Other games which took off in the US included The Blockheads, MiniGolf Matchup, Major Mayhem and Into The Dead.
Many other paid and free New Zealand-made games were hugely popular overseas but did not make the top lists, said Stephen Knightly, head of the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA).
"Things are definitely picking up. There is an awful lot of growth and momentum in the industry at the moment."
Locally-developed games made to play online were also doing "really well", Knightly said.
Games such as Path of Exile and Smallworlds have attracted audiences in the millions, he said.
Earlier this year, Grinding Gear Games managed to raise US$2.5 million (NZD$2.9) in a funding round for its popular online role-playing game Path of Exile.
Grinding Gear attracted the support of 140,000 gamers from all over the world.
The vast majority of New Zealand's game development revenue came from original intellectual property and royalties, Knightly said
Only 32 per cent was derived from kiwi studios carrying out contract work for offshore companies.
"Developing highly creative original IP underpins the growth of the New Zealand
industry.
"Original hit games like Path of Exile and Bloons Tower Defence both build sustainable income streams, reputation and skills, which in turn can lead to key partnerships with - and investment by - leading international companies."
Games were highly exportable and could be easily distributed on app stores, he said.
New Zealand companies at the Game Developer's Conference this week include PikPok, Runaway, Grinding Gear Games, Ninja Kiwi, Cerebral Fix and Rush Digital.
PikPok is New Zealand's largest game studio and has released more than two dozen titles which collectively have seen around 35 million downloads.
Their game Super Monsters Ate My Condo was recently nominated for a prestigious UK BAFTA Games Award.
The global game development industry will generate spending of about US$97 billion this year and $115 billion by 2015, according to research company Gartner.
