In less than a month, gamers worldwide will be able to play the 31stAssassin’s Creedgame in the form ofAssassin’s Creed Shadows. Over the course of the franchise’s near 18-year-long existence, theAssassin’s Creedseries has taken players to historical eras and settings all over the globe, with a multitude of engrossing Assassin and Templar protagonists helming the games’ narratives. With a series as vast and complicated asAssassin’s Creed, it may be intimidating or confusing for some new players to choose where to start playing the games. However, there’s a wide variety of options for players new and old to begin playing through theAssassin’s Creedseries beforeShadowsreleases.
The following play orders do not include mobile-only releases or expansions.
Assassin’s Creed’s Modern Day Chronological Order
Humanity’s historical past isn’t the only focus of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise. For most games, players will embodymodern-day Assassins or Templarsas they relive their ancestors or other people’s genetic memories through the virtual reality machine called the Animus. This modern-day narrative is the throughline for each consecutive mainlineAssassin’s Creedgame release, making it best for new players to start playing fromAssassin’s Creed 1to the latest entry,Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, if they want to understand that storyline. While not every game will follow the same modern-day protagonist or even feature the modern-day as playable sequences, the ongoing present-day battle between the Assassins and the Templars is always happening in the background of each game.
FromAssassin’s Creed 1to3, players will follow Desmond Miles as he learns about his Assassin and Templar heritage after being kidnapped by Abstergo Industries to relive his ancestors' memories to identify locations ofpowerful relics called Pieces of Eden. These games feature the most robust modern-day narrative and gameplay as most successive games will feature the modern-day part ofAssassin’s Creedless and less. FromAssassin’s Creed 4: Black FlagtoSyndicate, players will follow unnamed Assassin and Templar operatives as they relive memories of famous Assassins and Templars to aid the modern-day factions in circumventing the other. Finally, fromAssassin’s Creed OriginstoValhalla, players follow Abstergo researcher turned Assassin Layla Hassan as she relives ancient memories to find Pieces of Eden.
If gamers want to play theAssassin’s Creedseries in release order, they will want tostart with 2007’sAssassin’s Creed, and then play:
Potential Setbacks of Playing Assassin’s Creed Games By Release Order
While playing through eachAssassin’s Creedgame by release order is the best way to understand the overall story, it’s also the longest way to play through the series. Not every game in the series has to be played to understand the modern-day narrative, but there are still13 mainlineAssassin’s Creedgamesto experience if players just want to understand the main plot, which could be intimidating for some. Additionally, some of the older games may feature gameplay that modern-day players may be confused or frustrated by. For these reasons, players could instead select certain games and storylines to follow based on their protagonists, historical eras, or gameplay, enjoying chunks of the series instead of the entirety of it.
Assassin’s Creed Orders Based on Historical Protagonists, Eras, and Gameplay
If players just want to learn about Desmond Miles and his heritage with the Assassins and Templars, players could just playAssassin’s Creed 1to3. Here players will follow Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad, Ezio Auditore,Edward Kenway, Haytham Kenway, and Ratonhnhaké:tonas they learn how Miles’ family shaped both the Assassin and Templar Orders and the world. These games will additionally let players explore interesting historical eras and settings, including the Third Crusade Holy Land, Italian Renaissance, 16th century Constantinople, Golden Age of Piracy, French and Indian War, and American Revolution. In terms of gameplay, these games featureAssassin’s Creed’soriginal stealth-focused gameplay the series became famous for, as well as addictive 18th century ship combat that inspired 2024’sSkull and Bones.
Desmond’s Saga Order
Assassin’s Creed→Assassin’s Creed 2→Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood→Assassin’s Creed Revelations→Assassin’s Creed 3
For players who want to play more open-world games with RPG elements and more direct combat, they could playAssassin’s Creed OriginstoValhalla. Here players will follow Bayek of Siwa, Aya of Alexandria, Kassandra of Sparta, and Eivor Varinsdottir as they built or influenced the Hidden Ones and Order of the Ancients, which slowly transitioned into the Assassin Brotherhood and Templar Order. These games will additionally let players explore ancient eras in massive open worlds, including Ptolemaic Egypt, Peloponnesian War Greece, and Viking Age Europe. The only connective ties between these games are Layla Hassan and their gameplay.
Assassin’s Creed Origins→Assassin’s Creed Odyssey→Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Alternative Assassin’s Creed Playthrough Orders
There are alternate groups of games in theAssassin’s Creedseries that can be played in unconventional orders for players who just want to follow one character, organization, or historical time period. For instance, if players just want to follow Ezio and the Renaissance, they could playAssassin’s Creed 2,Brotherhood,Revelations,Chronicles: China, andNexus VR. If players just want to seethe transition of the Hidden Ones into the Assassin Brotherhood, they could playAssassin’s Creed Origins,Mirage,Valhalla, and1. Additionally, if players want to see the fall and rise of the American and European Assassin Brotherhoods in the 18th and 19th centuries, they could playAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag,Freedom Cry,Rogue,3,Nexus VR,Liberation,Unity, andSyndicate.
If players want to play theAssassin’s Creedseries in historical chronological order, they’ll have tostart withAssassin’s Creed Odysseyand then play:
