There is no single required order for playing The Legend of Zelda. Choose release order to follow how the series developed, or Nintendo’s in-universe chronology if you want to follow Hyrule’s history; that chronology branches rather than forming one simple line. For a 2023 starting point, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023, as a sequel to Breath of the Wild.
Choose an order before you start
Nintendo describes each game as contributing to Hyrule’s history, but the official chronology includes branching paths. That makes “story order” different from a single, straightforward sequence. Your best order depends on whether you care more about the history of the series or its fictional timeline.
| Approach | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Original release order | Play games in the order they first came out. Establishing a genuinely complete list requires deciding whether to include remakes, spin-offs, and region-specific releases. | Seeing how the series changed over time, without needing to reconcile its branching story chronology. |
| Nintendo’s in-universe chronology | Follow Nintendo’s timeline while accounting for its branching paths; do not treat it as one uninterrupted sequence. | Players who want to organize games around Hyrule’s history. |
| Start with the 2023 anchor | Begin with Breath of the Wild, then play its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. | Players whose immediate goal is to play the 2023 release and understand its direct predecessor relationship. |
What “every Zelda game” includes
A complete checklist needs a defined scope. A mainline-games list is not the same thing as a list that also includes remakes, spin-offs, cameos, and region-specific editions. Those categories can also change how a release-order list is arranged: a remake appeared after its source game, while a spin-off may not fit a mainline story sequence at all.
- Mainline games: use this scope if your goal is to follow the central series.
- Remakes: decide whether to play the original, the remake, or both; count each release separately only if you want a release-by-release checklist.
- Spin-offs and other appearances: include them only if “every” means every Zelda-branded game, not just entries in the main series.
- Regional releases: check the version available in your region before treating a list or platform route as universal.
The confirmed information here does not establish a complete title-by-title catalog or a verified 2023 route for every release, so it would be misleading to present an exhaustive game list or imply that one console or subscription includes the whole franchise.
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How to play the 2023 release and its predecessor
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a Nintendo Switch game. Nintendo lists May 12, 2023 as its release date, offers a physical edition, and describes it as a sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s 2022 launch announcement said it would launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch family of systems.
- Choose a Nintendo Switch-family system that supports the game.
- Play Breath of the Wild first if you want to encounter the direct predecessor before its sequel.
- Get Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch, in the physical edition or another available edition for that platform.
This is a clear two-game path, not a claim that these are the only Zelda games available on Switch or that Switch hardware plays every historical entry.
Which older Zelda games can you play through Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendo Switch Online members can access selected classic games in the NES, Super NES, and Game Boy libraries. Nintendo says an active membership is required for those libraries; some additional classic-console libraries require the Expansion Pack. These are curated libraries, not a complete series collection.
- Check the live Nintendo Switch Online catalog for the specific game you want.
- Confirm which membership tier includes that game; do not assume the standard membership or Expansion Pack includes every Zelda release.
- Check availability in your region, since catalog access can differ.
Nintendo’s catalog and subscription libraries can change. A game’s appearance in a current catalog does not, by itself, establish that it was available through that service in 2023.
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How to make a genuinely complete play plan
- Set the scope: choose mainline releases only, or explicitly add remakes, spin-offs, and regional editions.
- Pick the order: use original release order for series history, or Nintendo’s branching chronology for an in-universe route.
- Check each game individually: confirm its original platform and whether an official re-release or subscription version is available in your region.
- Separate 2023 access from current access: catalog entries and service availability may have changed since 2023.
- Keep a checklist: record the edition and platform you intend to play, especially when deciding whether a remake counts separately from its original.
This approach avoids two common traps: assuming the story chronology is a straight line, and assuming that “on Switch” or “on Switch Online” means every Zelda game is available there.
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