How Many Assassin’s Creed Games Are There?
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has 13 mainline games and 17 spin-off games. Aside from video games, there is also an Assassin’s Creed board game and a Netflix TV series in development.
How to Play the Assassin’s Creed Game In Order
There are two ways to play Assassin’s Creed: in release order or in chronological order. If you prefer to play the games in release order, you’ll experience the franchise’s evolution from stealth-action games to open-world RPGs. However, if you want to follow the overarching story and experience the connective narrative, you should play the games in chronological order.
The Assassin’s Creed Games in Chronological Order
Below is a chronological list of the Assassin’s Creed games. These synopses contain mild spoilers, including broad plot points, historical settings, and character introductions.
1. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (431 B.C.–422 B.C.)
- Primary setting: Ancient Greece
- Historic Protagonist: Cassandra or Alexios
- Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan
Set during the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, Odyssey features key historical figures like Hippocrates, Socrates, and Plato. It introduces mythical creatures like the Sphinx, Cyclops, and Medusa. Odyssey takes place before the formation of the Assassin and Templar orders, but it does feature a Piece of Eden, the Spear of Leonidas.
2. Assassin’s Creed Origins (49 B.C.–44 B.C.)
- Primary setting: Ancient Egypt
- Historic Protagonist: Bayek of Siwa
- Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan
Origins follows Bayek and Aya as they seek vengeance for their son’s death. They uncover a proto-Templar organization called the Order of the Ancients and form the Hidden Ones, the first incarnation of the Assassins. The modern story introduces Layla Hassan, who continues to play a major role in subsequent games.
3. Assassin’s Creed Mirage (861–???)
- Primary setting: 9th Century Baghdad
- Historic Protagonist: Basim Ibn Ishaq
- Modern Protagonist: N/A
Mirage is a stealth-focused adventure that serves as an homage to the first Assassin’s Creed games. It tells the story of Basim, a street thief with nightmarish visions, as he escapes Baghdad and joins the Hidden Ones. Unlike other games in the series, Mirage doesn’t prominently feature the present-day storyline.
4. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (872–878)
- Primary setting: 9th Century England and Norway
- Historic Protagonist: Eivor Varinsson/Varinsdottir
- Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan
Valhalla takes place during the Viking Age and features both real-life characters like King Harald Fairhair and King Aelfred the Great, as well as mythological figures like Fenrir and Odin. The game continues the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients while balancing the personal tale of Eivor and their clan’s pilgrimage from Norway to England.
5. Assassin’s Creed (1191)
- Primary setting: 12th Century Holy Land (Acre, Damascus, Jerusalem)
- Historic Protagonist: Altair Ibn’La-Ahad
- Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
The first Assassin’s Creed introduces Altair, a master Assassin during the Third Crusade. The game establishes core gameplay elements, including climbing and assassinations. It also introduces foundational narrative concepts like the Pieces of Eden and the Animus, the device that allows the modern-day protagonist to relive the memories of their historic counterparts. The modern story focuses on Desmond Miles and the ongoing Assassin-Templar conflict.
6. Assassin’s Creed II (1476–1499)
- Primary setting: 15th Century Italy
- Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
- Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Assassin’s Creed II introduces Ezio, whose story spans multiple games. Seeking revenge for his family, Ezio becomes embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict. The game takes place in Italy, featuring historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli. In the modern day, Desmond begins his work with the Assassins.
7. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (1499–1507)
- Primary setting: 15th-16th Century Italy
- Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
- Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Brotherhood continues Ezio’s story, as he seeks to rebuild Rome’s Assassins Guild and retrieve the Apple of Eden. In the modern day, Desmond and the Assassins travel to Italy in search of the same Apple of Eden, hoping to prevent the end of the world.
8. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (1511–1512)
- Primary setting: 16th Century Constantinople
- Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
- Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Revelations concludes Ezio’s trilogy, as he travels to Constantinople in search of Altair’s hidden library. In the modern day, Desmond is trapped in the Animus, working to escape and regain consciousness.
9. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (1715–1722)
- Primary setting: 18th Century Caribbean Islands
- Historic Protagonist: Edward Kenway
- Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Abstergo Employee
Black Flag introduces naval gameplay and features Edward Kenway, a pirate who becomes entangled in the Assassin-Templar conflict. It also introduces Adéwalé, who goes on to star in the spin-off game Freedom Cry. In the modern day, an unnamed Abstergo employee relives Connor Kenway’s life for a film project.
10. Assassin’s Creed Rogue (1752–1760)
- Primary setting: 18th Century American Northeast
- Historic Protagonist: Shay Patrick Cormac
- Modern Protagonist: Abstergo Employee “Numbskull”
Rogue serves as a bridge between AC III and AC IV, following Shay, an Assassin who turns Templar and hunts down a Piece of Eden. Haytham Kenway, the father of Connor, plays a significant role. In the modern day, you play as an Abstergo employee following the Templars’ orders.
11. Assassin’s Creed III (1754–1783)
- Primary setting: 18th Century Colonial America
- Historic Protagonist: Ratonhnhaké “Connor” Kenway
- Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Set during the American Revolution, AC III follows Connor, an Assassin who seeks to protect his tribe and the First Civilization’s Grand Temple from the Templars. It features notable historical figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. In the modern day, Desmond and the Assassins gather at the Grand Temple to prevent the end of the world.
12. Assassin’s Creed Unity (1789–1794)
- Primary setting: 18th Century France
- Historic Protagonist: Arno Dorian
- Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player
Unity takes place during the French Revolution, featuring historical figures like Napoléon Bonaparte and King Louis XVI. It follows Arno, a French Assassin who becomes involved in the Assassin-Templar conflict. Unity’s modern story focuses on Helix, a gaming software created by Abstergo to spread Templar propaganda.
13. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (1868)
- Primary setting: Victorian London
- Historic Protagonists: Jacob and Evie Frye
- Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player
Syndicate stars Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins working to liberate London from Templar control. It features historical figures like Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Darwin. In the modern day, the same Helix player from Unity assists the Assassins in locating a Piece of Eden in London.
How to Play The Assassin’s Creed Games By Release Date
- Assassin’s Creed (2007)
- Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
- Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
- Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)
- Assassin’s Creed III / Liberation (2012)
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag / Freedom Cry (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 Nexus VR (2023)
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024)
Upcoming Assassin’s Creed Games
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a new game with dual protagonists, is set to release in November 2024 and takes place in Feudal Japan. Several remakes of older Assassin’s Creed games are also in development. The Assassin’s Creed Netflix series is still in the works, and Assassin’s Creed Jade, a mobile-exclusive title, has been delayed to 2025.
Leave a Reply