GAMIVO has published its analysis of the best-selling video game genres for 2025, revealing that both action-adventure and role-playing games dominate the market. The report indicates that these two genres each hold a significant 21% share of sales, while survival games follow closely in third place with 18%. This data, derived from a study of GAMIVO’s top 100 bestsellers, highlights enduring consumer preferences in the gaming landscape.
Key Trends in Gaming Preferences
According to GAMIVO, the blending of genres complicates straightforward classification. As noted by Andrzej Bazylczuk, a representative from the company, “Many modern games combine features and mechanics of more than one genre.” The analysis emphasizes that understanding gamers’ preferences goes beyond labeling; it requires observing what players seek in their gaming experiences.
The analysis also revealed that 42 out of the 100 bestselling titles in 2025 belong to either the action-adventure or RPG genres. This trend underscores a demand for engaging narratives combined with action elements, including combat and exploration. The popularity of these mechanics is further reflected in industry awards, with less than 20% of Game of the Year nominees failing to fit within these two categories.
Survival games, which ranked third, maintain their appeal by offering a unique atmosphere of constant threat and resource management. Bazylczuk elaborated on this, stating, “Survival games became popular a few years ago. They remain among bestsellers, clearly showing that it hasn’t been just a fad.” This genre is diverse, ranging from single-player psychological horrors to multiplayer sandboxes with minimal plots.
The Landscape of Other Genres
Shooters, which secured fourth place with 15%, also integrate narrative and survival elements while emphasizing gameplay. Bazylczuk noted that it has been a fruitful year for fans of first-person and third-person shooters, citing the release of several highly praised sequels in established franchises that topped the GAMIVO bestseller list.
Strategy games, holding a 12% share, represent the last genre above the 10% threshold. The remaining 13% of the bestselling titles are distributed among sports, simulation, and pure adventure games. Notably, the decline of simulation games has been observed, attributed to an oversaturation of similar releases competing for a limited audience. Bazylczuk commented, “Recently, we’ve been observing a flood of simulator games… The remote position of this genre can stem from its fading popularity.”
The underwhelming performance of sports games, which garnered only 5% of the total sales, aligns with expectations, as this category is typically dominated by a handful of franchises with high sales figures. The limited presence of adventure games in the top 100 is also noteworthy, with only two titles making the list. Bazylczuk clarified, “It’s worth clarifying that the group encompasses solely titles without any manual challenges.” This category includes classic point-and-click, visual novels, and walking simulators, which have their dedicated fanbases but do not match the popularity of more action-oriented titles.
Overall, the analysis conducted by GAMIVO reflects evolving trends in the gaming industry, suggesting that players continue to gravitate towards genres that combine rich storytelling with interactive gameplay.
About GAMIVO: Founded in 2017, GAMIVO is an online platform that originally catered primarily to gamers. Today, it offers a wide array of over 200,000 digital products, including video games for various platforms, software, and gift cards for popular online services. The platform’s diverse offerings and seamless shopping experience have established it as a key player in the digital distribution market.
For press inquiries, please contact:
Marta Wawrzyniak
marta.wawrzyniak [at] gamivo.com
