For a practical play-through, start with release order: the games below follow their original title-release sequence, from The Legend of Zelda to Echoes of Wisdom. If you mean the order of events in Hyrule’s history, Nintendo’s official timeline is different—and branches after Ocarina of Time.
What “in order” means for Zelda games
There are two useful orders. Release order tells you when each game first appeared; it’s a straightforward way to follow the series’ evolution. Story order shows where Nintendo places adventures in Hyrule’s fictional history. The latter is not one continuous sequence: Nintendo’s timeline splits after Ocarina of Time and includes a path in which the hero is defeated. Nintendo’s official timeline presents those branches.
The release list below covers mainline and closely related Zelda adventures, not every crossover, remaster, compilation, or spin-off. Entries are ordered by original title release, not by the date of every regional launch. Nintendo’s 40th-anniversary catalog identifies its listed dates as European release dates, so regional dates should not be treated as interchangeable. Nintendo’s catalog documents the release history.
Zelda games in original release order
- The Legend of Zelda — 1986 in Japan; 1987 in Europe.
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link — 1987 in Japan; 1988 in Europe.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past — 1991.
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — 1993 (original game).
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — 1998.
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask — 2000.
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons — 2001. These are two separate games released as a pair.
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords — 2002.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — 2002.
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures — 2004.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap — 2004.
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess — 2006.
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass — 2007.
- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks — 2009.
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — 2011.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — 2013.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes — 2015.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 2017.
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — 2019 remake. This is a separate release from the 1993 original, not a new story entry.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — 2023.
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — 2024.
The years in this compact sequence indicate original title-release years, with the first two entries explicitly labeled by region. For a fully regional date-by-date chronology, use Nintendo’s catalog and retain its European-date framing.
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Nintendo’s story chronology: where the games fit
Nintendo’s fictional chronology begins with Skyward Sword, moves through earlier eras of Hyrule, and reaches Ocarina of Time. After that game, the official timeline diverges. In other words, do not read the games below the split as one sequel chain.
- Before the split: Skyward Sword and other early-era adventures lead toward Ocarina of Time.
- Child-era branch: one path follows the timeline in which Link returns to his childhood after the events of Ocarina of Time.
- Adult-era branch: another path follows the future left behind after Link’s journey in Ocarina of Time.
- Hero-defeated branch: Nintendo also shows a divergent path in which the hero loses.
The precise branch placement of each game is best read from Nintendo’s timeline chart. Its purpose is to map Hyrule’s history, not to recommend a play order. Playing in release order lets you encounter the series as players did; following the chart means moving between branches and eras.
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What the release list includes—and leaves out
“All Zelda games” can also mean every game bearing the name, including spin-offs and crossovers. The list above is deliberately a mainline-focused adventure guide. It includes the paired Oracle titles separately and gives the 2019 Link’s Awakening remake its own entry, while excluding remasters, ports, compilations, and spin-offs from the numbered run.
Games such as Hyrule Warriors belong in a broader franchise inventory, but they are spin-offs rather than additional numbered steps in this release-order guide. Nintendo’s catalog provides the official release-history framework; its store pages can help confirm which platform and edition are listed for a particular game, but store availability and editions can change. Nintendo’s US Zelda games catalog lists current store offerings.
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Which order should you play?
- Choose release order if you want the clearest first journey through the franchise. It avoids needing to reconcile Nintendo’s separate timeline branches before playing.
- Choose story order if your main interest is Hyrule’s history. Follow Nintendo’s chart and treat the post-Ocarina of Time paths as alternatives, not a single list.
- Choose a selective route if you only want particular eras or styles. The release list makes it easy to pick a game without implying that every entry is a direct sequel.
To check a specific modern edition, use the relevant Nintendo platform listing rather than assuming a game is available on every current console. Nintendo’s US store identifies platform and physical-edition details in its listings; confirm the title and edition before buying. See Nintendo’s Zelda game listings.
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