How to Play the Resident Evil Games in Order

When people think of zombie horror games, people think of Resident Evil. With how many years Resident Evil has been on the market, you’d be right to assume they’ve got a large reservoir of games; but with all the sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, it can be difficult to figure out which are the main games and how to play them in order.

Without including mobile titles and spin-offs, there are nine core Resident Evil games, with three remakes. All of the franchise’s prequels and sequels and remakes clog up the chronological order of the games, however, which breaks up the main story’s timeline. Because of this, it can be difficult for players to keep a sequential timeline of events. This list puts all the core Resident Evil games in chronological order; it should help you maintain a solid timeline for Resident Evil’s main storyline.

All Resident Evil Games in Chronological Order

1. Resident Evil 0 – Released in 2002
2. Resident Evil/ Resident Evil Remake – Released in 1996/2002
3. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis/Resident Evil 3 Remake – Released in 1999/2020
   1. There is a time skip halfway through this game. Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 2 overlap, which makes playing the games in order of timeline a bit trickier. By playing the first half of this game first, players will be able to maintain a better timeline of events.
4. Resident Evil 2/Resident Evil 2 Remake – Released in 1998/2019
5. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis/Resident Evil 3 Remake – Released in 1999/2020
   1. Halfway through Resident Evil 3, there is a time skip. After playing Resident Evil 2, play through the second half of Resident Evil 3, after the time skip.
6. Resident Evil: Code Veronica – released in 2000
7. Resident Evil 4 – Released in 2005
   1. After Resident Evil 4 comes Resident Evil: Revelations. Revelations is not a vital component of the storyline, but it does expand on the stories of individual characters, if you’d like to understand the entire timeline.
8. Resident Evil 5 – Released in 2009
   1. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 comes after Resident Evil 5. Similar to Revelations, Revelations 2 is not a vital component of the game’s story. However, Revelations 2 does expand on the stories of individual characters, which allows players to get a fuller timeline of events.
9. Resident Evil 6 – Released in 2012
10. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – Released in 2017
    1. After Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, comes a DLC called Resident Evil 7: Not a Hero. Not a Hero continues the story of Chris Redfield, one of the original characters of Resident Evil. This DLC isn’t vital to the main storyline, but it does give players a peek into what happens along Chris’s storyline, after the events of Biohazard.
11. Resident Evil Village – Released in 2021

Related: Resident Evil Village to Recieve Free DLC

Capcom has been making Resident Evil games since 1996, and their experience shows in their excellent game design. Although Resident Evil is one of the most popular game series on the market, trying to make sense of their fragmented timeline can get confusing. Complete storylines are important to many players; playing the games chronologically just makes sense.

If you love playing games like Resident Evil, be sure to check out Days Gone and Evil Dead: The Game while you wait for the next Resident Evil installment. Stick with Gamer Journalist if you want to keep up with all the latest news and guides for Resident Evil!