So, you’ve got a Nintendo Switch and you want to play Zelda. Simple, right? Not really. Honestly, the sheer volume of titles on the eShop is enough to make anyone’s head spin, especially since Nintendo loves mixing massive open-world epics with weird rhythm games and 30-year-old ports. If you’re trying to figure out the Zelda Switch games in order, you’ve gotta decide if you want the order they actually came out or the "timeline" order that fans have been arguing about in forums since the early 2000s.
Let's be real. Most people just want to know what to play first so they don't feel lost.
The Legend of Zelda isn't just one thing anymore. On the Switch, it’s a collection of modern masterpieces, retro revivals, and some experimental spin-offs that—to be totally frank—might not be for everyone. If you’re a purist, you're looking for the release dates. If you’re a lore nerd, you’re looking for where Link’s green hat fits into the history of Hyrule. We’re going to break down both, but we’re focusing on what’s actually available on the hardware sitting in your hands right now.
The actual release order of Zelda Switch games in order (The Chronology of Our Lives)
Nintendo didn't just dump these games out at once. They’ve been drip-feeding us for years.
When the Switch launched back in 2017, it lived or died by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was the big one. It changed everything. It felt like a reinvention of what an open world could be, moving away from the "hand-holding" style of previous entries. People spent hundreds of hours just climbing rocks and cooking apples. It’s still the gold standard for many, even years later.
Then things got a bit weird. We got Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda in 2019. It’s an indie crossover. It’s a rhythm game. It’s totally bizarre and incredibly catchy, but definitely not a "mainline" Zelda game in the traditional sense. Later that same year, Nintendo gave us the Link’s Awakening remake. It’s adorable. The art style looks like a tiny, shiny diorama, which was a huge departure from the gritty or vast visuals we’d seen recently.
2020 brought Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Now, this is a "Musou" game. You aren't exploring puzzles; you’re hacking through thousands of enemies at once. It’s a prequel to Breath of the Wild, but also... sort of an alternate reality? It gets messy. Then, in 2021, we saw the HD remaster of Skyward Sword. Originally a Wii title, this version fixed a lot of the clunky motion control issues, making it actually playable for people who hate waving their arms around.
Finally, the big hitters of the mid-2020s arrived. Tears of the Kingdom (2023) expanded the world of BotW into the sky and the underground, adding a building mechanic that basically turned Link into an aerospace engineer. And most recently, in 2024, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom shook things up by finally letting you play as Princess Zelda herself, using a "copy-paste" mechanic for items instead of a sword.
The Retro Factor: Nintendo Switch Online
We can't talk about Zelda Switch games in order without mentioning the "apps." If you pay for the subscription, you get access to the NES, SNES, N64, and Game Boy libraries. This adds a massive layer to the list:
- The Legend of Zelda (NES)
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
- A Link to the Past (SNES)
- Link's Awakening DX (Game Boy Color)
- Ocarina of Time (N64)
- Majora’s Mask (N64)
- Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons (Game Boy Color)
- The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance)
Why the Timeline Order is a Trap
If you ask a hardcore fan about the "official" timeline, bring a snack. It’s going to take a while. The Zelda timeline famously splits into three different branches based on whether Link wins or loses in Ocarina of Time. It’s a mess.
Technically, if you want to play the Zelda Switch games in order of the Hyrulean history, you’d start with Skyward Sword HD. That’s the "origin story" of the Master Sword and the eternal curse of Demise. But here’s the problem: Skyward Sword is a very traditional, linear game. If you play it first, you might be bored if you were expecting the freedom of the newer titles.
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Then you have the "Wild" era games—Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. These take place thousands of years after everything else. They are essentially a soft reboot. Nintendo did this on purpose so new players wouldn't feel like they had to do twenty years of homework just to understand why a guy in a tunic is fighting a pig monster.
Honestly, don't worry about the timeline for your first playthrough. Each game is designed to stand alone. You won't be "spoiled" for A Link to the Past by playing Echoes of Wisdom, even though they share a similar top-down perspective and world map layout.
Picking the right starting point for your playstyle
You shouldn't necessarily play these in the order they came out. That’s a hot take, but I’m sticking to it.
If you love open-world exploration and "doing whatever you want," you start with Breath of the Wild. No question. It’s the purest expression of discovery. You see a mountain, you go there. You find a weird puzzle, you solve it your own way.
If you prefer traditional puzzles and a guided experience, Link’s Awakening or Skyward Sword HD are your best bets. They feel like classic video games. Go to dungeon A, find item B, beat boss C. There's a comfort in that structure that the newer games sometimes lack.
For those who want story and character, Tears of the Kingdom and Age of Calamity offer the most cinematic weight. You get to see the relationships between the Champions and Zelda in a way the older games didn't really focus on.
A quick note on the spin-offs
Don't sleep on Cadence of Hyrule. Seriously. It’s short, but the music is incredible, and it’s a great "palate cleanser" between the 100-hour RPGs. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (the first one) is also on Switch and it's basically a love letter to the whole franchise, featuring characters from games that aren't even officially on the Switch yet, like Twilight Princess and Wind Waker.
What about the "Missing" games?
You'll notice two huge names missing from the Switch library: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Despite every rumor under the sun for the last five years, Nintendo still hasn't ported the HD versions of these Wii U games to the Switch. It’s a glaring hole. If you’re trying to play every Zelda game in order, you’re going to hit a brick wall when you reach the GameCube era unless you have the original hardware or a very dusty Wii U.
The Zelda series is remarkably consistent. Even the "bad" games are usually better than 90% of what's on the market. But the Switch is the first time we've seen such a massive divide between the 2D "top-down" style and the 3D "over-the-shoulder" style on a single console.
Actionable steps for your Zelda journey
- Check your subscription. If you have Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, you already own about 70% of the history of the series. Start with A Link to the Past if you want to see where the "Zelda Formula" was perfected.
- Don't burn out. Don't try to play Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom back-to-back. They use the same map. You will get tired of looking at the same trees. Play a smaller game like Link's Awakening in between.
- Use the "Echo" system. In Echoes of Wisdom, don't play it like a combat game. It's a puzzle game. If you try to run in swinging, you're going to have a bad time.
- Remap your buttons. In Skyward Sword HD, the camera controls can be frustrating because the right stick is used for your sword. Hold the L button to move the camera. It’ll save you a lot of headaches.
- Watch the "Memory" cutscenes. In the open-world games, the story is hidden in "Memories." If you skip these, the ending won't hit nearly as hard. Take the time to find them.
The best way to experience Zelda Switch games in order is to follow your curiosity. If the toy-like art of Link's Awakening looks fun, play that. If you want to build a tank out of wood and fans, go for Tears of the Kingdom. There's no "wrong" way to save Hyrule, and that's probably why we're still talking about this series decades later.