Assassin’s Creed Games In Order (2023 Update)

Key Points

• Assassin’s Creed is a popular game series that has turned many gamers into obsessed fans.
• The series is known for its gory content but also for its iconic storytelling.
• Each installment of the series follows a different protagonist and explores different historical periods.
• The upcoming game, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, will focus on the character Basim and his background in Baghdad.
• Assassin’s Creed: Infinity is a new platform that will host all of the Assassin’s Creed titles in one place.

Assassin’s Creed is often an introductory game for newcomers that quickly turns a fresh hobby into an obsession. It’s rare to find a gamer who has never at least tried Assassin’s Creed, with a multitude of good reasons to back up their claims that the game deserves recognition.

Many diehard gamers have collected all of the installments of the Assassin’s Creed series, and every one of the spinoffs. The series is gory, so there’s a bit of a necessary trigger warning here. Still, the storytelling within it makes it one of the most iconic franchises out there. 

Now that Assassin’s Creed Mirage is upon us, we’re recounting the history of the entire series—think of it as a little refresher. Let’s dive in.

In This Article:

• Assassin’s Creed (2007)
• Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
• Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)
• Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (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 (2021)
• Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (2023)
• Assassin’s Creed Infinity (TBD)

Assassin’s Creed (2007)

The first major installment of Assassin’s Creed remains a great entry point for gamers to this very day. Thanks to its age, most basic, budget-friendly computers can run the game without any issues. Still, it’s got a lot of great content that would entice beginners and experts alike. People sometimes return to it simply for the nostalgia factor it possesses.

Released on the PlayStation 3, Assassin’s Creed follows the story of Desmond Miles (Nolan North) as he awakens in a mysterious laboratory. Inside a machine called the Animus, Desmond finds that he can relive all of his ancestor’s memories, unfortunately getting blackmailed for possessing classified information. Doctor Warren Vidic, a major antagonist in the franchise, got his information with the technology from the Animus. Thus begins a winding series of events.

Unfortunately, Desmond’s mission ultimately fails; he is then forced to assassinate (hence the game title) 9 members of the antagonistic Templar organization to earn his rank back. There are a few sidequests along his journey, which ask him to get intel on the members he is attempting to kill. More sidequests explore a connection between Desmond and a woman named Lucy Stillman (Kristen Bell). She’s Dr. Vidic’s assistant, leaving all sorts of implications, but mostly providing key information on the Templar organization as it currently stood.

Assassin’s Creed II (2009)

Desmond is once again seeking information from his ancestors via the Animus. Ezio, who lived during the Renaissance era, witnessed some pretty gruesome stuff. His brothers and father were hung, leaving Ezio with one option: flee the city to find shelter with other relatives. Namely, his uncle Mario provides solace in his private villa.

A lot of the fun of Assasin’s Creed is found within its history lessons. Ezio’s most helpful ally is none other than Leonardo de Vinci, who helped build up Ezio’s resources via his knowledge from Altair’s Codex pages. This is where things get tricky with the Animus’ technological potential. We learn that memories can be blocked, leaving some of Ezio’s story to be a bit foggy for Desmond on his journey.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)

Desmond, Lucy, and Rebecca are able to pick up where they left off in the previous games, setting up camp in the villa ruins. Now, Desmond is able to get to the bottom of things, since Ezio’s memories are no longer being protected.

We find Ezio in 1499, tragically after his uncle Mario got murdered. He was harboring the Apple (of Eden), which was an important asset for Desmond, and the world at large. After retrieving the Apple from the hands of the Templars, Ezio hid it carefully–only to be found by Desmond upon reliving his memories.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)

Before it was Istanbul, it was Constantinople (like a They Might Be Giants history lesson). Ezio traveled there, in the year 1511 A.D. Ezio is able to relive Altair’s memories, kind of like how Desmond has been doing with him to this point. There, he finds that one crucial artifact has the power to end the Templars permanently. Unfortunately, Desmond can’t do much with this information since he’s stuck in the Animus with no way out! That is, of course, until he finds a conveniently located Black Room. This not only wakes him up but reconnects him with Ezio and Altair. 

Assassin’s Creed III (2012)

After a few sidequests, we’re finally back at the major storyline with Assassin’s Creed III. Set in America during the Revolution, we’re introduced to Ratonhnhake:ton (known as Connor from here on out), who’s pretty highly ranked in the Templars since his father is the Grand Master.

The Apple proves to be useful, allowing them access to the Temple in New York. However, there’s a component missing, which Desmond discovers after retrieving another ancestor’s memories (Haytham Kenway). They have access to the Temple, but cannot open it with the tools they have–so they must find another way.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)

Black Flag was one of the best-selling games of 2013, and for good reason: it is a masterpiece. We’re still playing it to this day. The story and gameplay center more around ship-based exploration of the open world, compared to previous games.

Desmond’s death is used to get more information about his ancestors. The Animus allows Asbergo to get this information from Desmond’s corpse (which is brutal, by the way). Of course, he chooses to get more memories from Connor’s grandfather, Edward Kenway. Here, he learns that there is a huge ploy between the Templars with the British and Spanish empires, and finds the Sage, who knows where the Observatory is.

You can spy on anyone from this point, which is crucial. However, Edward, a pirate, accidentally killed a minor antagonist named Duncan, thereby becoming one of the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue (2014)

Here, we’re introduced to a new recruit to the Colonial Brotherhood of Assassins (Shay Patrick Cormac). He was training in the North Atlantic chapter, where he met a colleague named Adewale, who told him the city of Port-au-Prince was destroyed by an earthquake.

This installment’s historical figure is none other than Benjamin Franklin, who helps the protagonists of the game find a Piece of Eden located in a Temple by using his electricity, prompting Shay to go get it. Shay, ultimately discovering that locating these artifacts is dangerous business, attempts to destroy the manuscript so no one else gets hurt in the future. While his efforts were valiant, he gets killed before he can finish the job.

Assassin’s Creed: Unity (2014)

Beginning in 1307, a Templar loses his life after placing a sword and book inside a crypt. Here, we get a bit of insight into the death of Jacques Bernard de Molay, the Grand Master of the Templars, and a Sage. King Phillip IV and Pope Clement V are also cursed. These memories are being controlled by Bishop, an Assassin. 

We time hop just a smidge to Versailles 1776, where we find a member of the Brotherhood named Arno as he meets with Elise De La Serre, daughter of the Grand Master of the Templars. Unfortunately, Arno is accused of murdering Elise’s father. He escapes, but Elise still doesn’t take him in, causing him to join the Brotherhood to seek vengeance. He wants each of the Templars involved with Elise’s father to be dealt with.

This iteration of the game is often touted as being the most difficult game. Many players claim that “broken combat mechanics” make the game significantly challenging. The developers designed the combat to be more difficult. But players feel that battling enemies is broken, and it requires knowledge of how “to blanket over the broken parts before they have a chance to act” in order to beat it.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (2015)

Now, the goal is to find a new Piece of Eden in London. The Templars have completely overtaken London at this point after the Grand Master (Crawford Starrick) committed to increasing the Templar’s overall political power. He desired world domination, making the Templars an overwhelming unit. On their journey to find the Piece of Eden, twins Jacob and Evie Fyre end up leaving the Brotherhood after disobeying their rules. They created a new criminal gang called the Rooks, attempting to convert as many people as possible to their side.

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017) 

In Origins, you get to travel all the way back in time to 49 BCE. Bayek and his son Khemu get kidnapped and are transported to a mysterious vault in the Temple of Amun. It gets pretty gruesome from here, as the masked men who abducted the father/son duo attempt to forcefully have Bayek open the vault. He realizes their plan has a few dangerous plot holes, and ultimately tries to escape with his son. Unfortunately, in the heat of the escape, he accidentally kills his son. 

Now, his motive is vengeance; he is determined, at this point, to kill everyone involved with the death of his son. After ending up in Alexandria, he meets Cleopatra (yes, that Cleopatra). She confirms that multiple accomplices are responsible for this tragic murder, revealing them as the Order of Ancients, a group whose end goal is to completely overtake Egypt. Cleopatra asserts her spot as a real one, revealing the identities of everyone in the Order of Ancients to grief-stricken Bayek.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018)

The following year, Odyssey was released, immersing fans into the world of Spartans and Persians. The Spartans won, yet the Persians still came out victorious, discovering the mountain path. The spear owned by King Leonidas was found in the present day, unlocking new access to the Animus.

These memories follow the Misthios, beginning when they were a small child. Later, he was thrown off a mountain, but somehow he managed to survive! His mission as an adult is to kill the Wolf of Sparta, who is a famous Spartan general named Nikolaos. He also discovers the Cult of Cosmos and eradicates them before they can do further damage. 

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (2021)

We now get to explore a world full of Vikings. Players enter 9th-century Norway, where an overbearing warlord is trying to overtake an otherwise quiet Viking town. You’ll time jump again, from the perspective of Eivor during the Norse invasion of England. Eivor meets the Hidden Ones, a group who wants to protect their people while hiding in the shadows, against the Order of the Ancients.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (2023)

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage comes out on October 12, 2023. The full plot hasn’t been released yet, but there is a trailer that gives us some hints. It is expected that this game will be more similar to the older Assassin’s Creed games. To summarize, though, the game will follow Basim, exploring his background in Baghdad. We’ll have to see if it makes it into the hearts and minds of players and becomes one of the best Assassin’s Creed games of all time.

Assassin’s Creed: Infinity (TBD)

All good things come to those who wait! It’s only been two years since the release of Valhalla, but Assassin’s Creed fans are already eagerly awaiting the next installment of their favorite franchise: Assassin’s Creed Infinity.

Unfortunately, Infinity won’t completely fill that void, but it’s fascinating and important to keep an eye on! The game’s developers have described Infinity as a “hub.” Basically, it’s like how your devices host a bunch of different apps in one place.

Describing Infinity is a bit difficult since there isn’t much out there to compare it to. The developers of Assassin’s Creed wanted to create something unique, and they sure did! This platform will host all of the Assassin’s Creed titles in one convenient location. You may be waiting a bit longer to use it, though, since its complexities indicate that it might take a while for it to be ready for its launch.

Fascinated by the Assassin’s Creed story and want to explore it a little more? This 1+ hour long documentary breaks down the lore very well: