Gaming

Most popular games to play in 2022

People have been playing games since cavemen started rolling bits of bone around and painting on their underground walls. Idle people in ancient civilisations all had their favourite games too.

But has there ever been a time when gaming is more popular than now? Today game players can find an amazing range of things to play at a leading provider like Virgin Games.

They can find more games then ever – and can play them more easily than ever. That’s because the internet revolution means we can all play what we want, when we want and wherever we want.

The explosion n the quality and quantity of games means it’s the best time ever to be a gamer. Whatever you want to play there will be a game that’s perfect for you.

Whatever you want to play however always be aware of the risks of pirated games – downloading them can put your system, your device and even your personal privacy in danger. Even if the game does work on your device – which isn’t guaranteed with a pirated copy – you have created an open door for viruses, malware and criminal hacking.

It’s safer and easier to stick to the brilliant world of online operators, offering everything from a serious session at a virtual poker table to a fun short session on the slots.

But which are the most popular games of all time? We had a fun look at the statistics to see which are the games that have attracted the most players.

Can you guess which they are? And have you played them all?

1. Minecraft

It’s a bit like digital Lego – but this cleverly simple building game has conquered the world. There aren’t financial winners and losers – there are just billions of players happily creating something with the planet’s number one game.

It was released in 2011 and sold more than 230 million copies.

How popular is it today? Well, YouTube recently announced that its Minecraft videos have accrued an amazing 1 trillion views.

Minecraft is a great creative adventure that leads in all sorts of directions for different players. It has constant updates with lots of mods and enhancements available.

2. Grand Theft Auto

The V version of GTA has sold an extraordinary 165 million copies. That’s not bad for a game on its fifth generation.

Unless you have been on the moon for the last decade, you’ll know that GTA is an action/adventure game where players complete missions as part of a story involving car theft and shooting.

The games are always cool andset in fictional cities with retro elements. Sometimes they feature the voices of cult actors and singers like Samuel Jackson, Debbie Harry and Axl Rose.

3. Tetris

Who would have thought that the simple game of directing cubic shapes into a grid would almost conquer the minds of planet Earth? The game of Tetris has sold an amazing 100 million copies worldwide.

It’s a game where players move differently shaped pieces as they descend, trying to make them fill the grid below. Players simply have to last as long as they can before the deck is filled.

4. Wii Sports

Almost 83 million of us bought a copy of Wii Sports – a breakthrough game that was developed by Nintendo and released in 2006.

It took off all over the world, even though it required a new console. The Sports package involved five games: tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing.

Of course the great thrill of Wii was that playing involved actions similar to the sport itself, with players swinging their arms and jumping around in front of a screen.

5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Despite having more than 70 million copies sold, this is probably the least well-known of the top five games.

It appeals to definite type of player – it’s a violent and thrilling fantasy game. The PUBG success story was inspired by a cult Japanese film and involves parachuting onto an island to battle other players with scavenged weapons.

6. Super Mario Brothers

The classic early Nintendo video game sold an amazing 58 million copies. It was based on a successful arcade game and was launched way back in 1986.

The game simply involves players controlling Mario as he crosses the mushroom kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool while avoiding hazards along the way.

It inspired a long-running game series, a feature film and its design and soundtrack were very influential in subsequent gaming.

7. Pokemon Red and Blue

These two role-playing video games date back to 1996 but were incredibly popular at the time. Together they accounted for around 48 million sales.

The Japanese game involves controlling a figure that is navigating a fantasy world while fulfilling a quest to master the art of Pokemon battles.

Of course the pair are just part of a long series of Pokemon games published by Nintendo. But did you know that Pokemon originally was an abbreviation for ‘pocket monsters’?

8. Mario Kart 8

With just over 47 million sales this simple racing game claims an appropriate eighth place in the all-time sales charts. Players control Mario characters in a kart race and in this version there are extra features like anti-gravity and kart bumping.

It was first released in 2014 for the Wii system by Nintendo. A more modern and enhanced version of the game for the Nintendo Switch was released in 2017.

So these are the best-selling eight of all time – do you agree with the popular choice? And did it make you want to jump back into your collection for a game?

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