The order of all Kingdom Hearts games
The chronology of the Kingdom Hearts games is unclear, regardless matter how long you've been a fan. This is true for both chronological and release date information. It might be difficult to know where to start with so many games available across different areas, versions, bundles, platforms, and more. Fortunately, you won't have to worry about missing anything thanks to our list of all Kingdom Hearts games in order.
Of course, slapping heartlessly with your Kingdom Hearts keyblades, regardless of what order you play them KH games and wearing Kingdom Heatys characters while dangling from the trees Even if Tarzan is just as entertaining without the background, a road map is still helpful, isn't it?
Everything in our alphabetical guide to all Kingdom Hearts games is available here.The chronological sequence of all Kingdom Hearts games
The Kingdom Hearts games are listed below according to release order. Note that the historical chronology and the release timeline are not the same, therefore we'll discuss which order is best to play them later.Hearts of Kingdom
- Initial release: March 28, 2002 (PS2)
It all started with the PS2 game Kingdom Hearts, which was first published in 2002. The first game introduces you to Sora, Riku, and Kairi—the core cast of the original Kingdom Hearts—and immerses you in the fantastical settings of some of your favorite Disney productions. It also establishes the history around the keyblades and the heartless. Set off on your first adventure as Sora with Donald and Goofy in an effort to find your companions again and save every planet you encounter from the evil Darkness.
Chain of Memories: Kingdom Hearts (Or Re:Chain of Memories)
- Initial release: November 11, 2004 (GameBoy Advance)
Chain of Memories, a direct sequel to the first game that debuted on the GameBoy Advance in 2004, is set in Castle Oblivion and pits you against the enigmatic Organization XIII. It uses a unique blend of RPG and card game concepts to bridge the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. Each attack, spell, and party member is linked to a deck of cards that you must rotate wisely to win.
Hearts of Heaven 2
- Initial release: December 22, 2005 (PS2)
Expanding on the idea of the heart, Square published Kingdom Hearts 2, a video game that takes place on the PS2 following the events of Chain of Memories, in 2005. After starting the tale with Roxas, Sora's Nobody, who is going through some strange anomalies and malfunctions in his existence, you go on another trip with Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they visit many other worlds. This time, in addition to the Heartless, you're up against the menacing Organization XIII and the Unversed.
Re:Coded for Kingdom Hearts
- Initial release: October 7, 2010 (Nintendo DS)
Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded was first published as "Kingdom Hearts Coded," an episodic mobile game in Japan. Later, it was remade for the Nintendo DS and sold worldwide. This action role-playing puzzle game takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II and centers on two hidden notes that an unidentified writer left in Jiminy Cricket's notebook. These signals get damaged once the journal is digitized for more examination, so King Mickey and his pals create a digital Sora to put into the journal in an effort to decode and mend it.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days- Initial release: May 30, 2009 (Nintendo DS)
Square first published Kingdom Hearts 358/2 for the Nintendo DS. It is mostly set between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II and centers on Roxas' tenure inside the Organization. As the thirteenth member of Organization XIII and a newborn Nobody of Sora, Roxas is much appreciated for his keyblade skills.
You follow him as he goes about his everyday business in the Organization, doing tasks in well-known Disney settings and making friends with Axel and Xion as he tries to put together who he is. The gameplay is identical to that of the earlier major entries, but instead of an open area, there is a task system. Additionally, it includes a novel mechanism known as the panel system, which allows you to customize the character's skills, equipment, levels, and other attributes.
As Sleep Gives Birth To Kingdom Hearts
- Initial release: January 9, 2010 (PSP)
Birth By Sleep is a prequel that takes place 10 years before to the events of the original Kingdom Hearts game. It tells the entwined tales of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, three would-be Keyblade Masters undergoing instruction under Master Eraqus. The 2010 PSP game, which combines hack and slash and ARPG action, takes players over many Disney worlds, both old and new, and tells the tale from the three distinct viewpoints of our spirited young keyblade wielders.
Dream Drop Distance in Kingdom Hearts 3D
- Initial release: March 29, 2012 (Nintendo 3DS)
Dream Drop Distance was published in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS by Square and is mostly set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II and Re:Coded. It follows Sora and Riku as they take the Mark of Mastery test, which is requested by Master Yen Sid, to hone their keyblade skills in anticipation of Master Xenahort's return.
You play as both Riku and Sora throughout the game, alternating between them using the "Drop" system as you journey through time and investigate many slumber worlds. Dream Drop Distance brings new features like flowmotion, where you hop between walls and parkour around maps, and Dream Eaters, a Pokémon-style pet system where you raise animal companions, play with them, and have them fight alongside you. Dream Drop Distance features the same ARPG, hack and slash combat from the previous games.
Kingdom Hearts X (Union X Dark Road/Unchained X)
- Initial release: July 18, 2013 (Android/iOS)
Originally released as a web browser game in Japan, Kingdom Hearts X was eventually adapted for mobile platforms as Kingdom Hearts Unchained X. Following that, Square published it on mobile devices all around the world under the name Kingdom Hearts Union X, which was then picked up in Union X Dark Road. Preceding the fabled Keyblade War, the game is set in Daybreak Town and tells the tales of the Master of Masters, the Foretellers, and the Dandelions. These games build on much of the intricate narrative that serves as the basis for the Kingdom Hearts universe, with a 2D graphical style, story missions, various worlds, and turn-based card battle.
You can get Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road via the App Store or Google Play, although it's mostly offline these days and just has cutscenes.
- Initial release: January 25, 2019 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Kingdom Hearts III
14 years after the release of the first major installment in the series, Square Enix first launched Kingdom Hearts III for PlayStation and Xbox in 2019. The narrative continues where Dream Drop Distance left off. Together with Riku, King Mickey, and a plethora of other well-known characters, our beloved half-pint heroes Sora, Donald, and Goofy return to search for the seven guardians of light and try to foil Xenahort's schemes to start a new Keyblade War.
Kingdom Hearts III builds on the fighting from Kingdom Hearts II and incorporates features from Dream Drop Distance. The game takes you back to many Disney and Pixar-themed realms where you may slay Heartless and the Unversed and aid people in need. It immerses you in a colorful, new adventure that honors the legacy of its predecessors, complete with keyblades, new attacks, and some fairly jazzy response commands.
Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind was released as DLC for the main game in 2020. It occurs near the end of Kingdom Hearts III and the Keyblade War, as Sora searches for Kairi by traveling through the Keyblade Graveyard and entering the hearts of the seven light-guardians along the way.
Melody of Memory in Kingdom Hearts
- Initial release: October 14, 2020 (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory is a rhythm-action game that debuted on the Switch in 2020 and is something of an exception in the series thus far. Whizz through the well-known sounds and sights from the first part of the series as Kairi muses on what has happened thus far. As you bop to those songs, smash buttons to the rhythm and give some bad guys the finger. With access to 21 playable characters, 47 realms, 33 black holes, and an abundance of music, it functions virtually as a shortened synopsis of the events of the Kingdom Hearts games so far.
See our Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory review for additional information.
Every Kingdom Hearts set
Square Enix issued compilation collections prior to Kingdom Hearts III, which let you catch up on the plot so far even if you are unable to get the original games due to their vast distribution across several systems.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 RemixThe contents of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix include:- Kingdom Hearts Final Mix – the first game with the addition of HD graphics, tweaked gameplay, additional enemies, cutscenes, and weapons
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories – an up-scaled version of the GBA game, complete with polygonal graphics as opposed to the original 2D sprites
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – not available in playable form, this version of 358/2 Days is adapted into two hours and 50 minutes of cinematic retelling, recounting Roxas’ time in the Organization
- Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix – a HD remaster of the second main story game, featuring new cutscenes and bosses
- Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix – the original PSP game remastered in HD, with new features such as an additional fifth scenario
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded – like 358/2 Days, Re:Coded isn’t available in playable form in this version, but is instead adapted into a cinematic retelling, featuring scenes and events that weren’t seen in the original game
Prologue of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter
Linking Kingdom Hearts III with 2.5, the 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue includes the following:- Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD – a full remake of the original Nintendo 3DS game, with a more traditional gamepad controller scheme replacing the touchscreen controls
- Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage – a brand new game from the perspective of Birth By Sleep’s protagonist, Aqua, following her journey through the Realm of Darkness
- Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover – an hour-long cinematic that recounts the events of the Kingdom Hearts X browser and mobile games, told from the perspective of the Foretellers and explaining their motivations and actions
Cloud version of Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece
The following games are part of the Integrum Masterpiece, which was released as a Cloud version for Switch:- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
- Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind
Affiliate commissions are paid to Network N for eligible sales.
Future Kingdom Hearts titles
What can we expect from Kingdom Hearts going forward? Of course, the tale is far from over, and we can anticipate seeing more of Sora and the Kingdom Hearts universe in the future.What is known about the next Kingdom Hearts games is included below.Missing Link for Kingdom Hearts
Date of release: autumn of 2024The boundaries between reality and Kingdom Hearts will dissolve in the next AR game, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. You assume control of your own keyblade bearer and go via the "astral realm" to get from Scala Ad Caelum. You may explore the lovely city of Scala Ad Caelum at your leisure, engaging in conversation with locals, accepting tasks, and rising to obstacles.The augmented reality portion takes place in the astral world, where you may engage in ruthless combat, find riches and figurines to aid you in battle, and more. It's similar to Pokemon Go in that sense.Prior to the 2024 Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link release date, learn more about our experience with the iOS beta by reading our Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link preview.Kingdom Hearts 4
Date of release: TBDSquare Enix is been very discreet on the greatly awaited Kingdom Hearts 4, thus we don't know a much about it yet. We do, however, know that it will release sometime in 2025, and that many other Kingdom Hearts characters will undoubtedly make a comeback. Of course, Sora from Kingdom Hearts will take center stage once again.A few tidbits of information have been revealed along the way, such as the possibility that Donald and Goofy will be supporting roles in the sequel, while Winnie the Pooh and Piglet will play a larger role. However, we already know that Donald and Goofy are tasked with rescuing Sora from the lifelike Quadratum. But as of yet, there has been no concrete confirmation, and it seems unlikely that we will learn anything more until much later in 2024.You can see the Kingdom Hearts 4 announcement teaser at the conclusion of the 20th anniversary movie above, and we'll be sure to update this guide as soon as we find out more.The Kingdom Hearts games are listed chronologically.Oh my! A lot of games, that is. But which sequence should you play them in? Here's the easiest method to acquire the whole tale assuming we stick to the series' current timetable. Of course, you'll have to watch the cinematics that were published with the HD Remixes and forego playing 358/2 Days and Re:Coded if you don't have access to a Nintendo DS.- Kingdom Hearts X/Unchained X/Union X (or watch the Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover cinematic featured in the HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue)
- Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road
- Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep 0.2: A Fragmentary Passage
- Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
- Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix
- Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded
- Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind DLC
- Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory