Navigating Ubisoft's massive stealth-action franchise can feel like wandering through a maze designed by the Isu. Since the original game debuted in 2007, the series has spanned nearly two decades, jumping from the Third Crusade to Renaissance Italy, Victorian London, and Feudal Japan. Playing through every title requires a clear map, especially because release dates and historical timelines rarely match up.
If you want to experience the franchise without getting lost in modern-day sci-fi framing devices or jarring mechanical leaps, you need to understand both publication schedules and in-universe eras. Let's break down how the series evolved.
The Evolution of Assassin's Creed Through the Years
Ubisoft didn't build its flagship franchise overnight. The series transformed from a narrow, social-stealth experiment into massive role-playing epics before pivoting back toward tight, focused stealth. Tracking this evolution helps explain why playing in release order offers a very different experience than playing chronologically.
The early era, running from 2007 to 2012, established core pillars like synchronization, rooftop traversal, and hidden blade combat. The Ezio trilogy refined those mechanics into a smoother loop.
Next came the maritime and revolution era (2013–2015), introducing ship navigation, open oceans, and dense urban crowds.
By 2017, the franchise underwent a massive structural shift. Origins turned the series into a full-fledged action role-playing game with massive maps, damage numbers, and gear tiers. This RPG formula continued through Odyssey and Valhalla before Ubisoft released Mirage in 2023 to strip away the bloat and return to classic roots.
Assassin's Creed Games in Release Order
Playing the games in the order they hit store shelves lets you experience technical upgrades and design shifts organically. You see how control schemes matured and how Ubisoft adapted to new console generations.
- Assassin's Creed (2007): Set in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. It introduces Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and the modern-day framing device starring Desmond Miles.
- Assassin's Creed II (2009): Moves to Renaissance Italy with Ezio Auditore da Firenze, vastly expanding side content, weapon variety, and financial management.
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010): Continues Ezio's story in Rome, adding the mechanic of recruiting and training fellow assassins.
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011): Concludes Ezio's arc in Constantinople while tying up loose threads for Altaïr.
- Assassin's Creed III (2012): Shifts to Colonial America during the American Revolution, introducing Connor, forest traversal, and naval combat.
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013): Follows pirate Edward Kenway across the Caribbean, focusing heavily on ship exploration and sea shanties.
- Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014): Puts you in the shoes of Shay Patrick Cormac, an assassin turned Templar hunting his former brothers in North America.
- Assassin's Creed Unity (2014): Drops players into Paris during the French Revolution, introducing dense crowd densities and parkour-down mechanics.
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015): Moves to Victorian London with twin protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye, featuring a rope launcher for rapid transit.
- Assassin's Creed Origins (2017): Explores Ptolemaic Egypt to show the origin of the Brotherhood through Bayek, overhauling combat into a hit-box-based RPG system.
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018): Takes place during the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, leaning heavily into mythological choices and sprawling dialogue trees.
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020): Follows Viking raider Eivor across ninth-century England and Norway, balancing settlement building with territory conquest.
- Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023): Returns to ninth-century Baghdad with Basim, prioritizing linear stealth missions and parkour fluency over massive open-world grind.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025): Explores Feudal Japan through dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, emphasizing light, shadow, and dynamic weather.
- Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (2026): Brings a modernized take on the beloved pirate adventure.
Assassin's Creed Games in Chronological Order
If you prefer following historical progression from ancient antiquity up to the industrial age without jumping back and forth across centuries, the timeline order changes things drastically.
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey (431–422 BCE): The earliest point in the historical timeline, exploring the roots of the Isu civilization before the Brotherhood officially exists.
- Assassin's Creed Origins (49–44 BCE): Details the formation of the Hidden Ones in ancient Egypt.
- Assassin's Creed Mirage (861 CE): Follows Basim's early days in Baghdad.
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (872–878 CE): Tracks Viking expansion across Anglo-Saxon territories.
- Assassin's Creed (1191 CE): The original Crusades story featuring Altaïr.
- Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations (1476–1512 CE): The complete Ezio saga spanning Renaissance Italy and the Ottoman Empire.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (1579–1581 CE): Unfolds during Japan's Sengoku period.
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (1715–1722 CE): The golden age of piracy in the West Indies.
- Assassin's Creed Rogue (1752–1760 CE): The Seven Years' War era in North America.
- Assassin's Creed III (1754–1783 CE): The American Revolution featuring Connor.
- Assassin's Creed Unity (1789–1794 CE): The French Revolution in Paris.
- Assassin's Creed Syndicate (1868 CE): The height of the Industrial Revolution in London.
You can check out further details on game releases through the Ubisoft Official Website or read broader historical breakdowns on Wikipedia's Assassin's Creed Page.
Common Mistakes When Playing the Series
Jumping into a massive franchise often leads to common pitfalls that can ruin the experience. Keep these mistakes in mind before you download your next title:
- Skipping the original game entirely: Many players are told to skip the 2007 original because its controls feel dated. While it lacks modern polish, skipping it means missing the foundation of the overarching modern-day plot and the introduction of core philosophical conflicts.
- Expecting uniform gameplay: If you jump straight from Syndicate to Origins, you'll encounter a completely different game genre. Expecting a tight stealth game from Valhalla will lead to frustration, as it demands dozens of hours of open-world exploration and level grinding.
- Ignoring spin-offs and DLC expansions: Major narrative developments often hide in downloadable content like Legacy of the First Blade for Odyssey or Dead Kings for Unity. Skipping them can leave major gaps in character motivations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I play in release order or chronological order?
For first-time players, release order is usually best because control refinements and quality-of-life updates carry over naturally. Chronological order works well if you want a strict historical timeline experience or are replaying the franchise.
Do I need to play every game to understand the story?
No. While the early games relied heavily on Desmond Miles' modern-day arc, later entries soft-rebooted the framing device. You can easily enjoy standalone historical settings like Black Flag or Odyssey without finishing every prior title.
Which game is best for beginners?
Assassin's Creed II remains a fan-favorite starting point for classic gameplay, while Assassin's Creed Origins is ideal if you prefer modern open-world RPG mechanics. Mirage is best if you want a shorter, stealth-focused adventure.
Are the spin-off games canon?
Yes, most side games and portable entries like Liberation or the Chronicles sub-series are official canon, though they usually expand on side characters rather than shifting the core plot.
