The best game of all time was invented in Russia. © Freeze frame video

Let’s make a reservation right away: like all such tops, the Time rating raises many questions and looks contradictory. The magazine chose from only 150 games, but for the “top of all time” there had to be at least several hundred of them. And, of course, if journalists tried to compile several separate tops by genre, era or platform, the chance of objectivity would be higher.

Don't forget that this is an American list. Many of our early games were generally unknown or could not claim much interest due to the theme. For example, games about American football.

So, here are the 50 best video games of all time, according to Time magazine.

50. King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (1986)

The game was released in 1986 for the DOS operating system. According to the plot, Prince Alexander was kidnapped from his cradle by the evil sorcerer Mannanan, who calls him Gwydion. The prince must escape from the sorcerer, understand who he really is, and save his sister by fighting the dragon. You can see what the game looked like in this video:

Video: trailer for the game “Kingʼs Quest III: To Heir Is Human”

Player review: “The whole game is ruined by the timer: if you don’t have time to complete the preparations before the wizard returns, it’s the end. When I passed, there was no Internet, no Fido, everything was found out at random, I looked up every word in the dictionary, it took a very long time. But it was a joy to finally escape from the clutches of the wizard and go explore the world.”

In 2006 and 2011, remakes of the game were released in VGA versions.

49. Dota 2 (2013)

A multiplayer team game of the Multiplayer online battle arena genre, an implementation of the famous DotA map for the game Warcraft III in a separate client.

48. Angry Birds (2009)

A series of computer games developed by the Finnish company Rovio, in which (in the main line) the player must use a slingshot to shoot birds at green pigs placed on various structures.

The game was first released for the Apple iOS platform on December 10, 2009 in the App Store, after which it gained wild popularity. In less than two years since its release, the game was downloaded more than 500 million times, and by July 2015, the number of downloads reached 3 billion. The game received a crazy number of sequels, spin-offs and various special editions.

In April 2012, the Angry Birds Land amusement park opened in Finland. In March 2013, Rovio released the animated series Angry Birds Toons, and in 2016, the full-length cartoon Angry Birds at the Movies.

47. Guitar Hero (2005)

Musical game for PlayStation 2. The main task of the player is to press the keys on the neck of a special guitar-shaped controller at the right moment and hit the “string” key.

The game became a hit, received good reviews from critics and many awards from various world publishers. The game marked the beginning of the Guitar Hero media franchise; all games in the series have been sold for a total of more than $1 billion.

46.Resident Evil 4 (2005)

Multiplatform computer game in the genres of third-person action and survival horror, the sixth game in the main Resident Evil series. In the story, government agent Leon Scott Kennedy goes on a mission to Europe. He has to save Ashley Graham, the daughter of the US President, who was kidnapped by followers of a mysterious cult. A trip to a rural village in Spain turns into a meeting with its bloodthirsty inhabitants.

45: Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (2001)

A racing simulator with short competitions for beginners, multi-hour races and rally competitions with rivals. The main goal of the game is to win all races, championships, and pass all driver's license tests.

As of 2009, 14.89 million copies of the game were purchased worldwide.

44. Super Smash Bros. (1999)

A fighting game with characters from various Nintendo game series - Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, Link from The Legend of Zelda and others. At first, the game was supposed to be released for a CD drive for the Nintendo 64 CD, but due to the commercial failure of the device and competition, the game had to be published on a 128-megabit cartridge. Therefore, Princess Peach, Bowser, Princess Zelda, Ganondorf, Mewtwo, Pete and King Dedede and many levels had to be cut.

However, Super Smash Bros. became a successful game and spawned three sequels: Super Smash Bros. Melee on Nintendo GameCube, Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii and Super Smash Bros. 4 for 3DS and Wii U.

43. Call of Duty 2 (2005)

A first-person shooter where the player takes on the role of one of the soldiers of the Soviet, American and British armies fighting German troops. Call of Duty 2 was the most popular game at the Xbox 360's launch, selling 250,000 copies in its first week. As of July 2006, the Xbox 360 had sold 1.4 million copies.

42. BioShock

First-person shooter with RPG and science fiction elements.

Bioshock takes place in 1960. The main character, a young man named Jack, as a result of a plane crash ends up in the underwater city of Rapture, hidden at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Rapture was created by millionaire Andrew Ryan as his ideal society. However, the discovery of a substance called adam, which gives people superhuman powers, split Rapture society and ultimately led to the collapse of the utopia.

In addition to visual scenes, the plot is presented through found audio recordings, as well as radio conversations with a few friendly characters.

41. ESPN NFL 2K5 (2004)

An American football simulator with multiplayer and pretty decent physics and graphics for that time.

40. Pong (1972)

One of the earliest arcade video games and the first commercially successful game in history. Pong is a tennis sports game using simple 2D graphics. Programmer Allan Alcorn created it as a skill training tool.

39. Castlevania (1986)

A typical representative of the platformer genre of the 8-bit era. The events take place in the fictional world of the game series and tell the story of the confrontation between vampire hunters from the Belmont clan and the vampire lord Dracula.

The game consists of six levels with a boss at the end, which are completed in the only possible way, without plot branches or alternative levels. The game character is Simon Belmont, who is armed with a Vampire Killer whip.

38. Portal 2 (2010)

First-person puzzle game, sequel to the game Portal (2007). The core of the gameplay remains the use of a portable portal-creating device, allowing the player to create two interconnected portals - rifts in space - through which he can instantly move from one place to another and carry various objects. This is the basis for completing the game and solving game puzzles.

At the GDC 2010 conference, Valve director Gabe Newell said that Portal 2 is the best game in the company's history.

37. Braid (2008)

Puzzle platformer, main character who is trying to save the princess from the monster. The clues given in the plot allow us to give the story different metaphorical interpretations: from a simple separation from a lover to the development of a nuclear bomb.

In search of the princess, the main character travels through six fantasy worlds, each of which corresponds to a room in his house.

36. Fallout 3 (2008)

Action/RPG, the third canonical game in the Fallout series. The action takes place in a world slowly reborn after a nuclear war in 2077. The game is set in 2277 and takes place 36 years after the events of Fallout 2.

The main character of the game is the Lonely Wanderer, who from an early age lived in one of the underground shelters. Although in his mind the shelter has never been opened since the nuclear war, his father goes outside one day. A lonely wanderer goes in search of him to find out the reasons for his departure.

35. Galaga (1981)

A classic fixed shooter in the form of an arcade slot machine. The player controls a spaceship located at the bottom of the screen. It can only move along a horizontal axis.

At the beginning of each level, the space around is empty, but over time, enemy ships arrive, lining up in formations and also moving along a horizontal axis. The player's task is to destroy all enemy ships. After this, the player moves to the next level.

34. Red Dead Redemption (2010)

An action-adventure Western from a third person with an open world and RPG elements. The action takes place in America in 1911. The game's protagonist, John Marston, a former thug who left the bloody trade, is forced to work for government agents to kill or capture alive his former accomplices, including his "old friend" Bill Williamson.

33. Super Mario Kart (1992)

Racing arcade game with characters from the Super Mario Bros. universe. By running over images with question marks on the track, it is possible to collect various upgrades for the kart and build traps for your opponents. Each of the computer-controlled characters also has their own unique abilities that they can use to gain an advantage in the race.

32. Wolfenstein 3D

A first-person shooter developed for DOS. Mistakenly considered the founder of the genre. The player controls a soldier attempting to escape from the eponymous Nazi fortress; He is confronted by many armed guards and guard dogs.

Due to the use Nazi symbols and music by Horst Wessel, version for personal computers and Atari were banned from sale in Germany in 1994. The ban was only lifted in September 2011.

31. The Sims (1999)

A life simulator in which the player controls one or more characters - Sims, takes care of their well-being, develops their skills, strengthens connections with other characters, advances them in their careers and equips their apartment building. The game has no storyline, and the game can theoretically be played "forever".

30. Pokemon Red & Blue (1996)

The player travels as a Pokémon trainer throughout the fictional region of Kanto, interacting with and battling other trainers. The goal of the game is to become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the region by defeating the region's other top trainers, the Elite Four. Another goal is to catch 151 Pokémon and fill the Pokédex, a digital encyclopedia about Pokémon, with information about them.

29. Myst (1993)

Graphic quest about traveling around interactive world with a first person view. Unlike most computer games, it is impossible to die here at the hands of enemies or unforced circumstances; The only problem for the player is the difficult puzzles. To complete the journey, the player must visit all the worlds presented in the game, navigating through them with the help of books.

Myst, along with its sequels, sold about 12 million copies worldwide and was the best-selling game for a long time.

28. Donkey Kong (1981)

One of the first platform games to be developed for an arcade machine. The main character of the game is a character named Jumper - a carpenter who must save his girlfriend (unnamed in the original, just “Lady”, later - Pauline) from the villain, played by Donkey Kong.

This was the first use in video games of the established "rescue the damsel in distress" scenario, which later became a template and was featured in many other computer games. Jumper, already in "Donkey Kong Jr." dubbed "Mario", he was featured in later Mario games and became Nintendo's mascot.

27. Mortal Kombat (1992)

The developers originally had the idea of ​​making a video game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, but Mortal Kombat was created and released in 1992 instead. The original game was continued in subsequent games in the series and other adaptations, including films, cartoons, TV series, comics, card games, and a tour with a costume show was also organized. Along with Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat is one of the most successful and influential fighting game franchises in video game history.

26. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)

Real-time strategy, sequel to StarCraft. The game takes place in the 26th century in a distant part of the galaxy Milky Way. The plot of the game is based on the interaction of three races: Terrans (descendants of exiled criminals who do not maintain contact with Earth), Zergs (a race of creatures whose warriors are mutated mammals or insect-like or reptile creatures of various planets, controlled first by the Overmind, and then by the Queen of Blades) and the Protoss (a high-tech race with pronounced psionic abilities).

25. Halo: Combat Evolved

A first-person shooter, the plot of which tells the story of a war between people represented by the forces of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and a religious union of several alien races - the Covenant.

People struggle to survive, but still lose ground on all fronts. Last hope humanity became the SPARTAN-II project - a program to create biologically enhanced super-soldiers who became the most effective weapon in the fight against aliens.

24. Final Fantasy VII (1997)

A Japanese role-playing game set in a dystopian fictional world set in a science fiction setting with fantasy elements. The plot of the game tells how the group of eco-terrorists "AVALANCHE", which includes the main character Cloud Strife, fights the mega-corporation "Shin-Ra", whose activities are leading to the depletion of the source of planetary energy. In the future, the heroes face a greater danger to the planet and themselves - the main villain of the game, Sephiroth.

23. Microsoft Flight Simulator X (2006)

Flight simulator featuring hundreds of existing airports around the world and hundreds of existing aircraft civil aviation the most different types, starting from small single-seat gliders without an engine, ending with giants like the Boeing 747.

22. GoldenEye 007 (1997)

A first-person shooter based on the seventeenth Bond film, GoldenEye. The player controls James Bond and must complete the mission's objectives. The game has earned high marks from many publications. The multiplayer mode was especially praised.

21. Diablo II (2000)

The legendary Action/RPG, which was awarded an entry in the Guinness Book of Records (in the “2000 edition”) as the fastest selling game. It sold more than 1 million copies in the first two weeks, and by January 2001, it had sold 2.75 million copies worldwide.

20. Zork (1978)

A series of text (later graphic-text) adventure computer games from Infocom.

19. Space Invaders (1978)

Originally created for arcade games slot machines, the game in many ways became the founder of modern games and helped the gaming industry become one of the largest in the world. During its initial release, the game was very successful and popular, causing a temporary shortage of 100 yen coins. Space Invaders is the best arcade game according to the Guinness Book of Records.

18. Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)

An RPG/platformer in which Lara Croft sets out to find the city of Kitezh, also known as the “Russian Atlantis.” She travels to snowy Siberia with a partner named Jonah Maiava, known from the previous part of the series. Having discovered her thirst for adventure, Lara intends to discover the secret of endless life and eternal youth in the mythical city.

17. Half-Life 2 (2004)

A sci-fi first-person shooter in which Gordon Freeman finds himself on a train arriving in City 17, unarmed and without his protective power suit, which served as his faithful assistant and saved his life several times in the first part of the game.

Soon the situation begins to clear up: City 17 is under the rule of a totalitarian government, the head of which is Wallace Breen, as it turns out later, a former administrator of the Black Mesa research center. But Brin, in turn, is himself a pawn in the hands of the leaders of a powerful union - the Alliance.

By the way, waiting for the third part of the game has long become a meme.

16. Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

The first 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto series. The events take place in the fictional American city of Liberty City, based on New York. The protagonist of the game is an unnamed criminal who has become a victim of a criminal conspiracy between his girlfriend Catalina and Miguel, a member of a Colombian drug cartel.

The game contains elements of a car simulator and a 3rd person shooter.

15. Counter-Strike (2000)

A mega-popular team-based first-person shooter that originally appeared as a modification of the game Half-Life. The main idea of ​​the game is a confrontation between two teams - terrorists and counter-terrorists. Each player, when entering the game, selects the team for which he wants to play, or the opportunity to be an observer, if this is provided for by the game server settings.

14. Quake (1996)

A first-person shooter that made a breakthrough in 3D technology, implementing a fully three-dimensional world instead of a two-dimensional map with height information (as was the case in Doom).

With the advent of the first Quake, the concept of “e-sports” was born, a large community arose, major championships began to be held, and the concept of tricking in relation to computer games arose: the use of some game bugs in the character’s movement to achieve superpowers professional players, specially adjusted in professional fashions.

13. SimCity 2000 (1993)

A game that has become a classic example for city planning simulators. In total, it sold about 4.23 million copies.

12. Final Fantasy VI (1994)

This Japanese role-playing game takes place in a fictional fantasy world with well-developed technology, the setting is reminiscent of the period of the second industrial revolution. The plot describes the journey of a group of heroes opposing an aggressive, tyrannical empire.

11. Sid Meier's Civilization IV (2005)

Continuation of one of the most popular and successful series of global turn-based strategies. The total circulation of the series currently totals more than 6 million copies. The player is given the opportunity to control one of the empires. You start the game in 4000 BC. e. with a settler and one warrior, and gradually develop into a superpower.

10. World of Warcraft (2004)

A massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the most popular MMORPG in the world. In January 2014, it was announced that over 100 million accounts had been created throughout the game's life.

By controlling the game character, the player can explore the area, wander through famous places, fight monsters, and also carry out various orders given by computer-controlled characters. In addition, fights with other players are possible.

9. The Oregon Trail (1971)

An educational computer game about the life of American pioneers, widely used in schools in North America. The name of the game is associated with the Oregon Trail, which actually existed in the 19th century.

The player controls a group of immigrants with a specific profession and traveling in a conestoga. The game's success led to several sequels.

8. Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling game in history. The main characters of the game are the plumber Mario and his brother Luigi (as game character for the second player). The goal of the game is to travel through the Mushroom Kingdom while avoiding or destroying the soldiers of the turtle Koopa King (also known as Bowser) in order to rescue the Princess he has captured.

7. The Legend of Zelda (1986)

The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule. The army of the powerful Prince of Darkness Ganon, who invaded Hyrule, plunged the kingdom into chaos; Ganon himself captured the Triforce of Power, a magical artifact that grants its owner great power. Princess Zelda of Hyrule, who owned another artifact, the Triforce of Wisdom, divided it into eight fragments and hid them from Ganon in the kingdom's secret dungeons.

The main character of the game, Link, decided to save Zelda. But in order to fight Ganon, he must first find and collect together the fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom scattered throughout the country.

The game became a bestseller on the Nintendo platform, selling 6.5 million copies.

6. Minecraft (2011)

An indie sandbox game with elements of a survival simulator and an open world. Minecraft provides the player with a 3D procedurally generated world made entirely of cubic blocks, and gives the player the opportunity to freely rebuild it, creating complex structures from the blocks - this feature of the game makes Minecraft similar to the LEGO set.

The game does not set any clear goals for the player, but offers him many opportunities and activities: for example, the player can explore the world, create a variety of structures and objects, and fight with various opponents.

Videos: 5 best games of all time according to Time magazine

5.Ms. Pac-Man (1982)

Arcade game published by Midway Manufacturing (Illinois). Ms. Pac-Man was released a year after Pac-Man and became one of the most popular computer games of all time, leading Namco (the owner of the rights to Pac-Man) to recognize it as part of the official line.

4. Doom (1993)

A first-person shooter that is one of the most significant and influential computer games in the history of the industry. Its popularity largely determined the further development and spread of the genre.

The game "Doom" takes place in a sci-fi setting using horror film techniques. The player takes on the role of an unnamed space special forces soldier. The plot is simple and is revealed only in the user manual, and in the game itself there are only short messages for the player between episodes.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

The next part of the popular The Legend of Zelda series. Link goes on a journey to stop Ganondorf (the main enemy of the princess and the main antagonist of the games in the series, in the first games he was called Ganon).

Ganondorf, in an attempt to take over Hyrule, seeks to acquire an artifact known as the Triforce, which has the power to grant the wishes of those who wield it. To stop him, Link travels through time using a musical instrument, The Ocarina of Time.

2. Super Mario 64 (1996)

Technically, the first "3D" game in the Mario series was the platformer Mario Clash on the Virtual Boy, in which the player could move Mario between the foreground and background. But Super Mario 64 introduced true 3D for the first time, with free-direction movement, 3D polygonal models instead of 2D sprites, and large open spaces to explore.

1. Tetris (1984)

Tetris was first written by Soviet programmer Alexei Pajitnov on the Elektronika-60 computer. While working at the Computing Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Pajitnov worked on problems of artificial intelligence and speech recognition, and used puzzles, including the classic pentomino, to test ideas.

Pajitnov tried to automate the placement of pentominoes into given figures. However, the computing power of the then equipment for rotating pentominoes was not enough; it had to be debugged on tetrominoes, which determined the name of the game. In those experiments, the main idea of ​​​​Tetris was born - for the figures to fall and the filled rows to disappear.

The sales level does not always indicate the quality of the game, and its success is measured not only in numbers. However, often these numbers indicate that the project turned out to be at least good. We have conducted in-depth research using the most modern techniques(thanks, Google), and compiled a list of the best-selling PC games of all time. All data is based on statistics from the Statista service for January.

The list, as expected, includes both time-tested hits from the studios Blizzard and Valve, as well as rather unexpected projects. Please note that we did not take into account sales of various add-ons for games already present in the selection. And although some of these DLC sold quite impressive copies, we focused exclusively on full-fledged games. There are also different parts of the same series missing. Otherwise, the entire list would be filled exclusively with games from the Sims series, and no one needs that. Now is the time to go through the selection.

Worldwide circulation: 2.96 million copies

Star Wars: The Old Republic created a huge buzz when it was released, so it's no surprise that it ended up on this list. The vibrant MMORPG from Bioware developed the ideas laid down in the Knights of the Old Republic series, turning the world familiar to many into a full-fledged MMO.

A couple of months after its release, Old Republic acquired a shareware model, and all kinds of additions for the game are still being released to this day. However, the quality of Old Republic remains top notch, and you can sign up for free at any time and start your adventure.

Worldwide circulation: 3.61 million copies

The first Doom game became so popular that many offices banned it because their employees spent hours playing the game. Of course, everyone was looking forward to the sequel called Hell on Earth, which in the end did not disgrace the honor of the original. Doom II: Hell on Earth was in no way inferior to its predecessor and delighted with many innovations. There are still heated debates over which of the two parts was better.

In fact, the 1993 Doom may well have sold more widely than the sequel. But since at first the game had stripped-down shareware versions distributed free of charge, it is difficult to even imagine what the potential profit could be.

Worldwide circulation: 3.88 million copies

It took developer Bethesda a lot of time to create a truly iconic RPG within the Elder Scrolls series. Arena and Daggerfall acted as a test of the pen, and Morrowind and Oblivion are considered by many today to be among the best representatives of the RPG genre. Therefore, it is very logical that the fifth masterpiece from Bethesda eventually took pride of place in the list of best-selling games in the history of the industry.

Skyrim is a true landmark of the genre, setting the direction for all modern open world games. The price for the enhanced edition of the game is $59.99.

World circulation: 4.12 million copies

Half-Life is an iconic series. The game had a huge impact on the first-person shooter genre, and still no one has managed to surpass it. Hence the impressive circulation. And despite the fact that Valve has released quite a few amazing projects, Half-Life is rightfully considered to be developed by this studio.

Half-Life is an incredibly fun adventure, and the game's sales once again confirm this.

World circulation: 4.21 million copies

Before the release of the MMO World of Warcraft, the gaming community enthusiastically played Warcraft. Each new part Blizzard's revolutionary RTS series was unique in its own way, but Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness turned out to be unique precisely in terms of sales.

The game was released in 1995 for the DOS operating system, but its well-developed mechanics ensured Warcraft II true immortality. If you love the RTS genre, but haven't played any of the Warcraft games before, then it's time to catch up.

Worldwide circulation: 4.84 million copies

And again we have a project from Blizzard (by the way, not the last on this list). More precisely, another sequel to the successful RTS from Blizzard. Interestingly, Starcraft ended up being noticeably more successful than Warcraft. Today it is one of the largest eSports disciplines, and Starcraft II, which was developed for 11 years, raised the bar for the quality of RTS games to a completely new level, improving all the advantages of the original tenfold.

In light of the news about the upcoming remake of the first part, it's time to refresh your memory and dive into the world of Starcraft II.

Worldwide circulation: 5.12 million copies

Yes, the photo under the title is not a screenshot from the 1982 game, but it is much nicer to look at. But the numbers under the title are the actual sales level of Microsoft Flight Simulator, released in 1982. This game was ported to the IBM operating system and used as a benchmark test to show that the computer was "100% compatible with the IBM OS." That’s why the game sold a decent amount of copies.

Since then, several new installments of Microsoft Flight Simulator have been released, each offering improved graphics, interface and controls. However, if you want to touch the real legend, you can find the original (albeit quite difficult).

Worldwide circulation: 5.14 million copies

The third game from Blizzard on the list. Despite the rather lukewarm reception from the public immediately after release, Diablo III sold more than 5 million copies. Following the formula of the very popular Diablo and Diablo II, the third part showed what a modern action-RPG should be, delighting gamers with exciting gameplay and chic graphics for those times.

At first, many were annoyed by the need to constantly connect to the Internet, without which the game refused to start, but since then this flaw has already been corrected.

Worldwide circulation: 6.29 million copies

Warcraft may have been the first, but World of Warcraft was much more successful in every way. This MMO is the main benchmark for all other games in the genre, as well as an integral part of popular culture. The game managed to shine even in such famous shows, like 20/20 and South Park. Of course, the current version of World of Warcraft is not much like the original, but it is still very popular among PC gamers, which is why it managed to take second place on this list.

The days of Vanilla World of Warcraft are long gone, but many remember this particular version with warm nostalgia.

Worldwide circulation: 8.01 million copies

It is because of this game that we decided not to include various DLCs in the list, because otherwise more than half of the positions would be taken by Sims variations. The Sims 3 turned out to be the most successful of all the parts, beating the legendary World of Warcraft by 2 million copies sold. Thanks to the insane popularity of The Sims 3, even people who previously stayed away from consoles (or PC games) were turning into avid gamers.

Of course, The Sims is not for everyone, but the series should be respected at least for its resounding success.

The best of the best

These were the 10 best-selling PC games of all time. In different sources, information about their circulation may differ slightly from each other, but in general the picture looks exactly like this. These 10 projects deservedly hold the record for sales in the field of computer entertainment.

31.05.2018 Pavel Makarov

Computer games appeared almost immediately with the advent of computers as entertainment for employees servicing these devices. In the late 80s and early 90s, professional studios began to appear. It was then that such hits as Doom, Wolfenstein and other 3D shooters appeared. By the late 90s and early 2000s, the industry had grown into a significant entertainment industry. It was at this time that hits appeared that determined the direction of development of video games. This article shows the top legendary games of all time on PC, which have become standards in their genres.

Release date: 1999
Genre: network shooter, eSports
Developer: id Software
Publisher: id Software

The legendary Quake III Arena sends gamers to training grounds where bloody and fierce battles take place. The game does not have a plot or classic character development in the generally accepted sense.

The players’ task is to win in the arenas, increase their rating, receive points and purchase equipment and weapons for them. The peculiarity of the arena is its particular cruelty. Gamers turn each other into mincemeat using a variety of weapons (there are grenade launchers, chainsaws, etc.). When entering the arena, each hero is responsible only for himself. Victory goes to the last survivor.

Release date: 1998
Genre: first person shooter, Sci-Fi
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve

A game that was way ahead of its time. Dozens of similar projects were created based on Half-Life, but it was the game that won the minds and hearts of gamers around the world.

To survive in the harsh world of single player, the player will have to constantly think through a strategy for passing. Most monsters can become deadly if you just relax for a while and let your guard down. In addition to Half-Life, a multiplayer mode has been released, where players from anywhere in the world can play together or against each other.

Release date: 1997
Genre: historical real-time strategy
Developer: Skybox Labs, Hidden Path Entertainment, Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Strategic Series Games Age of Empires offered players to move into an immersive world historically significant events. The plots of the games in the series repeated events that took place in the real history of mankind. Gamers are invited to take one side of the opposing conflict, develop an army, increase power and participate in battles with artificial intelligence.

The AI ​​of the series has been constantly evolving; in order to defeat cunning opponents, the player needs to think through clear tactics for developing and waging war.

Release date: 1998
Genre: Isometric RPG, post-apocalypse
Developer: Black Isle Studios
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment

The famous Fallout 2 pulled the RPG genre out of dark dungeons and fantasy forests, moving the gaming action to a dynamic world after a nuclear war. The game has a special atmosphere of an apocalyptic world, where hordes of mutants come out to meet the character.

To complete Fallout 2, you need to go through the storyline, learn how to control the selected character, properly upgrade and dress him. Otherwise, the harsh post-apocalyptic world will perish completely, and the unlucky hero will not be able to achieve his goal.

Release date: 2000
Genre: Isometric RPG, fantasy
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment

Baldur's Gate II pleased players with the appearance of 3 additional classes to those in the first part. The game is a classic RPG in the D&D style. Also, this part of Baldur's Gate confronts the player with many new types of enemies. You will have to cope with monsters and move forward in the plot in rather difficult conditions.

In Baldur's Gate II, the bar for gaining experience has been raised, the combat system and the extraction of equipment have been complicated. All these indicators make the gameplay interesting, but the gamer needs to show all his skill to reach the end.

Release date: 2009
Genre: RPG about space with a non-linear plot
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts

The darkest, most atmospheric and exciting part of the series Mass Effect resurrects Captain Shepard to once again send him to fight for the fate of the galaxy. The gamer is offered women's and male variation the main character, as well as several basic classes, with which the fighting style and skills of the captain change.

According to the plot, new crew members appear on the captain's ship, with whom the player will have to interact throughout the game. Many events, including the ending, depend on the moral choices and decisions of the gamer.

Release date: 1991
Genre: global economic strategy
Developer: MicroProse, Firaxis Games, Westlake Interactive, Aspyr, BreakAway Games
Publisher: MicroProse, Koei, Hasbro Interactive, Infogrames, MacSoft, Aspyr, Atari, 2K Games

The large-scale series of Civilization strategies invites the player to manage human civilization from its inception to the present. To go the full way from newly emerging people to modern beautiful cities, it is necessary to rebuild cities and manage them. Some parts of the series supported a network mode, where players could fight not only with artificial intelligence, but also with each other for new territories and resources.

To lead his civilization to flourish, the player needs to master the skills of tactics, diplomacy, and the basics of analytical thinking. Only thoughtful civilizations with a clear development structure will come to victory.

Release date: 2000
Genre: global strategy with RTS elements
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Publisher: Electronic Arts, Activision, Sega

The Total War strategy has won the love of gamers thanks to its detailed, large-scale battles. Total War can be played both in single-player mode and online. Players take the side of one of the factions, develop it in order to win wars with artificial intelligence or other gamers.

Depending on the playstyle, units acquire unique character traits and skills. The characteristics of the army, generals, and faction rulers directly affect the ability to win wars with opponents.

Release date: 2004
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

MMORPG World of Warcraft has rightfully become one of the most popular in the history of world gaming. More than 100 million accounts, constantly filled servers, regular updates with new locations and characters - all this speaks of the constant development of the game. World of Warcraft is focused on group play. Gamers, in order to upgrade and equip their characters, must constantly enter into alliances and conflicts with other people.

You can achieve results only with perseverance and the ability to work in a team. Players are encouraged to visit raid dungeons and events daily to get top gear.

Release date: 2003
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Developer: NCSoft
Publisher: NCSoft

Unlike most MMORPGs, Lineage II does not throw the player into one of the factions immediately after character creation. Having chosen a class and started leveling up, the gamer will be able to make an informed decision about who he wants to join. The PvP component in the game is given a large space, but players will also have to battle with monsters controlled by AI.

A huge part of the gameplay is dedicated to duels between players. To win, you need to carefully use the offered talents, gain experience in battles with AI and dress your character well.

Release date: 2000
Genre: online team first-person shooter
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation, Sierra Entertainment

The multiplayer game Counter-Strike is a kind of arena with several training grounds for battles. Players play for 2 sides: terrorists, special forces. To win, gamers need to complete the map's signature task and destroy as many opponents as possible. The reward for kills and completed tasks are coins, for which you can purchase new equipment and weapons.

The better the weapon in the character's hands, the easier it is for the player to succeed in the arenas. Requirements for gamers change on different servers, as does the number of available factions (you can’t be an observer everywhere).

Release date: 2013
Genre: MOBA
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation

One of the most popular games in the world is Dota 2. The action takes place in a battle arena where 2 teams of players (light and dark) collide. Each player controls one character. Dota 2 offers dozens of different characters with unique skills. Heroes need to be controlled in different ways, so the overall outcome of the game depends on the skill of the gamer.

In case of victory in the arena, the player receives coins and a rating increase. For gold you can buy new equipment and weapons for greater effectiveness in battle.

Release date: 2002
Genre: open world fantasy RPG
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Gamers' love for Morrowind appeared everywhere after the game's release. Morrowind is a role-playing game, the main feature of which is the open world and the removal of restrictions from the gamer. The player is free to go wherever he wants and whenever he wants, without corridor locations. Storyline is present, its completion is mandatory for victory.

The player needs to select a suitable character, dress and upgrade him. Exploring the colorful world of Morrowind takes place along with battles with monsters and interesting side quests.

Release date: 2012
Genre: open world first person shooter
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher: Ubisoft

The action game with RPG elements has gained immense popularity among players. Far Cry 3 sends the main character to a picturesque tropical island where he will have to fight for survival. The main boss of the game is a charismatic psychopath who intrigues the player throughout the entire playthrough.

A cooperative mode is available, where players will have to team up to complete all tasks and battles. In cooperative mode, you can choose from various characters, not only the main character. The ultimate goal of the game is to survive by killing all enemies.

Release date: 2015
Genre: third person shooter open world, crime
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games

A dynamic adventure game that combines elements from all popular genres of our time. In the fifth part, players got the opportunity to control not just one protagonist, but three. To fully complete the game's plot, you should switch between characters and use the unique abilities of each of them.

Also, the game contains universal skills that are useful in battle. The outcome of the exciting story depends on how the gamer distributes talents between the characters and what style of play he uses.

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 compile a selection of the best game ideas from nearly 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 seems 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, neither Witcher, neither 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 next issue 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 BBC top of the best films of the 21st century, once again reminds us that 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.

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 bestseller rating (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 different games as possible. 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 game 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 Age and iron age). 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 have been distributed of the game, 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 the 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 searching for a journalist who has disappeared on a mysterious island. The game went on sale in 2004 and received overall good reviews in 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 precisely 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 presented 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 as Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows 95 and became a huge 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 up is one of the few adventure games on our list, which was released back in 1993 and has since registered six million licenses sold. In the story, the main character named the 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 it has 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 from South Korea, where the game became wildly popular.

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

The most successful game in the Tomb Raider series can be considered this version with improved gameplay and graphics, which helped it become a cult and sell eight million copies worldwide (3 million of which were intended for PC). 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 .