It used to be, long ago, that a single game came and went without more than a sequel or two. That’s changed in the decades since Pac-Man got married, and it’s not uncommon for modern video game franchises to have dozens of games with some stretching well into the hundreds. There are many examples of gaming franchises like this, so we looked at some of the more popular ones and arranged them in order from fewest to most entries. For this list, any game associated with a protagonist, any game considered a spin-off, and other ancillary titles are included.
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10) Castlevania
The first Castlevania game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, and it was one of the most important platformers of the era. Castlevania was incredibly successful, launching a franchise that continues to this day. The franchise includes multiple series, including the main games, Legend of Dracula, Dracula X, Castlevania Apocalypse, Soma Cruz, Lords of Shadow, and several related titles on a multitude of devices. The newest game, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, is expected to drop sometime in 2026 and will be the 37th game in the franchise, which is likely to continue for many years.
9) FIFA
There are plenty of sports franchises that have numerous titles, and one of the biggest is FIFA. The first title in the franchise arrived in 1993 as FIFA International Soccer, and annual releases followed as FIFA Soccer until FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 arrived in 1997. The following year, FIFA 99 arrived, and the naming convention varied over the years as some saw multiple annual releases. The franchise continued until its final entry, FIFA 23, released in 2022, which was the 42nd game. The franchise concluded due to a failed licensing renewal agreement with Electronic Arts, but it could resurface somewhere down the line.
8) Madden NFL
The biggest name in sports video games is undoubtedly John Madden, as the franchise has been going on for decades. It all began with John Madden Football, released on various computer systems in 1988. The naming convention changed for a few years before settling on Madden NFL with the release of 1994’s Madden NFL ‘95. Annual releases and some arcade games were dropped over the years as the franchise developed into the most complex football sports sim of all time. The most recent release, Madden NFL 26, came out in 2025, marking the 47th game in the franchise. There’s little chance we won’t see more released as time passes.
7) Mega Man
The Mega Man franchise is interesting, as it almost died right out of the gate. The first game was a commercial failure, but Capcom gave the go-ahead for Mega Man 2, and it’s a good thing it did, as it’s the best in the mainline series. Since the first game arrived on the NES in 1987, many followed on various consoles over the years. In addition to the mainline games, there’s been Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man ZX, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Star Force, and Rockman Xover. Once you put all the games into a pile, you get 75 distinct titles spread across the various series.
6) Might and Magic
The Might and Magic franchise has changed much since the first game, Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, arrived on the various computer systems and home video game consoles in 1986. In the years since, the franchise has expanded to include Heroes of Might and Magic and a whole mess of spin-offs of various types. The most recent entry in the franchise is 2025’s Might & Magic: Fates, an original card battle game that draws on the franchise’s lore in fun and exciting ways. That game marks the 75th in the franchise, which will likely continue for some time.
5) Final Fantasy
The Final Fantasy franchise is easily the biggest in the Japanese role-playing game genre, as it’s influenced a ton of other properties. The first game, Final Fantasy, was released on the NES in 1987 and was a huge success. Over the years, the franchise continued its mainline series with new entries on a variety of consoles. Several have been notable and incredibly popular, including Final Fantasy VII, which was remade into the most recent franchise release, 2024’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. That game, alongside the many spin-offs and mainline titles, is the 77th in the franchise.
4) Pokémon
Pokémon is the most profitable mixed-media franchise in the world, with a value exceeding $115 billion. It all started with a little cartridge on the Nintendo Game Boy, which released Pokémon Red in Japan in 1996, and in North America two years later. From there, the franchise exploded in popularity, and it didn’t take long for the phrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” to go mainstream, permeating the global zeitgeist. Since the first game’s release and the most recent, 2025’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the franchise has released 94 games across a multitude of devices.
3) Dungeons & Dragons
It was only a matter of time before the hit tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons made its way into commercial video games. The first was Pool of Radiance, released in 1988 on various home PCs and the NES. Previously, non-commercial or licensed games like dnd came much earlier. After Pool of Radiance, the floodgates opened as more D&D books were adapted into video games, many of which were exceptional, including many released in the 1990s. The most recent original release, that’s not a remake, is Baldur’s Gate 3, an incredibly impressive game that did gangbusters. It is the 97th game in the D&D franchise, which will continue to release great titles as time passes.
2) Sonic the Hedgehog
When Sonic the Hedgehog debuted on the Sega Genesis in 1991, the character quickly became the company’s mascot. That hasn’t changed, and while Sega licenses Sonic to Nintendo and other publishers, the blue hedgehog remains Sega’s leading character. Over the years, Sonic has appeared in a myriad of titles, spanning genres from platformers to kart racers, RPGs, and more. When you add all of his video games together with his most recent, 2024’s Sonic X Shadow Generations, there have been 114 Sonic the Hedgehog games across his ever-expanding franchise, filled with all kinds of games.
1) Mario
When it comes to the biggest video game franchise of all time, there’s absolutely no competition: Mario takes the cake. When he was first introduced as “Jumpman” in Donkey Kong, few could have guessed that the little Italian plumber would go on to become a multimedia juggernaut, but that’s the reality of what Mario represents in popular culture. He has appeared in dozens of genres and a multitude of inclusive franchises, making him the biggest video game franchise ever created. It’s actually difficult to count all of the games featuring Mario, but a good estimate is 280 — a number that’s unlikely to be surpassed.
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