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Kingdom Hearts Games: Play Order Guide

Square Enix and Disney thrilled fans by announcing Kingdom Hearts 4 at the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary event in 2022, offering a tantalizing glimpse into Sora's solo adventures following the events of Kingdom Hearts 3. Since the announcement, updates have been sparse, but recent screenshots have

By Lucas: May 28,2025

To help fans pass the time while eagerly awaiting Kingdom Hearts 4, Square Enix brought the entire Kingdom Hearts series to Steam on June 13, 2024. This release encompasses almost the entire series, including Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC, and Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece—a bundle previously released on the Nintendo Switch in cloud streaming format in 2021.

As we anticipate further news and a release date for Kingdom Hearts 4, we've compiled a list of Kingdom Hearts games to play in chronological order. This guide aims to simplify the series' intricate plot, providing a clear narrative journey through the Kingdom Hearts universe. It traces Sora's path to becoming the Keyblade's chosen one and Master Xehanort's relentless efforts to shroud the world in darkness, central themes of the Dark Seeker Saga.

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How to play in chronological order
How to play by release date

How Many Kingdom Hearts Games Are There?

The Kingdom Hearts series boasts 13 games across various platforms, including the PSP and Game Boy Advance. Additionally, a new mainline game was officially announced in April 2022.

What Kingdom Hearts Game Should I Play First?

If you're new to the Kingdom Hearts series, starting with Kingdom Hearts 2 is highly recommended. The game begins with Roxas, offering flashbacks that summarize key events from Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, providing a quick catch-up on the story and the connection between Sora and Roxas. Moreover, Kingdom Hearts 2 features more streamlined gameplay and less repetitive Gummi Ship missions, enhancing your overall experience.

PS4### Kingdom Hearts All-in-One Package

010 Kingdom Hearts "experiences," including Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far and Kingdom Hearts III. See it at Amazon

How to Play Kingdom Hearts Games in Chronological Order

Kingdom Hearts χ / Unchained χ / Union χ

We've grouped these titles together due to their interconnected nature. Originally a Japan-exclusive PC game, Kingdom Hearts χ evolved into Unchained χ and Union χ for global mobile users over its eight-year run. Set centuries before the main series, Union χ unfolds in Daybreak Town, where players, as novice Keyblade wielders, join one of five factions vying for supremacy in a battle over the world's dwindling light. Union χ follows shortly after Unchained χ in a data world, allowing players to relive past events to forget the Keyblade War. Although the game shut down in May 2021, you can still access its story through HD cutscenes in Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, included in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road

Set 70 years before Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts Dark Road explores the origins of the series' antagonist, Master Xehanort. Taken from Destiny Islands to Scala ad Caelum, young Xehanort trains with Master Eraqus to become a Keyblade wielder and is tasked with finding the Lost Masters by Master Odin. This journey sets him on the path to becoming the Seeker of Darkness. While the game's 2D graphics may not impress, its narrative is crucial to the series. Although no longer playable, its story remains accessible via YouTube cutscenes.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Set a decade before the original Kingdom Hearts, Birth by Sleep follows the journeys of Keyblade Apprentices Ventus, Terra, and Aqua from the Land of Departure. After their Mark of Mastery exam, where Aqua passes and Terra fails due to his struggle with darkness, they embark on separate quests to find the missing Master Xehanort and combat the Unversed. This game delves into Sora's origins and Xehanort's machinations, including the creation of Vanitas and the bestowal of the Keyblade's power to Riku and Sora.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage

Serving as both an epilogue to Birth by Sleep and a prologue to Kingdom Hearts 3, A Fragmentary Passage follows Aqua's 10-year struggle in the Realm of Darkness after sacrificing herself to save Terra. Her journey includes revisiting dark versions of various worlds and battling Heartless, while King Mickey recounts his encounter with her to Riku, Kairi, and Master Yen Sid, setting the stage for the next chapter in the series.

Kingdom Hearts

In the inaugural game of the series, Sora embarks on a quest with Donald and Goofy to reunite with Riku and Kairi after the Heartless destroy Destiny Islands. Traveling through different worlds, Sora encounters Disney and Final Fantasy characters, seals Keyholes to protect realms from the Heartless, and confronts Maleficent, who leads a band of Disney villains in a quest to harness the power of the seven Princesses of Heart. The game culminates in a battle against Ansem, Xehanort's Heartless, and the sealing of the door to Kingdom Hearts.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Following the events of Kingdom Hearts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy search for Riku and Mickey, leading them to Castle Oblivion. Here, they lose their memories and navigate the castle using "world cards" based on Sora's past, encountering memory versions of previous characters and battling members of Organization XIII. Simultaneously, Riku confronts his inner darkness and Organization XIII in the castle's basement. Chain of Memories introduces pivotal characters like Naminé and sets the stage for future narratives.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

Set during Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days follows Roxas, Sora's Nobody, as he joins Organization XIII and forms bonds with Axel and Xion. As their friendship grows, the trio uncovers Xion's true nature as an artificial replica created from Sora's memories of Kairi. Roxas's journey leads him to defect from the Organization in search of his identity, culminating in a battle with Xion that impacts Sora's memory restoration.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts 358/2.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Beginning in Twilight Town, Kingdom Hearts 2 follows Roxas's summer vacation and his eventual merger with Sora, who then awakens to continue his journey with Donald and Goofy. Together, they protect the worlds from the Heartless and Organization XIII, uncovering deeper truths about the heart, the origins of Ansem and Xemnas, and the connections between Roxas, Naminé, Sora, and Kairi.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts 2.

Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded

In Re:coded, King Mickey and a digital version of Sora work to repair Jiminy Cricket's corrupted journal, which documents Sora's previous adventures. Their efforts in the dataspace lead them to decipher a mysterious message hinting at future conflicts. Originally released as an episodic mobile game in Japan, Re:coded was later adapted for the Nintendo DS to reach a global audience.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

To prepare for Master Xehanort's return, Sora and Riku undergo the Mark of Mastery exam by unlocking keyholes in sleeping worlds. Their journey reveals Xehanort's plan to use Sora as the 13th vessel for a new Organization XIII and create the χ-blade. Riku's efforts to save Sora from this fate lead to his passing the exam, while Sora fails for losing the power of waking.

Read our Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance review.

Kingdom Hearts 3

In the final installment of the Dark Seeker Saga, Sora seeks to reclaim the power of waking and gather the seven guardians of light to confront Organization XIII and Master Xehanort. The game explores themes of balance between light and darkness and took 13 years to develop, becoming the best-selling title in the series.

Read our review of Kingdom Hearts 3.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

As a rhythm game, Melody of Memory lets players control Sora and other Keyblade wielders to defeat enemies in sync with the series' iconic music. Set against Kairi's narration in Radiant Garden, the game offers a musical recap of the series' events.

Kingdom Hearts Games in Release Order

Kingdom Hearts - September 17, 2002 (PS2)
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - December 7, 2004 (Game Boy Advance)
Kingdom Hearts 2 - March 28, 2006 (PS2)
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days - September 29, 2009 (Nintendo DS)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - September 7, 2010 (PSP)
Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded - January 11, 2011 (Nintendo DS)
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - July 31, 2012 (Nintendo 3DS)
Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross] - April 7, 2016 (Android, iOS)
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix - March 28, 2017 (PS4)
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue - January 24, 2017 (PS4)
Kingdom Hearts 3 - January 29, 2019 (PS4, XBO, PC)
Kingdom Hearts Dark Road - June 22, 2020 (Android, iOS)
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory - November 13, 2020 (PS4, XBO, Nintendo Switch, PC)

What's Next for Kingdom Hearts?

Since its announcement in 2022, Square Enix has kept quiet about Kingdom Hearts 4, with no release window in sight. However, recent screenshots have sparked hope that the game might be closer to completion than anticipated. There's speculation that Kingdom Hearts 4 could launch on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.