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Gaming is more popular than it has ever been before. Whether looking for the best casual word puzzles or trying to hone your accuracy skills in a first-person shooter, there’s something out there for just about everyone. That being said, though gaming is undergoing a meteoric rise in popularity, it’s nothing new.

In fact, the concept of playing games has been around for centuries, uniting ancient humans and modern people. In fact, some of the earliest games played by ancient peoples are still recognizable today. These early favorites included board games and dice games, which were played in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Sports, on the other hand, have been around for much longer and also remain hugely popular.

Viewed in this way, some games aren’t piggybacking on the gaming zeitgeist. Instead, they’re cultural institutions in and of themselves (more on this below). Let’s take a closer look at which games have stolen the limelight in terms of global popularity. Though the focus is largely on modern hits, you’ll notice two callbacks from the last millennia.

Sheer Titles Sold: Minecraft, Tetris, & GTA

The two most popular games in the world based on sales are Minecraft, EA’s Tetris, and Grand Theft Auto. Minecraft easily leads the pack, having sold over 300,000 copies around the world since it was released in 2011. However, it’s worth pointing out that, as a sandbox game, players are able to simply explore and build at their own pace. In other words, it’s not entirely similar to the rest of the competitive titles on this list.

Grand Theft Auto V has sold close to 200,000 copies as of 2013—which many analysts think the subsequent release will topple. Lastly, there’s EA’s Tetris. The original release was back in 1985, which means this puzzle game is nearing its half-century birthday. Since its release via EA in 2006, the mobile version has sold over 100,000 copies.