Tomb Raider Games In Order (Chronological Story & Release Date)

Tomb Raider is one of the more popular franchises out there when it comes to action-adventure. As the games put you in the shoes of Lara Croft, you’ll get to explore different ruins, solve complex puzzles, and fight multiple enemies in your path. The franchise does a great job of immersing you in Lara Croft’s life as an expert archaeologist who’s also talented in taking people out when need be.

To best experience Lara Croft’s story, you should know how to play the Tomb Raider games in the correct order. Here’s a Tomb Raider games order guide to help you play them in their release and chronological order.

 

Tomb Raider Games In Release Order

As of today, the Tomb Raider franchise has 12 main games and 8 spin-offs under its name. Although some games were met with mixed reviews, Tomb Raider is easily one of the most successful video game franchises to date. To see its evolution, here’s the release order of the Tomb Raider main games:

– Tomb Raider (1996)
– Tomb Raider II (1997)
– Tomb Raider III (1998)
– Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)
– Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000)
– Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
– Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)
– Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)
– Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)
– Tomb Raider (2013)
– Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
– Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)

These are the main Tomb Raider games ordered by their release date. On the other hand, you can also check out the Tomb Raider spin-off games if you want more Lara Croft content. Here are the Tomb Raider spin-off games ordered based on release date:

– Tomb Raider (2000)
– Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (2001)
– Tomb Raider: The Prophecy (2002)
– Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010)
– Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014)
– Lara Croft: Relic Run (2015)
– Lara Croft Go (2015)
– Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023)

Keep in mind that these spin-offs are set in their own timelines and aren’t connected to the main games.

 

Tomb Raider Games In Chronological Story Order

The Tomb Raider games don’t exactly follow one single timeline. Instead, it has multiple continuities that have their own storylines for Lara Croft. To make it easier for you, here are the Tomb Raider games in chronological order, separated into their respective timelines:

 

Core Design Timeline

– Tomb Raider (1996)
– Tomb Raider II (1997)
– Tomb Raider III (1998)
– Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)
– Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000)
– Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)

 

Legend Timeline

– Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)
– Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)
– Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)

 

Survivor Timeline

– Tomb Raider (2013)
– Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
– Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)

These are the chronological orders of the Tomb Raider games. Each of them offers their own stories for you to experience as Lara Croft. Note that even though Anniversary is a reimagining of the original Tomb Raider, it’s still set in a different timeline along with Legend and Underworld. However, Crystal Dynamics revealed that they plan to unify the timelines in some way for Lara Croft’s next adventure.

READ NEXT: Uncharted Games In Order (Chronological & Release Date)