You’ve probably heard the legend by now. In 1987, a struggling developer named Hironobu Sakaguchi was ready to quit the industry. He poured his soul into one "final" project, thinking it was his swan song. Fast forward to 2026, and that "swan song" has turned into a massive, sprawling multiverse that basically defines the RPG genre.
Honestly, trying to keep track of every single entry is a nightmare. Square Enix loves a good spin-off. Between mobile gacha games, rhythm titles, and the confusing "compilation" projects, finding a clean list of all Final Fantasy games is surprisingly difficult. Most people think there are just 16 games because of the Roman numerals. They couldn't be more wrong.
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The Numbered Legends: Where It All Started
The "Mainline" games are the pillars. These are the big-budget, world-ending adventures everyone talks about. But even here, the numbering is weird. If you grew up in the 90s, you might remember Final Fantasy III on the SNES, which was actually Final Fantasy VI in Japan. It’s confusing, I know.
Basically, the first six games defined the 2D era. Final Fantasy I gave us the "Warriors of Light" trope. Final Fantasy IV introduced the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which was a huge deal for making turn-based combat feel less like a board game. And Final Fantasy VI? Some fans still swear it’s the best game ever made, mostly because Kefka is a genuinely terrifying villain who actually succeeds in destroying the world.
Then the PlayStation era hit.
Final Fantasy VII changed everything. It wasn't just a game; it was a cultural shift. Cloud Strife and his oversized sword sold millions of consoles and proved that Western audiences actually liked Japanese RPGs. FFVIII and FFIX followed, with IX being a beautiful, nostalgic love letter to the series' roots before the jump to the PS2.
Moving Into the Modern Era (And the MMOs)
As the series moved to the PS2 and beyond, things got experimental. Final Fantasy X brought voice acting and a sphere grid that took forever to master. Then we got Final Fantasy XI. This was the first shocker—a mainline, numbered entry that was actually a Massively Multiplayer Online RPG.
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You’ve got to hand it to Square; they’re bold.
Final Fantasy XII took us to the world of Ivalice with a political plot that felt more like Star Wars than a typical fantasy. FFXIII gave us the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos, which was a bit of a polarizing mess, honestly. It was beautiful, sure, but "hallway simulator" was a common complaint back then.
Then came the disaster of Final Fantasy XIV.
The original launch in 2010 was a train wreck. But the "A Realm Reborn" relaunch in 2013 is one of the greatest comeback stories in gaming history. Today, under Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida, it’s arguably the most successful entry in the entire franchise. It's 2026, and people are still losing thousands of hours to it.
Final Fantasy XV had a decade-long development hell, but it gave us a road trip with the boys that actually had a lot of heart. Final Fantasy XVI took a darker, "Game of Thrones" style approach with real-time action combat. It was a bit of a departure, but Clive’s story hit hard.
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Beyond the Numbers: The Sequels and Spin-offs
This is where the list of all Final Fantasy games gets messy. In the early 2000s, Square Enix decided that one game wasn't enough. They started making direct sequels.
- Final Fantasy X-2: Pop stars and dress spheres. Wildly different from X.
- The FFXIII Trilogy: XIII-2 and Lightning Returns finished Lightning's story.
- Final Fantasy IV: The After Years: A retro-style sequel to Cecil’s journey.
And then there's the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. This includes Crisis Core (the prequel about Zack Fair), Dirge of Cerberus (a weird shooter starring Vincent Valentine), and the massive Remake trilogy. We’ve seen Remake and Rebirth take the original story and turn it into a meta-narrative about fate itself.
Don't even get me started on the "Tactics" games. Final Fantasy Tactics on the original PlayStation is a masterpiece of strategy and political intrigue. It’s widely considered one of the best games ever made, even if it doesn't have a number.
The Side Quests: Chocobos, Monsters, and Music
If you want the full list, you have to include the weird stuff.
The Chocobo’s Dungeon series is surprisingly deep. Theatrhythm turns the series' iconic music (bless Nobuo Uematsu) into a rhythm game. Stranger of Paradise turned the very first game into a "soulslike" action game where the protagonist just wants to kill Chaos.
There are also the mobile games. Ever Crisis, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, and the now-defunct Brave Exvius. Some were great, some were just cash grabs. It’s hard to keep up because they pop up and disappear so fast.
The Current State of the Franchise in 2026
Right now, Square Enix is leaning heavily into its multiplatform strategy. After years of PlayStation exclusivity, we're seeing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Final Fantasy XVI finally hitting Xbox and PC. Even the older Pixel Remasters are everywhere.
The industry has changed. Big-budget single-player RPGs are more expensive than ever. Square’s president, Takashi Kiryu, recently admitted that while the games are critical darlings, the sales haven't always hit their massive expectations. That’s why we’re seeing a shift—fewer exclusives, more "legacy" collections, and a focus on long-term support for FFXIV.
How to actually play them today
If you're a newcomer looking at this massive list and feeling overwhelmed, don't panic. You don't have to play them in order. Each numbered game is a completely different world.
- Want a classic story? Go with the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster.
- Want the cultural phenomenon? Start with Final Fantasy VII Remake.
- Want a modern action epic? Final Fantasy XVI is your best bet.
- Want to lose your life to a community? Final Fantasy XIV has a free trial that is basically an entire game.
The reality is that "Final Fantasy" isn't just a list of titles anymore. It’s a brand of storytelling. Whether it’s a turn-based pixel game from 1990 or a high-octane action game from 2024, the DNA is the same: big crystals, emotional soundtracks, and a guy named Cid who usually knows how to fly an airship.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles remake rumors and the final chapter of the VII trilogy. The best way to experience the series is to pick a world that looks cool and just dive in. There's no "wrong" way to start, as long as you're ready for some melodrama and a few giant yellow birds.