How to Play Assassin’s Creed in Chronological Order

Assassin’s Creed has become known for providing a whole new experience of exploring ancient cities to all its players. Since its initial release on November 2007, the game has already surpassed 20 million players worldwide in its current year. With the game's great success, the developers unfailingly produce new series to provide players with new worlds of adventures and have now featured 12 main games until 2022. Another trailer was also revealed for the 13th installment to be released anytime in 2023.

With all the different timelines and historical periods presented in the game, some veteran explorers come up with interesting ways of playing Assassin's Creed. One of these ways is exploring it in chronological order based on the setting of the world rather than its release date. For newbies out there who want to immerse in a great historical getaway, here’s how to play Assassin's Creed in chronological order.

The game was set in Ancient Greece, 400 years earlier than other mainline games. Odyssey allows you to choose between Cassandra or Alexios as your historic protagonist. The storyline focuses on the backstory of the Order, the Templars, and the First Civilization who are known to be the creator of the AC lore’s mankind, making this a pretty good introduction for the new players.

The game takes place in Ancient Egypt in the course of Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra's leadership. The game’s plot takes inspiration from the history of Rome and the rule of Julius Caesar. The storyline revolves around the duo on their quest in discovering an organization called the Assassin Order and its origin, known as the Hidden Ones. The game introduces Layla Hassan as the modern-day hero who also takes part in Odyssey and Valhalla.

This next mainline was expected to be released sometime in 2023 however the trailer has already introduced the setting of the game. The game will follow a 17-year-old historic protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq, a thief in the street of Baghdad, and his journey in joining the Hidden Ones without any knowledge about his own history.

Set in the 9th Century England and Norway, the mainline introduces its historical setting and its methodology with real-life characters. The game will mainly focus on the history of the main protagonist, Eivor Varinsson, and their clan’s journey from Norway to England while caught up in the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancient

The very first  Assassin’s Creed game takes place in the 12th century in the Holy Land. 300 years after Valhalla. The game presents the Assassin-Templar conflicts and the Animus concept which drives the whole series. The game introduces Desmond Miles, the modern protagonist who is trying to retrieve his lost memories regarding his historic counterparts.

The conflict between the Assassin- Templar continues until the next release of the mainline. The game was set in 15th century Italy with its main protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze,  Assassin’s Creed’s most loved protagonist. The storyline follows Ezio as he joins the Assassins in order to avenge his father’s death.

The game was set in 15th- 16th century Italy, continuing the storyline of AC II. Ezio’s quest on avenging his father created new enemies and conflicts while Desmon’s role became larger as he together with the modern Assassins marched to Italy to find the Apple of Eden through the memories of Ezio.

The third and final installment of the Ezio trilogy concluded in the 16th century in Constantinople. The story linked Ezio to his ancestor, Altair, and the modern protagonist, Desmond on their quest to find the Apple of Eden. The game becomes the most important part of the game as it answers all the questions prior to the game such as the Assassin’s true purpose and Ezio’s major role in the AC

The Black Flag was set two centuries after the Ezio trilogy and was set in the 18th-century Caribbean Islands. The game features the real-life pirate era with Edward Kenny as the historical protagonist and its modern hero counterpart who was an unnamed Abstergo Employee. After inadvertently slaying an Assassin, he was caught in the conflict between the Assassin and Templar while on a search for The Observatory.

Rouge was made to link the AC III and AC IV, set in the 18th-century  American Northeast. The historical protagonist Shay Patrick Cormac, a former Assassin who joins the Templars was the focus of the story. Rouge also features Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway and other AC game characters, which makes this game a loose spinoff of AC.

Set in 18th century Colonial America, the game features the historical protagonist Ratonhnhake ‘Connor’ Kenway, on his quest to protect his tribe from the conflict involving the First Civilization’s Grand Temple from the Templars. AC III links alternative histories involving Hytham, Connor’s father, and other historical figures like George Washington, Sam Adams, Charles Lee, and Benjamin Franklin.

The primary setting of Unity is in 18th century France featuring nobleman Arno Dorian and the Assassin-Templar conflict. Twisting the plot a little bit, the game includes a romantic concept in the face of the star-crossed lovers Arno and Elise. Unity also created yet another modern-day story which was adapted in the next installment called the Syndicate.

Set in Victorian London, the game follows the journey of twin assassins, Jacob and Evie Fry on their mission against the Templars of London while on the hunt for a Piece of Eden. The game involves the same modern-day characters as Unity and features notable historical figures like Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Darwin.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise successfully delivered games that feature real-life characters and plots inspired by the world's history. You can play this game in any order you wish to play, however, it is recommended to play it with style following this order for a much more memorable and engaging experience!