies. But the total sales of all games in the franchise are 528 million units.

Grand Theft Auto V

The GTA series owes much of its popularity to the ability to move freely around the world and do whatever you want. If you want, crush people, if you want, you carry out tasks, if you want, you kill prostitutes. Because of the latter, the game Grand Theft Auto V is even .

The game was released in September 2013 on seventh generation consoles, in 2014 on eighth generation consoles and in 2015 on personal computers.

The PC version with 60 FPS and Full HD turned out.

The game's advertising campaign went off with a bang and a scandal. In the poster below you can easily recognize Lindsay Lohan; moreover, the game has a mission where you need to save a character with a biography similar to Lohan’s from the paparazzi. But on the covers of the game it’s not a famous actress, but model Shelby Welinder. The actress sued Rockstar and lost.

In total, the game sold 65 million copies.

The predecessor to GTA V, the fourth part of Grand Theft Auto, released in 2008, sold 25 million copies. It never surpassed 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with 27.5 million sales. You can remember your childhood with San Andreas today on Android, but you will have to pay more than five hundred rubles. It’s blasphemous to profit from nostalgia like that.

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns"n"Roses are invited to GTA: San Andreas.

Wii Sports

The Wii Sports action game went on sale in November 2006 and has sold over 82 million copies. The recipe for success turned out to be simple - the game was delivered directly in the box with the Nintendo Wii console in all countries except Japan.

The game received various awards for its innovative gameplay. This collection of five sports simulators involves motion control using controllers.

Mobility in the game has become a double-edged sword. On the one hand, people began to get off the couch and spend time together exciting games. On the other hand, televisions suffered from this.

Controllers flying out of hands was not uncommon. After all, each of the sports in the set - tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing - involves active swinging of the arms. You can simply forget that the bowling ball is rolling inside the game and try to knock down the pins with the plastic thing in your hand.

Minecraft

So beloved by the younger generation, Minecraft has sold 107 million copies. In 2011, Swedish programmer Markus Persson, who founded Mojang, released it on Windows, OS X and Linux. A few months later it was released on Android, iOS, and then moved to the Xbox 360 and One game consoles, PlayStation 3, 4 and Vita. In 2014, Microsoft bought the Minecraft developer for two billion dollars.

The game has become one of the most popular in the world. In total, more than 107 million copies were sold. But why did it become popular in the first place? Why do schoolchildren love her so much and constantly make videos on YouTube?

Perhaps, as in the case of GTA, the openness of the game world plays a big role. Minecraft gives room for imagination and creativity. You can hunt, you can build buildings and cities, or blow things up. And all - in a world similar to Lego. And almost everyone loves Lego.

Tetris

On June 6, 2016, Tetris turned 32 years old. This game has been on almost all gaming platforms, as well as on graphing calculators and media players. It is based on a science fiction feature film. Moreover, this will be done by American producer Lawrence Casanova, who is responsible for the film “True Lies”, and also took part in several animated television projects for Lego.

What about a calculator, you could play Tetris

The game was created by Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov. The name comes from "tetromino" and "tennis". Tetraminos are geometric figures from four squares. There are seven such figures in Tetris. The pieces fall into a glass 10 squares wide and 20 squares high. The goal is to collect a horizontal row of 10 cells that then disappear.

Over the history of the game, it has not only been ported to all sorts of platforms, but also the rules have been changed, complicated, and improved. Tetris was made three-dimensional, it was colored and black and white, with a variety of musical accompaniments. They even sell “physical” Tetris. In 2009, designer Andrew Liszewski began selling his , in which a figure appears in the center and then falls to whichever side the player chooses by flipping the console.

Atari bought the rights to use the game in slot machines. Nintendo received the rights to port it to the NES and Game Boy. Then, in the late 1980s, the game came to Sega. And in 1996, Pajitnov founded the Tetris Company to start receiving money for his invention. In 2014, Tetris Company announced a deal to port the game to XboX One and PlayStation 4.

As of 2014, the number of mobile installations of the game was 425 million, 35 million on Game Boy, plus about 70 million copies were sold. It is difficult to say how many unlicensed cartridges and devices with this game were sold.

So Tetris is not just a leader, but an absolute leader with a huge advantage.

Let's now talk about your favorite games. It doesn't matter how many copies of these games were sold. What did you like to play in the past, and what do you still play now?

Only registered users can participate in the survey. Come in, please.

And now a riddle: what was the best-selling game in history? I'm sure most of you can handle it easily. But the answer is still at the end of the article.

World of Warcraft

In October 2016, the fifteenth game in the series, Battlefield 1 based on the First World War, will be released. Time will tell if it will make it to the list of best-selling games in the future.

Call of Duty

The success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 became obvious in the first day after release, November 10, 2009. During the day, the developers set a record and sold 4.7 million copies of the game, surpassing Grand Theft Auto IV in this parameter. Seven years have passed since then, but the game still evokes the warmest feelings for many.

In November 2010, Call of Duty: Black Ops broke the record of its predecessor - it sold 5 million copies in one day. Total sales of the game exceeded 26 million copies in 2012.

Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Pokémon Gold and Silver

Some more ear balm in the form of old 8-bit music in Pokemon Silver gameplay.

Nintendogs

Long before the goat simulator, but after the Tamagotchi, Nintendo decided to make a dog simulator for the DS console. From 2005 to 2011, Nintendogs sold 23.64 million copies.

In the game you need to take care of a dog, controlled using a touchscreen and microphone. You can communicate with other users using wireless communication between consoles.

Diablo III

Below is the trailer for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.

And a little humor - a television advertisement for a game for game consoles.

Super Mario

The game was made into an anime, a strange 1993 feature film, and, of course, porn, in which Ron Jeremy took part. Nintendo had to buy the rights to two porn films in order to bury them forever. But Youtube remembers at least such a small cut without, in fact, the main action.

Keep the game's slightly weird advert straight out of the 1980s.

Grand Theft Auto V

The game was released in September 2013 on seventh generation consoles, in 2014 on eighth generation consoles and in 2015 on personal computers.

The PC version with 60 FPS and Full HD turned out amazing.

In total, the game sold 65 million copies.

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns"n"Roses are invited to GTA: San Andreas.

Wii Sports

The game received various awards for its innovative gameplay. This collection of five sports simulators involves motion control using controllers.

Mobility in the game has become a double-edged sword. On the one hand, people began to get off the couch and spend time together playing exciting games. On the other hand, televisions suffered from this.

Minecraft

Tetris

On June 6, 2016, Tetris turned 32 years old. This game has been on almost all gaming platforms, as well as on graphing calculators and media players. They want to make a sci-fi feature film based on it in China. Moreover, this will be done by American producer Lawrence Casanova, who is responsible for the film “True Lies”, and also took part in several animated television projects for Lego.

What about a calculator, you could play Tetris on the wall of a skyscraper

The game was created by Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov. The name comes from "tetromino" and "tennis". "Tetraminoes" are geometric figures of four squares. There are seven such figures in Tetris. The pieces fall into a glass 10 squares wide and 20 squares high. The goal is to collect a horizontal row of 10 cells that then disappear.

Over the history of the game, it has not only been ported to all sorts of platforms, but also the rules have been changed, complicated, and improved. Tetris was made three-dimensional, it was colored and black and white, with a variety of musical accompaniments. They even sell “physical” Tetris. In 2009, designer Andrew Liszewski began selling his 360-degree version, in which a figure appears in the center and then falls to whichever side the player chooses by flipping the console.

So Tetris is not just a leader, but an absolute leader with a huge advantage.

Let's now talk about your favorite games. It doesn't matter how many copies of these games were sold. What did you like to play in the past, and what do you still play now?

Only registered users can participate in the survey. , Please.

And in the first place in it is the Russian game.

Unlike the BBC, which commissioned film critics to compile its top list, Time created its own. “Time's technical team put more than 150 nominees through a multi-step evaluation process to come up with a selection of best games new ideas for almost four decades,” the magazine writes on its website.

Time's 50 Best Video Games

2. Super Mario 64

3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

7. The Legend of Zelda

8. Super Mario Bros.

9. The Oregon Trail

10. World of Warcraft

Continuation of the list

11. Sid Meier's Civilization IV

12.Final Fantasy VI

13. SimCity 2000

15. Counter-Strike

16.Grand Theft Auto III

18. Rise of the Tomb Raider

19. Space Invaders

22.GoldenEye 007

23. Microsoft Flight Simulator X

24.Final Fantasy VII

25. Halo: Combat Evolved

26. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

27. Mortal Kombat

30. Pokemon Red & Blue

32. Wolfenstein 3D

33. Super Mario Kart

34. Red Dead Redemption

41. ESPN NFL 2K5

43. Call of Duty 2

44. Super Smash Bros.

46. Resident Evil 4

45: Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

50. King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human

Now let's grumble

Like all the top lists that claim to be “the best of all times and platforms,” Time’s list raises many questions and looks very controversial.

You can endlessly list which games should have been included in it and were not included. Let's say the famous racing series Need For Speed not mentioned at all. The strategy and RPG genres are extremely poorly represented: there are no classic parts WarCraft, no episodes Heroes of Might & Magic And Total War, nor Witcher, nor Baldur's Gate. And, what is absolutely criminal, not a single game in the world The Elder Scrolls.

They were hardly less significant for the history of video games than Braid, GoldenEye 007 or the next release of a hockey simulator from EA Sports. It’s hardly fair that there are no TES games in the top, while there are three games about Mario. And if Pong as one of the first games in history, perhaps worthy of mention, the existence of The Oregon Trail only very gray-haired old people remember.

And the worthy series that did make it to the top are presented strangely in it. So, in some cases, the first part “takes the rap” for the entire game series, although the sequels have surpassed it ( Mortal Kombat, Castlevania). In others, the series is represented by a sequel ( Fallout 3, StarCraft II, Rise of the Tomb Raider), although it was the original or a completely different sequel that was cult ( GTA III, although it was asking Vice City). Finally, in the third, the series was awarded several inclusions in the top, and almost all of them were in the top 10 ( Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda).

Time's top, like the recent top of the best films of the 21st century from the BBC, once again reminds: attempts to compile a list of the best works of all time are doomed to failure and misunderstanding. There are too many important works; any selection would be controversial. In addition, Time selected the 50 best games from only 150 candidates, and for the top of all time they need to be sorted through about a thousand. It would be better if they tried to compile several separate tops by genre, era or platform - then the chance of objectivity would be much higher.

But all this will not stop us from being proud that “ Tetris", created by Russian programmer Alexey Pajitnov. This is a game that everyone has truly played.

Games are countless virtual worlds that allow us to become what we want, but cannot real life. However, among these worlds there are those that have earned the title of the best, both from gamers and from impartial critics.

To select the best games on PC, we studied popular Russian-language resources, such as Iwantgames, Stopgame And Kanobu, and also read reviews of popular games on Metacritic. This is how a list of 20 best PC games of all time which we present to your attention. Game ratings are based on data StopGame.

Rating: 8.6.

Genre: MMORPG.

Release date: 2004-present.

Platform: Mac, PC.

One of best online games for PC offers not only an epic confrontation between two opposing alliances - the Alliance and the Horde, but also a beautiful, very Big world, interesting quests, carefully crafted history and raids.

In them you will be able to fully demonstrate your talent as a healer, melee or ranged fighter, or a powerful defender. Or just kiss squirrels in the nearest forest, if your soul lies only in peaceful pursuits.

The game is quite old by today's standards, but additions are regularly released to it. Next up – Battle for Azeroth will be released on August 14th.

19. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter, addon.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

According to many players, this is the most realistic and intense tactical first-person shooter. The game does not have a solo campaign, but there is exciting team play. The task of the attacking side is to take the opponents by storm, and the team playing on defense must strengthen its positions as much as possible and set cunning traps for the enemy.

The plot is based on real events that took place during counter-terrorism operations.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2011

Platform: PC, PS3, X360

As bullets whiz overhead and explosions hurl you to the ground, the battlefield feels more realistic than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players will temporarily transform into elite US Marines. Dangerous missions await them, both solo and cooperative.

Excellent graphics, a wide variety of vehicles, a well-designed environment and pleasant rewards for good team game- this is what even very picky gaming publications praise Battlefield 3 for.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Arcade.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, X360, XONE

This is perhaps the most beautiful platform arcade game in our game rating. From the very first minutes, its unusual graphics attract attention and do not let go until the game is completed. An atmospheric world, a pleasant and unobtrusive soundtrack, RPG elements, a cute hero who will appeal to both young and adult gamers - what else is needed to while away a couple of evenings in front of the computer?

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 2017

Platform: Mac, PC.

For many people, the sci-fi strategy game StarCraft represents one of the greatest computer games of all times. And StarCraft: Remastered lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor. With stunning new Ultra HD visuals, re-recorded audio and updated online support, this game comes highly recommended.

15. Assassin's Creed 2

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Action

Release date: 2009.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

The product of more than two years of intensive work and part of the popular Assassin's Creed franchise. In a vast open world environment, the game invites you to play as Ezio, a young nobleman living during the Renaissance. Interesting story about revenge and retribution are successfully complemented by various missions, unusual elements gameplay, a wide selection of weapons and character development that fans of the original Assassin’s Creed love so much.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2007

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, WII, X360.

This game was amazing for its time, thanks to the atmosphere of a real war, a clear plot, an exciting multiplayer mode, hundreds of beautiful scenes and a meticulous design of the game environment. Even now, the military blockbuster Modern Warfare can provide several hours of exciting gameplay.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Action

Release date: 2012

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The main character of the game is Jason Brody, a man stuck on a mysterious tropical island. In this wild paradise, where lawlessness and violence reign supreme, Brody will determine the outcome of the war between rebels and pirates for control of the island.

Rating: 9.1.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2017

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE

Twenty hours into this RPG, you'll still be discovering new mechanics you never knew about. In this regard, Original Sin 2 is not very friendly to beginners, and requires some persistence and patience from them.

At the same time, the huge number of quests and secrets, the non-linearity of the game, and its world, which is almost unparalleled in terms of scale and detail, are an experience that should not be missed.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, RPG.

Release date: 2010

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

This exciting space saga takes players to unknown alien civilizations and battles with aliens, mercenaries and sentient robots. Additionally, it offers one of the most interesting and well-designed characters in RPG games.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2011.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

Bethesda Game Studios' open-world adventure doesn't boast the best combat, magic, or even best graphics compared to competitors. Instead, it offers something much more - one of the biggest, richest and most immersive worlds you've ever seen.

Traveling through locations in Skyrim will take so much time that you can lose sleep, take time off from work, and test the patience of family and friends while playing.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, racing

Release date: 2013

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The best games of all time would not be complete without this superbly optimized, atmospheric game. Its action takes place in the sunny city of Los Santos, in which a criminal trio operates:

Franklin, a young thief looking for an opportunity to get his hands on some serious money.
Michael, a former bank robber whose retirement wasn't as rosy as he thought it would be.
Trevor, a violent guy suffering from a mental disorder.

Players can switch between characters at any time, and it's definitely worth doing. After all, each character has his own set of quests, as well as primary and secondary skills that help him survive and get the most out of the world of GTA5.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 1999

Platform: PC.

This legendary game has become the most popular title in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Compared with previous parts it offered new types of cities, seven small story campaigns for each faction, and at the same time ran even on low-power computers. Thanks to good localization, The Restoration of Erathia was a huge success in Russia.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2009

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

Being the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, one of the most successful role playing games in the industry, Dragon Age: Origins combines the best elements of fantasy with stunning visual effects. It cannot be called a revolution in the RPG genre, but rather an evolution.

The story of Dragon Age: Origins is exciting and action-packed, the characters are unforgettable, and the journey through the game world inhabited by people, dwarves and elves is something that will captivate you and will not let you go until the very end.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Puzzle.

Release date: 2011

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

Valve has created a fun puzzle game with excellent gameplay mechanics. It offers players not only a single-player game for main character Chelsea, who will have to escape from the Aperture laboratory, but also a co-op mode for two players. The main characters in it will be the robots Atlas and P-Body. The storyline of the co-op mode does not intersect with the plot of the single-player mode, which leads to unexpected endings.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Action, racing.

Release date: 2002

Platform: PC

One of the best games in history still evokes warm and nostalgic feelings among those who played it. And those who did not pass can do so for three main reasons:

The huge map of Lost Haven is filled with diverse and magnificent places. Each area has a unique appearance, has its own unique atmosphere and even musical accompaniment.
The core gameplay can be summarized by simply saying that it consists of shooting and driving from a third-person perspective. However, in reality it offers much more: from a variety of missions to dialogues and interactions with many NPCs that inhabit the streets of The City of Lost Heaven.
An unusual and very beautiful main musical theme, created under the direction of the Czech composer Vladimir Simunek, and with the participation of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra.

The only weak thing in the game is the imperfect AI of the heroes' enemies and companions. On the other hand, the fact that Los Have Haven's police officers are not geniuses further enhances the realism.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2004

Platform: PC.

This game was very loved, and fans of the series are still waiting for the release of the third part. Half-Life 2's graphics engine was so realistic that players felt like they were in the movie. Excellent character animation, original way The presentation of the plot, the variety of environments and ways to interact with them, and most importantly, the charismatic protagonist made the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 what it is to this day. Namely, one of the most popular games in history.

Rating: 9.4.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 1998

Platform: PC.

An amazing atmosphere, great music, and an exciting story make Fallout 2 a diamond in the RPG genre. This is a real non-linear game that allows you to do whatever you want in a world full of mutants, radiation, and hundreds of other dangers.

Rating: 9.5.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2015

Platform: Mac, PC, PS4, XONE.

The game about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia set a new standard for quality in RPG games with open world. Diverse and exciting locations, full of important decisions, interesting characters, and cruel enemies, excellent graphics and music, a thoughtful plot, funny and dramatic moments - all this gave players more than 100 exciting hours of gameplay.

For everyone who does not know the magical universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3 explains the history of all the important characters and what connects them to Geralt. This way, even beginners quickly get up to speed.

Rating: 9.6.

Genre: Addon, RPG.

Release date: 2016

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

The Witcher 3 is one of the highest rated games on PC. And its Blood and Wine addon is better made than most games released in 2016. Even players who have spent hundreds of hours in The Witcher greeted the new addition with surprise and delight with the most interesting storyline. It is an excellent ending to the story about the White Wolf.

The quantity and quality of content in this addon is simply stunning, making it a full-fledged game. Many quests, dialogues and, of course, monsters await you in the new Toussaint location.