Assassin’s Creed Start Here
Where Should You Start With Assassin’s Creed in 2026?
Choose an Assassin’s Creed starting point for the original story, modern gameplay or a historical setting, without committing to every game.
The short answer
Start with Assassin’s Creed (2007) if the original modern-day story is your priority. Consider Origins for a later action-RPG entry, Mirage for a stealth-focused approach, or Shadows if its Japan setting and dual protagonists are the draw. These are different starting goals, not a ranking. Historical chronology is useful for exploration, but release order better preserves the modern-day narrative’s introductions.[1][2]
Entry-point guidance with premise-level context; avoids major story resolutions. Source pages may contain spoilers.
Which starting point matches what you want?
| Your priority | Consider | What you are choosing |
|---|---|---|
| The original story | Assassin’s Creed (2007) | The beginning of Desmond’s framing narrative |
| A later action-RPG approach | Origins | An Egyptian setting and a new modern-day lead |
| Stealth and a city setting | Mirage | Basim’s earlier life in Baghdad |
| Japan and contrasting protagonists | Shadows | Naoe and Yasuke’s connected stories |
| A particular historical atmosphere | The game set in that period | Accepting some context gaps in the wider narrative |
Choose one route before buying several games. The right first game is one you want to play, with a trade-off you understand. A historical setting can be a good reason to start even when it is not the beginning of the modern-day plot.
What if you want the original connected story?
Follow the release sequence from Assassin’s Creed into Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, Revelations and Assassin’s Creed III. This preserves the introductions in Desmond’s story while the historical protagonists change.[1]
That is a specific story project, not an instruction to finish every later release. If the older gameplay is the obstacle, decide whether a recap is an acceptable compromise for you rather than assuming chronology will solve the problem. Moving to an earlier historical century does not take you earlier in the framing narrative.
Does a newer gameplay style mean you need all the older games?
No. You can choose a later historical adventure while accepting that some wider references have prior context. Origins offers a particularly useful distinction: its historical origin story does not make it the first released game, and its modern-day protagonist begins a later thread.[1]
Mirage also needs a clear expectation. Its Baghdad story concerns Basim before Valhalla, but being a historical prequel does not make it a complete introduction to every implication of his wider role. Choose it for the experience it offers, not because the word prequel guarantees spoiler-free knowledge of the entire franchise.
How should you approach the entire continuity?
Use two questions: which historical life am I exploring, and where am I in the modern-day story? Follow release order when the second question matters most. Use historical order when tracing periods and connections is the project you want.
This recommendation was reviewed on 28 September 2026. It does not declare any title the newest release or rely on unreleased games as starting points. Before purchasing, check the edition, platform requirements and availability for your device.
Inside the chronology
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Sources & verification
Fact-checked on 28 September 2026 against the sources below. Starting recommendations and optional-context judgments are Story Order editorial guidance, not official mandatory orders.
- Ubisoft: How to play the Assassin’s Creed games in order
Release sequence and historical versus modern-day connections. Published in 2024; not used as a complete 2026 release catalogue.
Primary source · Checked - Ubisoft Toronto: Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Japan setting and the Naoe / Yasuke pairing.
Primary source · Checked