Best way to play Kingdom Hearts games in order
The Final Fantasy/Disney franchise has a long history.
The Kingdom Hearts games are held near and dear by many, but if you've yet to dive into the series or simply want to relive the magic, we have the Kingdom Hearts games in order of release and chronologically to help get you started!
The unique blend of Final Fantasy-like gameplay with Disney favourites was an odd proposition at first, but the pairing of beloved characters in a new, compelling original universe was a winning combination.
With Kingdom Hearts 4 under way, it would be prudent to get up to speed with the story, as it is chock-full of twists and turns. Mercifully, the games have been repackaged and remastered, making them really easy to play on modern systems.
Soon, too, Steam users will be able to play Kingdom Hearts on PC, as Square Enix is finally bringing the saga to Valve's storefront on 18th June.
With all that said and done, let's get to it!
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Kingdom Hearts games in order of release
If you want to play Kingdom Hearts series in order of release, below is how to do it with the year of its first release given:
- Kingdom Hearts – 2002
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories – 2004
- Kingdom Hearts II – 2005
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – 2009
- Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep – 2010
- Kingdom Hearts Re:coded – 2011
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance – 2012
- Kingdom Hearts X – 2016
- Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep: Fragmentary Passage – 2017
- Kingdom Hearts III – 2019
- Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – 2020
Kingdom Hearts
The first game released for the series remains the best one to play if you want a good introduction to the world on offer. And you will definitely get a sense of the kind of storytelling that you are in for by starting here as it wastes little time in showing how much they are willing to cram into the complex story.
If you do get into the PS2 title, and it is a great story, then you will instantly want to crack on with the next, which picks up immediately from the end of this one.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories
If you are into the story, you will want to play this one - even if it is a totally different beast to the previous entry in the series. This is more of a card-based strategy game and while that is far from what you would have just played, this will give you important story information that will become key to the game that you will play next.
Originally released for the Game Boy Advances, it was remade for PS2 and released as Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories and can be played on modern systems as part of The Story so Far or 1.5/2.5 ReMIX collections.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts II
People may have loved the first game, but it was Kingdom Hearts 2 that really captured the attention of gamers with some extremely positive reviews coming along when it was released in Japan in 2005 before seeing a worldwide release in 2006.
As well as expanding on stories started in the previous two titles, this one sets up new questions too and you will be best placed to keep up with it all if you took the time to play Chain of Memories. We highly recommend doing so because this second main entry in the Kingdom Hearts series is well worth playing.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
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Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Bit of a strange one, this, and not just because of the title. This came out on the Nintendo DS, and it would be fair to say that the style of the game did not mix well with the Nintendo console at the time.
If you are a fan of origin stories, you will want to experience this as key character backstories are explained, but luckily, there is an easy way to go about it.
The game's cutscenes were released as one whopping three-hour package as part of a Kingdom Hearts collection that we will get to shortly. This is not integral, but if you want to know everything then give it a play/watch.
You can see it all play out as part of The Story so Far or in 1.5/2.5 ReMIX.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
More origin story fun here, with three characters taking centre stage who are all important figures in the Kingdom Hearts world.
If you were muddled by the story before, then brace yourself - because things only get more complex from this point on. "Three friends, three destinies. Everything will link back to the beginning," said the game ahead of release - and it certainly does just that.
You can get yourself befuddled by diving in either The Story so Far, or the 1.5/2.5 ReMIX collection.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded
This is another that we would say is for the completionists out there only. There are things to like about Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, but in all honesty, it is one game that you can move past without missing too much of value.
And again, if you just want to be up on everything to do with the narrative, this one also has a movie edit of all the cutscenes that you can sit back and watch at your leisure.
All six games mentioned so far are part of the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5/2.5 ReMIX or, The Story so Far.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
This title first launched on the Nintendo 3DS and features Sora and Riku and their quest to become key masters. Fans of the franchise refer to this as one of the stranger entries in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, but it is worth playing as a lot of what you will see here is extremely relevant when you get to the last game in the series.
If you want to see it for yourself, check it out in The Story so Far or 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts: X
Another strange one up now: this was a game for browsers and mobile, but like every other game, there are key things in the story for this that you will need to know. This is the third title to have a movie-length edit, which you can buy as part of the second package that groups together Kingdom Hearts games.
It can be found in either The Story so Far, or 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage is short but sweet. It will take you far less time to get through than any of the other games but with the big finale up next, this is one you will want to experience as it sets up a lot of what you are about to play.
This and the previous games can be brought in one collection called Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PlayStation 4, though other platforms will need to purchase 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: The Story so Far for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for PC from the Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts III
The most recent game in the franchise, Kingdom Hearts 3 was released in 2019 and attempted to bring closure and answers to everything that was still up in the air - which was an awful lot.
Some may say too much as while the game has a good crack at it, it's hard to bring a resolution to a story that is so sprawling and has so many elements at play.
That being said, Kingdom Hearts 3 gained favourable reviews at launch and if you are already invested in the series, you will find a lot to love here and it is a worthy inclusion to what came before.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts 3: Deluxe Edition for PS4 from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts 3: Deluxe Edition for Xbox from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind DLC for PC from Epic Games Store
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
Melody of Memory takes the Dark Seeker Saga spanning across Kingdom Hearts to Kingdom Hearts 3 and repackages it as a rhythm game with Kairi acting as narrator.
Players also find out more about what happens to Kairi after the Kingdom Hearts Re Mind DLC, as well as their childhood.
Sequences from the game are translated into pseudo-music videos, with familiar foes making appearances in Boss Battles.
You can also play in co-op or in a versus mode to see who has the best internal metronome.
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory for Switch from Amazon
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory for PS4 from the PlayStation Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory for Xbox from the Microsoft Store
- Buy Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory for PC from the Epic Games Store
How to play Kingdom Hearts in chronological order
If you want to experience the Kingdom Heart series as the characters would have, the below will do just the trick!
- Kingdom Hearts Union χ
- Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
- Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
- Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage
- Kingdom Hearts
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
- Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
- Kingdom Hearts 2
- Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
- Kingdom Hearts 3
- Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
Once you've gotten through all of these, you'll be primed and ready for Kingdom Hearts 4!
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