Kingdom Hearts: Official Play Order Guide

At the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary event in 2022, Square Enix and Disney officially announced Kingdom Hearts 4, offering glimpses of Sora's new solo adventures following the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 3. While updates have been scarce since the announcement, recent screenshots confirm the project remains in active development.

While You Wait: The Complete Kingdom Hearts Series Now on Steam

To help fans endure the wait, Square Enix released nearly the entire Kingdom Hearts series on Steam on June 13, 2024. The collection includes:

• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
• Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC

The Steam release notably excludes the cloud-based Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece previously available on Nintendo Switch.

Understanding the Kingdom Hearts Timeline

With its famously complex narrative, we've prepared a chronological guide through the entire Dark Seeker Saga - showing Sora's path as the Keyblade's chosen warrior and Master Xehanort's relentless pursuit of darkness.

Navigation: Chronological Order | Release Order

The Complete Kingdom Hearts Library

The franchise spans 13 titles across multiple platforms, with Kingdom Hearts 4 marking the next mainline entry confirmed since April 2022.

Where New Players Should Begin

For series newcomers, we recommend starting with Kingdom Hearts 2. Its introductory sequence with Roxas provides essential story context through flashbacks while offering more refined gameplay mechanics than the original.

Chronological Journey Through Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts χ Series (2013-2021)

This mobile trilogy (χ/Unchained χ/Union χ) transports players centuries before main events to the Keyblade War era. While the service has concluded, critical story elements can be experienced through HD cutscenes in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road (2020)

This mobile title explores young Xehanort's origins 70 years before Birth by Sleep. Though no longer playable, its narrative remains accessible through archived cutscenes.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010)

This PSP prequel follows Keyblade apprentices Ventus, Terra, and Aqua a decade before the original game, establishing crucial connections to Sora and the χ-blade's origins.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage (2017)

This bridge chapter connects Birth by Sleep to Kingdom Hearts 3, following Aqua's decade-long struggle in the Realm of Darkness.

Kingdom Hearts (2002)

Where it all began - Sora's first adventure with Donald and Goofy to rescue his friends and stop Ansem's darkness.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004)

This card-based sequel introduces Organization XIII while exploring memory manipulation at Castle Oblivion.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (2009)

The tragic story of Roxas' life in Organization XIII and his bond with Xion during Sora's hibernation period.

Kingdom Hearts 2 (2006)

The acclaimed sequel that expanded the lore while introducing fan-favorite characters like Roxas and Axel.

Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded (2011)

Originally a mobile episodic series, this Nintendo DS remake follows Data-Sora's journey through corrupted journal entries.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012)

Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam that sets the stage for Kingdom Hearts 3 while introducing Dream Eaters.

Kingdom Hearts 3 (2019)

The climactic finale to the Dark Seeker Saga that took over a decade to develop, becoming the series' best-selling entry.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (2020)

A musical celebration of the entire series through rhythm-based gameplay with Kairi serving as narrator.

Looking Ahead to Kingdom Hearts 4

While Square Enix remains tight-lipped about Kingdom Hearts 4's release window, recent screenshots suggest development continues. Many speculate about potential next-gen platform releases, possibly including Nintendo's upcoming console.

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