Steam is one of the largest digital gaming marketplaces in the world, with more than 30,000 games in its catalog. In many ways, Steam is a proving ground for budding developers, with some games hitting it big with hundreds of thousands of concurrent players, and others that can barely keep a few dozen entertained. We’ve rounded up the 30 most popular Steam games so you don’t waste your time sorting through games with little to no player base.
The games below are in no particular order. Concurrent player counts can shift widely from hour to hour, potentially putting a game that would be in first place into, say, eighth place. Generally, however, the list of the most played Steam games stays static overall. A few titles shift in and out, but most of them are the same, even if their places change during the day. We also didn’t include non-game applications like Wallpaper Engine, a few of which are consistently in the top of the charts.
Note: Our numbers come fromSteamDBand theofficial Steam user statistics.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Even after 17 years, Value games still top the Steam charts.Counter-Strike: Global Offensiveis consistently in first place, drawing nearly one million players every day. Of course,CS:GOis an e-sports sensation, but Value’s move to afree-to-play modela couple of years back has catapulted the game even higher (before the change,CS: GOdrew around half the concurrent players it does now).
Another Valve title,Dota 2was the reigning champ on Steam for years (it still jumps to the top slot from time to time). Although its concurrent player count has waned in the last few years,Dota 2still draws well over 500,000 each day, occasionally spiking up to one million.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
At its peak,PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundswas the most popular game on Steam, and it wasn’t even close. Three years ago,PUBGsustained three million concurrent players every day for multiple months. Despite being one of thebest battle royale games, its popularity has slipped in recent years withgames likePUBGstealing some players away. Now, it draws around 300,000 players a day.
With most people stuck inside,Among Uswas able to shoot to the top of the Steam charts within a matter of weeks. The game is two years old, but it only starting putting up serious player numbers in the last few months. It draws around 200,000 players a day now, though it’s starting to slowly lose some popularity. Still, it remains one of thebest iPhone gamesandbest Android games, fit with fullcross-platform support.
Rocket League
Rocket Leagueisn’t available on Steam anymore, movingexclusively to the Epic Games Storewith afree-to-play modeland fullcross-platform support. Despite that, it still draws around 100,000 players every day. Although you’re able to’t buyRocket Leagueoff Steam anymore, players who own a copy can continue to play with the same updates issued to the Epic Games Store version.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto Vis the only game on this list with a defined single-player campaign (turns out it’s one of thebest single-player games on PC). That’s not why it’s still so popular, though.Grand Theft Auto Vdraws around 120,000 players a day on the back ofGrand Theft Auto Online,and with updates set to releaseon PS5 and Xbox Series X, that likely won’t change.
Rainbow Six Siege
UnlikeAmong UsandCounter-Strike: Global Offensive,Rainbow Six Siegehas had continued growth on Steam since it launched in 2015. After a free weekend on Steam in 2017, the game jumped from around 50,000 players a day to over 100,000. It’s gone up and down, reaching around 200,000 concurrent players earlier this year, but it still hovers around the 100,000 mark.
Team Fortress 2
LikeCS:GO,Team Fortress 2benefited a lot from Valve’s move to a free-to-play model. A tie-in withThe Orange Box,the game drew around 20,000 players a day before it went free-to-play in 2011. Almost immediately after, player counts jumped to around 80,000 a day, and although the numbers have had their ups and downs,Team Fortress 2still draws that many players today.
Rusthas enjoyed steady growth since it launched into early access in December 2013, aided in no small part by its frequent inclusion in Humble Bundles. The game peaked earlier this year with around 125,000 players, but now it draws around 70,000 per day. Developer Facepunch Studios actually has two games topping the steam charts, withRustbeating outGarry’s Modwith around twice as many players.
Football Manager 2020
SEGA’s long-running Football Manager franchise has always drawn large crowds on Steam, andFootball Manager 2020is no different. Players often spend hundreds of hours building and managing their soccer team, cementingFootball Manager 2020as one of thebest simulator gameson Steam.Aided by two free weekends earlier this year,Football Manager 2020usually draws around 80,000 players a day, though that number has slowly slipped toward 70,000 in the past few weeks.
Destiny 2has only been on Steam for a little over a year, coming months after Bungie formally split with Activision. As one of thebest free FPS games,Destiny 2drew in close to 300,000 concurrent players when it first launched. Those numbers have dropped quite a bit since then, butDestiny 2still manages to hook around 70,000 players during its peak hours.
Games-as-a-service titles likeDestiny 2and evenMarvel’sAvengersowe a lot toWarframe.Digital Extremes proved that the free-to-play model can work with the game, offering a full AAA experience for free before everyone else was doing it.Warframehas grown steadily since then, moving from around 20,000 players per day to around 60,000.
Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight‘s unique asymmetrical multiplayer made it stand out at launch, and although it has seen some competition fromFriday the 13th,Dead by Daylightremains the go-to slasher simulator. Unlike games likeDestiny 2, Dead by Daylightdoesn’t have many peaks in its player count. Earlier this year, it peaked near 80,000 concurrent players, and it still regularly draws 50,000 to 60,000 every day.
ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolvedhas seen its fair share of controversies over the years, the most notable of which came in 2016 when developer Studio Wildcard releasedScorched Earth— a paid expansion — before the game actually left early access.ARKis out of early access now, and despite its issues, it stillbrings in huge crowds. The game peaked with over 150,000 concurrent players earlier this year, and now, it draws around 65,000 each day.
Even after seven years, players aren’t sick of robbing banks inPayday 2.Unlike a lot of other games on this list,Payday 2isn’t popular among streamers. Despite that, the game still boasts around 40,000 players every day. It’s clearPayday 2has a dedicated core community, but frequent sales and featured in-game bundles have allowed it to continue to stay relevant.
Path of Exile
After the disappointing launch ofDiablo 3and itsalways-online issues, players were looking for another game to scratch the hack-and-slash itch. And that’s whatPath of Exileprovides to this day. It’s a free-to-play action RPG that never lets its business model get in the way of its gameplay. Regular, free content updates have kept the game relevant over the past seven years, still drawing around 50,000 players each day.
Minecraftis thehighest selling game of all time— minus the various forms ofTetris.AlthoughMinecraftisn’t available on Steam, thebest games like it are, andTerrariatops that list. The side-scrolling builder has only recently jumped to the top of the Steam charts, moving from a steady 20,000 players per day to around 50,000 per day.
Civilization VI
Most of the top Steam games are endless, and it doesn’t get much more endless thanCivilization VI.As one of thebest strategy games on PC,Civilization VIropes in around 40,000 players every day, and with a range of DLC currently offeringnew leaders and civilizations, we don’t expect player numbers to drop any time soon.
Garry’s Mod
Garry’s Modis one of the oldest games on Steam, joining the ranks of Valve’s offerings in 2006. The Source-driven physics sandbox has remained a staple since then, drawing around 50,000 players per day for the past six years. The numbers have started to drop in recent months, withGarry’sModnow drawing close to 40,000 players per day, though there are still occasional spikes.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
SCS Software specializes in truck simulators, and althoughAmerican Truck Simulatoris the studio’s most recent release,Euro Truck Simulator 2remains the most popular one. Frequent sales, inclusion in bundles, and a range of DLC have kept the game alive over the past eight years, gathering around 60,000 concurrent players earlier this year. Now, the game draws close to 35,000 players per day.
Hearts of Iron IV
Paradox Interactive has a knack for crafting grand strategy experiences, with its titles hooking players who just need one more turn.Hearts of Iron IVis the most popular of the bunch, with games likeEuropa Universalis IVfollowing in the top 50. AlthoughHearts of Iron IVhas shown up in bundles at various retailers — and even had a free weekend in early 2020 — it’s clear that the core fanbase is what keeps the game going.Hearts of Iron IVbrings in around 30,000 players each day, which is only slightly less than its peak of 46,000 concurrent players a couple of years ago.
World of Tanks Blitz
The Wargaming Group specializes in free-to-play war MMOs, and althoughWorld of WarplanesandWorld of Warshipsstill bring in thousands of players,World of Tanksis the studio’s most popular game. The game brings in around 25,000 players per day, occasionally spiking above 30,000.
Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: Worldis anessential co-op experience. Capcom’siconic franchisehas never been accessible, allowing newcomers to team up with series veterans to take down monsters over and over again. The game’s massiveIceborneexpansionhas certainly helped keep players engaged over the last two years, drawing around 60,000 players every day.
Farming Simulator 19
Developer Giants Software releases a new Farming Simulator game every two years, and although we should have seenFarming Simulator 21by now, we probably won’t see it until next year. Until then, there’sFarming Simulator 19,which has grown steadily since late 2018 to accommodate around 35,000 players on Steam per day.
Total War: Warhammer II
The Total War franchise’s unique blend of turn-based grand strategy and real-time tactics has always drawn droves of players. However,Total War: Warhammer IIremains the most popular game in the franchise on Steam, thanks in no small part to the three free weekends it had in 2020. Although down from its peak of 85,000 concurrent players, around 35,000 boot upTotal War: Warhammer IIevery day.
War Thunder
AlthoughWar Thunderis the second war game on this list, it doesn’t actually come from the Wargaming Group. It comes from Gaijin Entertainment, who has continued to support the game since it launched in 2013. Instead of splitting ships, planes, and tanks,War Thunderincludes everything under one roof. Even after seven years,War Thunderstill maintains a group of around 30,000 concurrent players a day.
Brawlhalla
Brawlhallais the cross-platform answer to Super Smash Bros. It’s a free-to-play arena brawler for up to eight players, fit with more than 50 fighters. Although you’ll need to pay to unlock all of them, developer Blue Mammoth swaps new fighters into the free roster constantly, allowing you to try out whatever fighters you want. It’s seen a huge boost in popularity lately, jumping from around 15,000 concurrent players to over 25,000.
Phasmophobia
Phasmophobiais a newcomer to the Steam charts, released in September 2020 by first-time developer Kinetic Games. It’s a psychological horror game where you and up to three others investigate paranormal activity in houses, an asylum, and more. An onslaught of coverage by Twitch and YouTube personalities shot it to the top of the charts, and unique mechanics — such as voice recognition that lets you speak directly to the ghost — has allowedPhasmophobiato stay there. It’s alsoreallydark.
AlthoughFall Guyshas dropped from the top 10 most played games on Steam, it’s still in the low 20s. The game crosses elements ofSuper Mario Party,Wipeout,and a battle royale, and its near-immediate rise to fame was in no small partaided by PlayStation Plus(where the game was given away for free). Stream player counts are starting to slip, though we expect them to go back up once developer Mediatonic introducescross-platform support.
DayZhas seen its fair share of ups and downs since it launched in 2013. The game has climbed as high as 45,000 concurrent players and dropped as low as 2,000. Recent updates have added some stability, with the game drawing around 30,000 daily players.
