Let’s be real for a second. Trying to figure out the Assassin’s Creed games in order is a total headache. You’ve got two timelines running at once, a decade-spanning conspiracy involving ancient aliens—well, Isu, if we’re being technical—and a release schedule that jumps from Victorian London back to Ancient Egypt faster than you can perform a Leap of Faith. If you’re just starting, or even if you’re a veteran trying to make sense of the modern-day "meta-story," it’s easy to feel lost.
Most people just pick the coolest-looking cover art. That’s fine. But if you actually want the story to click? You need a plan.
The franchise basically split into two distinct eras. You have the classic, social-stealth games that defined the Xbox 360 and PS3 years. Then you have the massive, sprawling RPGs like Odyssey and Valhalla that take about 100 hours to finish. They’re barely the same genre anymore.
The Release Date Order: How We All Experienced It
If you want to see the technology evolve, you play by release date. It’s the most "authentic" way. You start with Altaïr in 2007. The first Assassin’s Creed is clunky now. Honestly, it’s repetitive. You track a target, sit on a bench, eavesdrop, and then stab someone. But it set the stage.
Then came the Ezio Auditore era. This is where the series peaked for many. Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations follow one man from birth to death. It’s rare in gaming to see that kind of character arc. You watch Ezio go from a cocky Italian noble to a weary, wise Master Assassin.
After Ezio, things got weird. Assassin’s Creed III took us to the American Revolution. It was divisive. People hated the protagonist, Connor, because he wasn't as charming as Ezio. But the combat was brutal. Then came Black Flag. Everyone loves Black Flag. It’s a pirate game first and an Assassin game second, which is probably why it worked so well. You spend 80% of your time on a ship singing sea shanties. It’s peak entertainment.
The Mid-Series Identity Crisis
Ubisoft started releasing games every single year. It was a lot. Unity launched in a broken state—remember the faces missing skin? Terrifying. Syndicate was better, set in London with a cool grappling hook, but the formula was getting stale.
That’s when they took a break and gave us Origins.
- Assassin's Creed (2007)
- Assassin's Creed II (2009)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)
- Assassin's Creed III (2012)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
- Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014)
- Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015)
- Assassin's Creed Origins (2017)
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)
- Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023)
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025)
The Chronological Timeline: A History Lesson
Playing the Assassin’s Creed games in order of historical chronology is a completely different beast. If you do this, you aren't starting with the first game. You’re starting in Ancient Greece.
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Odyssey takes place in 431 BCE. That is hundreds of years before the "Assassins" even existed. You aren't even an Assassin; you're a mercenary (Misthios) with a broken spear that happens to be an ancient artifact.
Next is Origins, set in 49 BCE. This is the actual birth of the "Hidden Ones." Seeing Bayek and Aya form the group in the sands of Egypt gives the whole series context. It’s a beautiful, tragic story.
Then you jump to the 9th Century with Valhalla and Mirage. Mirage is a bit of a throwback. It’s shorter. It’s set in Baghdad. It feels like the older games, which was a huge relief for fans who were tired of 150-hour map-clearing simulators.
The timeline then zips through the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Golden Age of Piracy, and eventually lands in the French and Industrial Revolutions. It’s a wild ride. But here is the problem: the modern-day story will make zero sense if you play this way. You’ll see characters die and then reappear three games later because you’re jumping around the 21st-century timeline.
Why the Modern Day Story Matters (Sorta)
Look, some people hate the Animus stuff. They just want to stab templars in the 1700s. I get it. But the modern-day plot is the glue.
The Desmond Miles saga (the first five games) is a cohesive unit. It has a beginning, middle, and a very controversial end. After Desmond, the modern story kind of wandered in the woods for a few years. You played as a nameless Abstergo employee in a first-person perspective. It was boring.
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Then Layla Hassan showed up in Origins. She brought back a sense of purpose. Her trilogy—Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla—reconnects the lore to the "First Civilization" in a big way. If you skip the modern scenes, you'll miss why the world is ending (again) and who Basim really is.
The Best Way to Start in 2026
If you are new, don't start with the 2007 game. It’s too dated for most modern players. The parkour is sticky. The voice acting is... flat.
Start with Assassin's Creed II. It’s the heart of the franchise. If you don't like Ezio, you probably won't like Assassin's Creed. If you want something that looks "next-gen," start with Origins. It’s a soft reboot. You don’t need to know anything about the previous ten games to enjoy Bayek’s journey through Egypt.
But what about Assassin's Creed Shadows? As we head into 2026, Shadows is the big talk. Set in Feudal Japan, it finally gives fans what they’ve asked for since the beginning. It introduces a dual-protagonist system—Naoe, the shinobi, and Yasuke, the samurai. It’s expected to bridge some of the gaps between the RPG style and the classic stealth style.
Misconceptions About the Order
A common mistake is thinking Rogue should be played before Black Flag because it leads into Unity. Don't do that. Rogue is essentially the "dark" sequel to Black Flag and III. It uses the same ship mechanics. It’s better to play it after you've spent time with the Kenway family.
Another misconception? That you have to play the DLC. Most of it is filler. However, Legacy of the First Blade in Odyssey is actually pretty important for the overall Assassin’s Creed games in order because it connects the Greek era to the Egyptian era.
Quick Reference for Your Playthrough
- The Ezio Collection: Best for story and characters.
- The Mythology Trilogy (Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla): Best for exploration and RPG fans.
- The "Americas" Saga (III, Black Flag, Rogue): Best for naval combat and 18th-century vibes.
Actionable Steps for Your Journey
If you're ready to dive in, here is how to handle the massive backlog without burning out:
- Don't 100% every game. Ubisoft maps are full of "bloat." If you try to collect every chest and feather, you will quit by game three. Stick to the main missions and the major side quests.
- Use the "Chronological" approach only for a second playthrough. It’s fun to see history in order, but it ruins the narrative reveals of the modern-day plot.
- Play Mirage if you're short on time. It’s a 15-20 hour experience. It’s the perfect "taster" to see if you like the stealth mechanics.
- Watch a recap of the first game. Honestly? Save yourself 15 hours. Watch a "Story So Far" video for AC1 on YouTube, then jump straight into AC2. You’ll thank me later.
- Check out the Discovery Tour. If you own Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla, they have a combat-free mode that lets you explore the history. It’s genuinely great for students or history nerds.
The series is a commitment. There are hundreds of hours of gameplay here. But there's nothing else quite like it. Being able to walk through a digitally reconstructed Florence or climb the Great Pyramid is a vibe that no other franchise has managed to replicate. Pick a starting point, keep your hidden blade sharp, and don't worry too much about the confusing Isu lore—it's confusing for all of us.