We told you what we consider to be the best PC games of 2020 (well, as many as we could fit), but what about cold and difficult business? For people who want metrics and money, Valve has revealed the best-selling games on Steam in 2020. They are a little vague about it.
Valve avoids giving numbers or even a definitive classification for anything. They classify games into ‘bands’, largely not explaining the metrics that define them, and randomly shuffle the order in which they are presented. So, you can see widely which ones are successful, but not which ones are the most successful or how they compare to others within your band. And they’re missing out on late December (and therefore the Steam Winter Sale), obviously.
For your convenience, I have rearranged all Valve lists in alphabetical order. I also included only the best bands. The complete game lists (many, many more games) are on Steam now (switch between categories with tabs), along with a few extra words from Valve.
Best sellers in 2020 revenue
This covers the cost of the game itself, plus DLC and in-game purchases. The list is basically what you would expect, although it is impressive that Cyberpunk 2077 appeared, despite its December release. And it’s cool that Entre Nós was part of the recipe list, although it only cost £ 4. Many people have suspected their friends this year.
Among us
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Cyberpunk 2077
Destiny 2
Doom Eternal
Dota 2
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Grand Theft Auto V
Monster Hunter: World
Playerunknown battlefields
Red Dead Redemption 2
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
New releases
Valve says that list is calculated by revenue in the two weeks after launch. Again, many things you would expect, although I am surprised that several ex-Epic Games Store exclusives have been released on Steam, despite being ‘out’ for months. And several of them are covered by Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, but evidently many people chose to buy them immediately.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Borderlands 3
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
Cyberpunk 2077
Crusader Kings III
Death Stranding
Doom Eternal
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
FIFA 21
Football Manager 2021
Grounded
Half-life: Alyx
Horizon Zero Dawn
Mafia: Definitive Edition
Marvel Avengers
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Mount and blade II: Bannerlord
Persona 4 Golden
Resident Evil 3
Sea of thieves
Star Wars: Squadrons
Have got has got
The Outer Worlds
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem
Top VR Games
Another category defined by game revenue, DLC and in-game purchases. These are mostly family games that I expected to see on the list, but I hadn’t heard of VR Kanojo, so I researched and, my God, it’s about going out with a virtual high school girl.
“Better yet, VR controllers simulate your hands in the game, allowing you to interact with it more directly,” say the developers. “Imagine all the possibilities!” Never be curious, Alice.
Arizona Sunshine
Beat Saber
Blade and Witchcraft
Boneworks
Half-life: Alyx
Hot dogs, horseshoes and hand grenades
Pavlov VR
Pistol whip
Superhot VR
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
VR Kanojo
Bestsellers graduated from early access in 2020
Defined by 2020 game revenue, DLC and in-game purchases. Some good and expected releases this year.
Conqueror’s Blade
Deep Rock Galactic
Golf with your friends
DJMax Respect V
Factor
Hades
Night
Risk of rain 2
Skater XL
Platoon
Torchlight III
Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem
Most played
Not based on sales, that. The Most Played category peaked in simultaneous players in 2020, with the top tier being games that broke 200,000. For the most part, it’s the great multiplayer games you’d expect, plus the obvious Cyberpunk, and then the surprise appearance of Life Is Strange 2. Cool, LIS!
Among us
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Cyberpunk 2077
Destiny 2
Dota 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Life is strange 2
Monster Hunter: World
Mount and blade II: Bannerlord
Playerunknown battlefields
Terraria
Top control games based on the best daily players using a controller
Also nothing to do with sales. Even as a Destiny player whose raid group includes someone in control, I’m surprised to see you here. This is probably because MMOFPS has enough players for brute force to the top level, but damn it.
Cyberpunk 2077
Dark Souls III
Destiny 2
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
FIFA 21
Grand Theft Auto V
Hades
Monster Hunter: World
NBA 2K20
Persona 4 Golden
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
