We live in the epitome of the digital age where video games set the trend. Latest statistics show that video games constitute a $100 billion global industry.
You don’t need to be a child to play games. Many studies have shown that occasionally playing games can boost cognitive abilities.
This article attempts to find out the top 15 best video game websites in the world today. The information was collected based on SEMrush’s latest traffic analysis of the world’s most visited video game websites.
So dive in and find out the list of best video game websites available today.
| # | Website | Visits |
| 1 | twitch. tv | 1,902,599,632 |
| 2 | discord.com | 864,104,327 |
| 3 | steampowered.com | 497,737,621 |
| 4 | ign.com | 484,607,236 |
| 5 | gamespot.com | 384,236,344 |
| 6 | gamerant.com | 238,955,688 |
| 7 | game8.co | 216,372,953 |
| 8 | fextralife.com | 206,122,528 |
| 9 | nexusmods.com | 204,290,620 |
| 10 | epicgames.com | 185,395,895 |
| 11 | playstation.com | 181,085,522 |
| 12 | xbox.com | 161,195,096 |
| 13 | nintendo.com | 151,740,022 |
| 14 | ea.com | 151,688,642 |
| 15 | thegamer.com | 151,232,173 |
1. Twitch
Launched as a spin-off of Justin.tv, Twitch is the magnum opus in the video game live streaming industry. This American video live-streaming service was started in June 2011 and is operated under Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon.
According to SEMrush’s March 2024 traffic statistics, the website has around 1.88 B visits in a single month.
Apart from games, you can also watch music, talk shows, sports, food, and special events. But this platform became popular as a video game website.
Some of the main categories of games you can find here include stealth, action, horror, fighting, open world, point and click, creative, MMO, etc.
According to Statista.com, the top games on Twitch as of 2024 are Escape from Tarkov, Grand Theft Auto V, League of Legends, Fortnite, VALORANT, Minecraft, etc.
2. Discord
Discord is an instant messaging platform that was started to solve the issue of communication while playing games online.
Founded by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, the platform is a voice, video and text communication service.
There are several communities on this platform and apart from gaming, there are communities for entertainment, education, science and technology, music, etc.
Some of the popular gaming communities on this website are Blox Fruits, Genshin Impact Official, All-Star, VALORANT, Fusionist, Geometry Dash, King Legacy, RELL Games, etc.
The SEMrush statistics on the most visited video game websites in the world list Discord in the second position with 868.07 M views in one month.
3. Steam
Known as one of the largest digital distribution platforms for PC games, Steam is developed by Valve Corporation, an American video game developer company.
According to the creators of this platform, it is the ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games. Steam can be accessed through Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and ChromeOS.
There are currently 30,000 games available in the Steam store and some of the main categories are: action, arcade and rhythm, adventure, casual, fighting, strategy, and much more.
As per the website, the top-selling games right now based on revenue are Helldivers, Counter-Strike 2, RimWorld, PUBG-Battlegrounds, Steam Deck, etc.
A special tool called Steamworks helps game developers and publishers to build their games and it has around 132 million monthly active users.
4. IGN
Short for Imagine Games Network, IGN is a video game and entertainment media website based in the United States.
The platform was the concept of Chris Anderson, a British-American entrepreneur and head of TED. Operated under IGN Entertainment Inc., the platform contains everything related to games, anime, comics, films, etc.
The website has around 360 million fans across 35 platforms and 110 countries. Some of the main genres of games available through this website include action, adventure, battle, board, casino, pinball, party, etc.
The main sections of the website are divided into; Home, Search, Reviews, News, Guides, Interactive Maps, Playlists, Discover, etc.
The platform offers a scoring system for games where the games are evaluated and given scores between 0.1 to 10.0. It also offers ‘Best of’ awards at the end of each year where the best from every category such as games, music, films, and television shows are selected and awarded.
5. GameSpot
Founded in 1996, GameSpot is a video gaming website that also provides other information on games in the form of news, reviews, downloads, etc.
Currently owned by Fandom. Inc., this website had around 393.72 M visits in the last month as per the SEMrush traffic analysis. The platform comprises sections such as news, videos, reviews, staff picks, deals, games, entertainment, and forums.
Some of the top-rated games on the platform include Alan Wake II, Thirsty Suitors, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Balatro, Helldivers 2, etc. There is a review section on the website that offers comprehensive reviews on games and rates from 1-10.
The games to review are selected from various platforms such as PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, 3DS, Nintendo Switch, etc.
6. GameRant
Owned and operated under Valnet Inc., a Canadian-based company, GameRant is a video gaming website that also publishes news, articles, reviews, etc. As per the SEMrush 2024 traffic statistics, this website has around 218.71 M visits per month.
Founded in the year 2019, GameRant has seen exponential growth in terms of revenue and is one of the best video game websites in the world.
Some of the gaming platforms associated with GameRant include PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC Games, and Mobile.
The major sections of the website are divided into game news, platforms, GR originals, game guides, etc.
You can find game reviews about games and some of the latest reviews on Broken Roads, Open Roads, Princess Peach: Showtime, Rise of the Ronin, etc have already become popular.
7. Game8
Launched in 2019, Game8 is a walkthrough site for games and works under the mission of ‘ more fun more games’. The CEO of the company is Hisonari Kato and Tomoya Suzuki is its General Manager.
One of the top gaming guides and game walkthrough websites in Japan, Game8 offers game walkthroughs for popular games such as Genshin Impact, FF7 Rebirth, Palworld, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Unicorn Overlord, etc.
The website also provides game reviews, news, and articles on games. According to SEMrush 2024 web traffic statistics, Game8 has around 192.38 million visits in a month with a 61.97% bounce rate.
The platform also offers walkthroughs for mobile games. Some of such mobile games include; Epic Seven, Brawl Stars, Diablo Immortal, ALICE Fiction, etc.
8. Fextralife
Fextralife is a video game media platform owned by the Chinese company, Kinbundo. It was founded in 2013 and is one of the top competitors for other gaming companies such as GameSpot, Jeux Video, and Polygon.
The major sections on the Fextralife website are divided into guides, wikis, news, reviews, upcoming, and more.
The platform offers detailed guides on games and some of the featured games here include Baldur’s Gate 3, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Diablo 4, Elder Scrolls Online, Monster Hunter World, Elden Ring, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Starfield, etc.
As per their tagline, ‘for gamers, by gamers’, Fextralife provides everything necessary to take your gaming experience to an advanced level.
The gaming reviews are done following certain guidelines and they are further scored by a group of journalists.
The video games are scored based on criteria such as story and setting, replayability, gameplay, design (visual and audio), and price point (value).
The score ranges from 1-10 and 10 strands for the perfect score and 1 stands broken.
9. Nexus Mods
Known as one of the biggest gaming websites, Nexus Mods started as a gaming fan site in 2001. Currently, it is a video game modding site where users can upload and download certain modifications for video games.
Owned by Black Tree Gaming Ltd, the platform has around 30.7 million registered users. You have to register on the website before you can upload or download the mods.
The latest data shows that this platform has around more than 1733 games available. Some of the games with the most mods hosted include The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, Stardew Valley, Monster Hunter: World, Blade and Sorcery, etc.
The website is divided into categories such as games, mods, collections, media, community, support, etc.
10. Epic Games
Known as the operator behind one of the largest games in the world, Fortnite, Epic Games is a video game and software developer and publisher company.
It was founded in 1991 as Potomac Computer System by Tim Sweeny, a leading video game programmer, and businessman.
Some of the noted products by this company include Unreal Engine, Blink Video, Epic Games Store, Unreal series, Gears of War series, and Fortnite.
Some of the popular gaming genres in the platform are action, adventure, casual, city builder, co-op, cross-platform, fantasy, fighting, horror, indie, MMO, multiplayer, etc.
According to SEMrush data on website traffic, Epic Games has around 183 million visitors and a 52.95% bounce rate.
11. PlayStation
Owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation is a video game console company and was created by Ken Kutaragi. It contains five home video consoles, a media center, two handhelds, and a smartphone.
As their tagline says ‘ play has no limits’, PlayStation has revolutionized the video game industry. The major categories listed on the official website include Games, PS5, PS4, Services, Accessories, News, Store, and Support.
The games section is further divided into single-player, multiplayer, families, competitive, horror, alternative, retro, indie, mind, and body.
Some of the best superhero games on PS4 and PS5 include Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Midnight Suns, Guardians of the Galaxy, Batman: Arkham Collection, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, LEGO Marvel Collection, etc.
12. Xbox
Envisioned to compete against Playstation2, Xbox is a video game brand developed by Microsoft Gaming, a part of Microsoft. Along with five video game consoles, Xbox has a streaming service and applications as well.
The first and original Xbox was released in 2001. Being a part of the sixth generation of video game consoles, it competed with the major gaming consoles of that time.
Some of the major categories of games in Xbox include Action and adventure, card and board, casino, fighting, shooter, stimulation, etc.
There are around 10, 855 games available on this platform and you can browse games by applying filters such as accessibility, genre, subscriptions, age rating, multiplayer, technical features, etc.
13. Nintendo
Founded in 1889, Nintendo has a long history of creating games. Started under the name Nintendo Koppai, it is one of the largest multinational video game companies based in Japan.
Nintendo is known to develop and publish video games as well as video game consoles. Some of the acclaimed gaming franchises like Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, etc are a creation of this company.
Apart from video games and consoles, the company also produces toys and cards.
Some of the best-seller games from the platform are Stardew Valley, Unravel Two, Minecraft, Princess Peach: Showtime, SuperMario Bros Wonder, Balatro, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, etc.
You can choose your ideal games by following filters like price, platform, availability, game type, edition, etc.
14. Electronic Arts
Acclaimed as a global leader in digital interactive entertainment, EA or Electronic Arts is a video game company based in California, United States.
Founded in 1982, the company develops and delivers cutting-edge games and internet-connected consoles. There are around 600 million active players worldwide for the games produced by EA.
Some of the established gaming franchises from EA include Battlefield, The Sims, Dead Space, Army of Two, Need for Speed, Star Wars, and titles from EA Sports such as FIFA, FC, NBA Live, etc.
The major sections on the website are divided into games, experiences, about, commitments, and resources.
You can also download the app version from the official website which makes your gaming experience much more effective and better.
Some of the games from EA Originals include Immortals of Aveum, Wild Hearts, Lost in Random, Rocket Arena, Sea of Solitude, etc.
15. TheGamer
Like GameRant, TheGamer is a video gaming website owned by Valnet, Inc., known as the world’s leading media investment company.
The makers describe this platform as a gaming site with personality. The mission of the company is to make the gaming world accessible to everyone.
This platform provides you with everything about games, whether it be news, articles, video game guides, rankings, opinions, etc.
The latest data shows that this website has around 42.8 million monthly sessions, 55 million monthly page views, and 69% Prime Geo sessions.
You can find all types of guides on video games listed on the platform. These sections are divided into triple-A games, live-service games, indie games, streaming, movies and shows, etc.
TheGamer also provides lists such as the best virtual reality games of all time, the 25 best racing games on the Switch, the best survival games on Xbox Game Pass, etc.
Conclusion
Since the advent of computers, video games have been a crucial part of it. The aforementioned comprehensive list is an indication of the rich history of video games.
Studies show that it has become a multimillion-dollar global industry. The above article can provide you with the best video game websites available today.
Many experts have suggested that video games can boost your cognitive performance. It builds on your ability to learn, coordinate, and make decisions.
Even though that is the case, try to be more judicious regarding the time you spend on these platforms.
