How to Play the Disgaea Series in Release Order

It's Easier Than it Seems!
Disgaea 6
Image via Nippon Ichi Software

Disgaea is a series that has earned respect these last twenty years. Even if you’ve not once played a game in this franchise. Even if tactical RPGs aren’t your forte. The series’ presentation is one to be admired. But, it’s unfortunately one of those legacy franchises that hasn’t been made available across generations. That, and the titles don’t make it explicitly clear how to play them in the order they were released.

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With the announcement that Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is coming to PS4 and PS5 in Fall 2023, we wanted to help anyone who’s new to the series. Here’s how to play the Disgaea series in release order!

How to Play the Disgaea Series in Release Order

So, what really makes revisiting the Disgaea series a trying task is the seemingly endless amount of spinoffs and re-releases. As such, we’ll be counting re-releases and remasters as the same game as the entry it’s remastering. It doesn’t seem likely to us that you’ll play Disgaea: Hour of Darkness and then proceed to play Disgaea 1 Complete, as they’re the same game.

  • Disgaea: Hour of Darkness / Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness / Disgaea DS / Disgaea PC / Disgaea 1 Complete
    • Year Released: 2003 / 2006 / 2008 / 2016 / 2018
    • Platforms: PS2 / PSP / NDS / PC / PS4, NSW
  • Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories / Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days / Disgaea 2 PC
    • Year Released: 2006 / 2009 / 2017
    • Platforms: PS2 / PSP / PC
  • Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice / Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
    • Year Released: 2008 / 2012
    • Platforms: PS3 / PS Vita
  • Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten / Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited
    • Year Released: 2011 / 2014
    • Platforms: PS3 / PS Vita
  • Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
    • Year Released: 2013
    • Platforms: PS3
  • Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance / Disgaea 5 Complete
    • Year Released: 2015 / 2017
    • Platforms: PS4 / NSW
  • Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny / Disgaea 6 Complete
    • Year Released: 2021 / 2022
    • Platforms: PS4 / PS5 / PC / NSW
  • Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless
    • Year Released: 2023
    • Platforms: PS4 / PS5 / NSW / PC

We hope you found this guide to the Disgaea series helpful! For more content just like this, consider checking out Gamer Journalist on Facebook! And, in the meantime, take a look at some of our other content, like How to Increase the Level Cap in Disgaea 6 and How to Unlock Classes in Disgaea 6!

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Author
James Herd
James has been playing games for as long as he can remember. His first game was either The Lion King or The Mask for the SNES. He has since grown into the biggest apologist for JRPGs and he wants to be Yoko Taro for Halloween.