If you want to start with the earliest clearly established setting, play The Elder Scrolls Online first: Bethesda places it 1,000 years before Skyrim. Then play the five numbered single-player games in order: Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. That numbered-game order is also their release order. This is a practical guide, not a definitive timeline for every spin-off.
Recommended order for a new player
- The Elder Scrolls Online — Play this first if you want the earliest clearly supported setting placement in this list. Bethesda says the MMO takes place 1,000 years before Skyrim; that establishes its broad relationship to Skyrim, not its exact position relative to every spin-off. See The Elder Scrolls Online Support.
- The Elder Scrolls: Arena — The first numbered mainline chapter. Bethesda’s retrospective says it arrived in 1994. See Bethesda’s series retrospective.
- The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall — The second numbered chapter. Bethesda Support describes Morrowind as its sequel.
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind — The third numbered chapter. Bethesda Support explicitly calls it “the third chapter in the Elder Scrolls series and the sequel to Daggerfall.” See Bethesda Support on Morrowind.
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion — The next numbered game after Morrowind. Bethesda’s retrospective dates its release to 2006.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — The next numbered game after Oblivion. Bethesda’s retrospective identifies 2011 as the year of its release.
The dates above describe the release years Bethesda gives for Arena, Oblivion, and Skyrim; they are not in-universe dates. The numbered sequence is straightforward: Bethesda’s retrospective recounts the games in that order, and its support article confirms the relationship between Daggerfall and Morrowind.
Chronological order is not the same as a complete timeline
For the five numbered RPGs, release order and recommended play order match. The chronology adds The Elder Scrolls Online before Skyrim because its setting is explicitly placed 1,000 years earlier. The available official references do not establish a comprehensive, precise order for every other game, so putting all side titles into a single ranked list would imply certainty that the sources do not support.
Where Redguard and Battlespire fit
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard and An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire are optional, universe-connected adventures. Bethesda says they contribute to Elder Scrolls history but distinguishes them from the series’ traditional role-playing games. The cited official material does not give a complete precise placement for either title against all the other games. You can include them for a broader tour of the setting, but treat their chronology as unresolved rather than inserting them into a supposedly definitive sequence. See Bethesda Support’s series overview.
#1 Best Overall
Choosing editions for the older games
Arena and Daggerfall
Bethesda’s Anthology support instructions say that the Anthology installation includes a preconfigured DOSBox setup for Arena and Daggerfall to run on modern machines. That information applies to that Anthology edition; it does not establish compatibility or availability for every current storefront. Check the edition and platform you intend to use. See Bethesda Support’s Anthology instructions.
Skyrim
If you want the latest numbered chapter, Bethesda’s 2016 article says Skyrim Special Edition includes the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons. Bethesda’s catalog lists Skyrim and platform storefront categories, but availability can vary by platform and region. Check the current listing for your system before choosing an edition. See Bethesda’s 2016 Skyrim feature and the Bethesda games catalog.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
- IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING: Embark on a legendary campaign across Tamriel, filled with quests, conflict, and a web of mystery with a shadowy figure at its center!
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- MEMORABLE HEROES: Develop your character’s class and skill lines over a three-session campaign, exploring all of the possibilities with your questing hero!
- REPLAYABILITY: Character races and classes, guild and side quests, and so much more! This game has so much content for players to explore. Your adventurers will never be the same!
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How to choose your starting point
- Want the earliest clearly supported setting? Start with The Elder Scrolls Online, keeping in mind that its known placement is relative to Skyrim.
- Want the numbered RPG story in a clean sequence? Start with Arena and continue through Skyrim.
- Want to sample the best-known later entry first? You can begin with Skyrim; playing the earlier numbered games is not required to follow this order as a new player.
- Want every setting-connected game? Add Redguard and Battlespire as optional side adventures, without assuming a precise placement not established by the official references.
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