The easiest way to play the Assassin's Creed games in order is by release date, from the 2007 original to Assassin's Creed Shadows. But you do not have to play all 14 main games: each one tells a mostly self-contained story in a different period of history, so you can jump in almost anywhere.

If you want the classic stealth series and its connected story, start with Assassin's Creed II. If you prefer modern open-world RPGs, start with Assassin's Creed Origins. Below you will find both orders, how the games connect and what is coming next.

Official Assassin's Creed Origins screenshot of Bayek in Ptolemaic Egypt
Assassin's Creed Origins kicked off the series' open-world RPG era in 2017. Image: Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed games in release order

These are the 14 main entries, with the year each first launched and its lead character:

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  1. Assassin's Creed (2007): Altaïr, Third Crusade
  2. Assassin's Creed II (2009): Ezio, Renaissance Italy
  3. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010): Ezio, Rome
  4. Assassin's Creed Revelations (2011): Ezio, Constantinople
  5. Assassin's Creed III (2012): Connor, American Revolution
  6. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013): Edward Kenway, Golden Age of Piracy
  7. Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014): Shay Cormac, Seven Years' War
  8. Assassin's Creed Unity (2014): Arno Dorian, French Revolution
  9. Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015): Jacob and Evie Frye, Victorian London
  10. Assassin's Creed Origins (2017): Bayek and Aya, Ptolemaic Egypt
  11. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018): Alexios or Kassandra, Classical Greece
  12. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020): Eivor, Viking invasion of England
  13. Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023): Basim, Baghdad
  14. Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025): Naoe and Yasuke, feudal Japan

On top of these, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (July 2026) is a full remake of Black Flag for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. It now has New Game+ and a Nightmare difficulty, covered in our Black Flag Resynced update 1.0.8 news. Spin-offs such as Liberation and the Chronicles trilogy are optional.

Assassin's Creed games in chronological order

If you want to follow history rather than release dates, this is the order of the main historical settings:

  1. Odyssey (431–422 BCE)
  2. Origins (49–43 BCE)
  3. Mirage (861 CE)
  4. Valhalla (872–878)
  5. Assassin's Creed (1191)
  6. Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations (1476–1512)
  7. Shadows (1579–1581)
  8. Black Flag or Black Flag Resynced (1715–1722)
  9. Rogue (from 1752)
  10. Assassin's Creed III (1754–1783)
  11. Unity (1789–1794)
  12. Syndicate (1868)

One caveat: the Kenway saga (Black Flag, Rogue and III) shares characters and family ties, so playing those three close together pays off.

Official Assassin's Creed Odyssey screenshot of Classical Greece
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the earliest game in the historical timeline. Image: Ubisoft

Which Assassin's Creed game should you play first?

For the classic story: Assassin's Creed II

The Ezio trilogy (II, Brotherhood, Revelations) is the heart of the original modern-day arc with Desmond Miles. The first game explains the setup but has aged the most, so many players read a recap and start with II.

For open-world RPG fans: Origins

Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla form the RPG trilogy, with levels, loot and huge maps. Origins also tells how the Assassin Brotherhood began, which makes it a natural starting point.

For a shorter, stealth-first game: Mirage

Mirage returns to tighter, city-based stealth and is far shorter than the RPG trilogy, which makes it a good test to see if the series is for you.

For the newest experience: Shadows or Black Flag Resynced

Shadows has the most modern tech and two playable heroes with very different styles. Black Flag Resynced rebuilds a fan favorite with modern visuals and naval combat, and both stand on their own without earlier games.

Official Assassin's Creed Valhalla screenshot of Eivor in England
Valhalla closes the RPG trilogy started by Origins and Odyssey. Image: Ubisoft

Do you need to play Assassin's Creed in order?

No. The historical stories are self-contained. What links the games is the modern-day frame story, where people relive ancestors' memories through the Animus. Desmond Miles leads it from the first game to III, and Layla Hassan carries it through Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla. If that thread matters to you, play those blocks in release order. If not, pick the era that interests you most.

What comes next for Assassin's Creed

In its official roadmap post, Ubisoft confirmed three projects without release dates (as of October 2026): Codename Hexe, a darker, narrative-driven game from Ubisoft Montreal; Codename Invictus, a PvP multiplayer project led by For Honor veterans; and Assassin's Creed Jade. We will update this guide when dates are announced.

Official Assassin's Creed Mirage screenshot of Basim in Baghdad
Mirage is the shortest modern entry and a good test run for newcomers. Image: Ubisoft

FAQ

How many main Assassin's Creed games are there?

There are 14 main games, from Assassin's Creed (2007) to Shadows (2025), plus the Black Flag Resynced remake and several spin-offs.

Should I play Black Flag or Black Flag Resynced?

On PS5, Xbox Series X|S or PC, Resynced is the easier pick. Note that it replaces the original's modern-day sections with new "what if" scenarios and drops the Freedom Cry DLC, so purists may still want the 2013 version.

Looking for another series to binge?

If you enjoy long story-driven sagas, our guide to the Mass Effect games in order is a good next stop.