Look, trying to figure out the Assassins Creed games in order is a total nightmare if you just look at the release dates. You’ve got pirates, then you're suddenly in Victorian London, and then—boom—you’re a Medjay in Ancient Egypt. It feels like Ubisoft is just throwing darts at a map of human history sometimes.
I get why people get frustrated.
If you play them as they came out, you're following the "Modern Day" story of Desmond Miles and his successors. But if you play them chronologically by historical setting, you’re basically time-traveling in reverse for the first half of the franchise. It’s messy. Honestly, it’s probably the most convoluted timeline in AAA gaming, barring maybe Kingdom Hearts or Metal Gear.
The Release Date Path (The Way Most People Did It)
Most fans will tell you to just stick to the release order. It makes sense. You see the engine evolve. You watch the social stealth mechanics of the early 2000s slowly morph into the massive, sprawling RPG hitboxes of the 2020s.
The Desmond Era
It all started in 2007. The original Assassin's Creed was kind of a tech demo, let’s be real. Altaïr was cool, but the gameplay was repetitive. Then came Assassin's Creed II in 2009, which is still, for many, the peak of the series. Ezio Auditore da Firenze isn't just a character; he’s an icon. We followed him through Brotherhood (2010) and Revelations (2011). This "Ezio Trilogy" is the emotional core of the brand. If you skip these, you're missing out on why anyone cared about the hidden blade in the first place.
Then things got weird. Assassin's Creed III (2012) took us to the American Revolution. It was divisive. Some loved the woods and the tomahawk; others hated Connor’s stoic personality compared to Ezio’s charm.
The Transition and the RPG Pivot
After Desmond's story wrapped up, Ubisoft went into a bit of an experimental phase. Black Flag (2013) is technically Assassin's Creed IV, and it’s arguably the best pirate game ever made, even if it’s a "bad" Assassin game. Then we had the disaster of Unity (2014) with its face-melting bugs, followed by the underrated Syndicate (2015).
Then the "Soft Reboot" happened.
Origins (2017) changed everything. It wasn't about hiding in haystacks anymore. It was about levels, loot, and massive open worlds. Odyssey (2018) took that even further into Ancient Greece, and Valhalla (2020) brought us to the Viking age. These games are huge. Like, "100 hours and I've only seen half the map" huge. Most recently, Mirage (2023) tried to go back to the roots in Baghdad, and now we're looking at Shadows (2025) taking us to feudal Japan.
The Chronological Timeline (For the Lore Nerds)
If you want to play the Assassins Creed games in order of when they actually happened in history, you have to ignore the numbers on the boxes completely. You start way later in the release cycle.
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (431–422 BC): This is the start. No Assassins yet, just "Hidden Ones" precursors and a lot of Spartan kicking people off cliffs.
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (49–43 BC): This is where the brotherhood actually forms. Bayek is the GOAT.
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage (861 AD): Basim’s origin story in Baghdad. Short, sweet, and very "old school."
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (872–878 AD): Vikings in England. Eivor is cool, but the game is a marathon.
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (1579 AD): The newest entry. Japan. Naoe and Yasuke.
- Assassin’s Creed (1191 AD): Back to the Third Crusade with Altaïr.
- The Ezio Trilogy (1476–1512 AD): Renaissance Italy and Constantinople.
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (1715–1722 AD): The Golden Age of Piracy.
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue (1752–1760 AD): You actually play as a Templar here. It’s a bridge between Black Flag and III.
- Assassin’s Creed III (1754–1783 AD): American Revolution.
- Assassin’s Creed Unity (1789–1794 AD): French Revolution.
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (1868 AD): Industrial Revolution London.
It’s a wild ride. Playing this way is fascinating because you see the technology of the world advance, but the gameplay quality jumps all over the place. Going from the buttery smooth movement of Unity back to the clunky 2007 controls of the original game is a massive headache.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
People think the "Modern Day" stuff is filler.
It’s not. Well, okay, some of it is. But the actual plot of the series is about an ancient race called the Isu (the First Civilization). They created humans as a slave race. The "Pieces of Eden" aren't magic; they’re pieces of hyper-advanced technology left behind. If you ignore the modern-day cutscenes, you’re basically watching a movie and skipping every second scene. You’ll be confused why there are glowing holograms in a game about the Crusades.
The conflict isn't just "Good Guys vs. Bad Guys." The Assassins believe in total free will, even if it leads to chaos. The Templars want order and peace, even if it means total control. There have been times in the games—especially in Rogue and AC III—where the Assassins actually look like the villains because they’re so obsessed with "freedom" that they cause literal earthquakes and political collapses.
The Best Way to Experience It Now
If you’re a newcomer in 2026, don't try to play all of them. You’ll burn out by the time you hit the third game.
📖 Related: Pokemon Leaf Green Cheat Codes: What Most Players Get Wrong About Master Codes and Safe Saving
Start with Assassin's Creed II. If the graphics feel too old, jump to Black Flag. If you want a modern RPG experience, start with Origins. Origins is the perfect middle ground—it has the historical gravitas of the old games with the polished combat of the new ones.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Check the Platforms: Most of the older games have been remastered (The Ezio Collection, AC III Remastered). Play those versions. They fix the lighting and some of the more egregious bugs.
- Don't 100% the RPGs: Seriously. Odyssey and Valhalla are packed with "bloat." If you try to clear every question mark on the map, you will hate the game before you finish the story. Stick to the main gold quests and the major side stories.
- Watch a "The Story So Far" Video: If you start with a later game like Valhalla or Shadows, just spend 10 minutes on YouTube catching up on the Isu lore. It makes the ending of these games actually hit home rather than just being a "wait, what?" moment.
- Play Mirage if you’re short on time: It’s a 15-20 hour game. In an era of 100-hour behemoths, it’s a breath of fresh air.
The series is about more than just hooded capes and hidden blades. It’s a weird, sci-fi historical epic that somehow survived almost two decades of annual releases. Whether you follow the Assassins Creed games in order of release or history, just make sure you take your time. The world-building in these games is second to none, and even the "bad" entries have some of the most detailed historical recreations ever put into digital form.
Skip the filler, enjoy the parkour, and don't forget to look up once in a while—the view from the top of the landmarks is usually the best part of the game.