Kingdom Hearts Games in Order: Best Play Order Before Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts has a confusing list of games, collections, movies, and mobile stories, but the best play order is much easier once you know what to play and what to watch. If you are starting the series for the first time, begin with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and follow the games mainly in release order rather than chronological order.

This is especially important if you just bought Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece. Most of the main series is included, but some entries are movies instead of playable games, the collection menus can make the order confusing, and a few important stories are not included at all.

The order below gives new players a simple route through the series: what to play, what to watch, and what to catch up on before Kingdom Hearts IV.

Donald, Sora and Goofy

1. Best Kingdom Hearts Play Order for New Players

For your first playthrough, follow this Kingdom Hearts play order from top to bottom. The third column also shows whether each entry is a playable game, a movie, or something you need to find outside the main Steam collection.

First-time players should use this release-oriented order rather than chronological order. Several prequels were released after the games they take place before, so they reveal characters and information that earlier games intentionally keep mysterious.

There is one particularly important rule when using the modern collections: play Kingdom Hearts II before watching 358/2 Days. Most of 358/2 Days takes place earlier, but it was released after KH2 and gives you additional information about Roxas and Organization XIII. Playing KH2 first preserves those original story reveals.

Sora in Kingdom Hearts I

2. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX Play Order

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX is where you should start. It contains the first six parts of the recommended order, although only four are playable in the collection. 358/2 Days and Re: coded are included as HD cinematic compilations.

2.1. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix

Start with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. It introduces Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, the Keyblade, the Heartless, and the basic ideas that the rest of the series builds on.

Do not begin with Birth by Sleep, Dark Road, or the χ storyline simply because those stories take place earlier. The original Kingdom Hearts remains the best starting point for a new player.

Kingdom Hearts I

2.2. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories

Play Re:Chain of Memories after the first game. Its story connects Kingdom Hearts directly to Kingdom Hearts II and introduces characters and events that remain important later.

The biggest difference is its card-based combat system. If you cannot get into the gameplay, watch the complete story rather than skipping straight to KH2. The story itself is important even if the combat is not for you.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories

2.3. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

Play Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix here, before 358/2 Days. Although 358/2 Days takes place largely before KH2, KH2 was released first and introduces Roxas and Organization XIII before 358/2 Days fills in more of their story.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

2.4. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – Play or Watch?

Watch 358/2 Days after finishing Kingdom Hearts II. The version included in HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX is not a playable remaster. It is an HD cinematic compilation covering the story of the original Nintendo DS game.

If you only own the modern collection, watching the included version is enough to continue the main story. Players who want the complete gameplay experience need the original Nintendo DS release.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

2.5. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

Play Birth by Sleep Final Mix after 358/2 Days. This prequel follows Terra, Ventus, and Aqua and expands the history surrounding the Keyblade and Master Xehanort.

The game contains three separate but connected character campaigns. For a straightforward first playthrough, use this order:

1. Terra
2. Ventus
3. Aqua

Finish all three campaigns and continue through the concluding content before moving to the next entry.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

2.6. Kingdom Hearts Re:coded – Play or Watch?

Finish 1.5+2.5 ReMIX with Re:coded. Like 358/2 Days, the collection contains an HD cinematic version rather than the playable Nintendo DS game.

Re:coded is one of the lower-priority Kingdom Hearts stories if you are short on time, so most newcomers can simply watch the included movie and move on.

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

3. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Play Order

After completing 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, move to Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. It contains three experiences that lead directly toward Kingdom Hearts III.

3.1. Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD

Play Dream Drop Distance HD first. The game continues Sora and Riku’s story and introduces major developments needed to understand the setup for Kingdom Hearts III.

Do not skip it because it originally appeared on Nintendo 3DS. Dream Drop Distance advances the central storyline rather than functioning as an optional side adventure.

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD

3.2. Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover

Watch Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover next. Back Cover is a movie about the Foretellers, the Master of Masters, and events from the distant past of the Kingdom Hearts universe.

It is important to know that Back Cover does not replace the complete χ and Union χ storyline. It focuses on the Foretellers’ side of events, while Union χ contains additional characters and story developments.

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover

3.3. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage

Play 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage immediately before Kingdom Hearts III. It continues Aqua’s story after Birth by Sleep and acts as a short bridge into KH3.

The “0.2” title can make its position look confusing, but new players do not need to move it next to the original Birth by Sleep. Play it at the end of 2.8.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage

4. Kingdom Hearts III and Re Mind Play Order

Once you finish the 2.8 collection, continue into Kingdom Hearts III and its Re Mind DLC. These complete the main Dark Seeker Saga before the story begins moving toward Kingdom Hearts IV.

4.1. Kingdom Hearts III

Play Kingdom Hearts III after 0.2 Birth by Sleep. KH3 brings together characters and storylines from the numbered games, Birth by Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, and the ancient χ storyline.

This is why going directly from Kingdom Hearts II to Kingdom Hearts III is not recommended. Several important parts of the story happen between the two numbered games.

4.2. Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind

Finish the main Kingdom Hearts III story before starting Re Mind. The DLC expands events from the ending and continues into additional material that becomes important for the story after KH3.

Continue through Re Mind, the Limitcut Episode, and the Secret Episode as they become available. If you are catching up specifically for Kingdom Hearts IV, do not stop after the base KH3 ending.

Kingdom Hearts III and Re Mind

5. What Comes With Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece?

If you bought Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece on Steam, you already own most of the games needed for the main playthrough. Integrum combines three separate Kingdom Hearts products into one package.

For a new player, the easiest way to remember the collection order is:

HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX → HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue → Kingdom Hearts III → Re Mind.

After that, you only need to catch up on the important stories that are not part of Integrum.

6. What The ReMIX Games Leaves Out or Only Includes as Movies?

Buying Integrum Masterpiece does not give you every Kingdom Hearts story. It also includes movie versions of two games rather than their original playable versions.

The missing playable versions of 358/2 Days and Re:coded are not a major problem for a story-focused playthrough because their HD movies are already included. The larger gaps before Kingdom Hearts IV are Union χ, Melody of Memory, and Dark Road.

7. What to Play After Kingdom Hearts III Before Kingdom Hearts 4

Once you finish Kingdom Hearts III and Re Mind, there are three major stories left to catch up on before moving toward Kingdom Hearts IV: Union χ, Melody of Memory, and Dark Road.

7.1. Kingdom Hearts Union χ

Catch up on the complete Kingdom Hearts χ, Unchained χ, and Union χ story. These events take place far earlier in the timeline, but experiencing the full story later in your first playthrough makes it easier to understand the characters and ideas being introduced.

χ Back Cover is not a replacement for Union χ. Back Cover focuses on the Foretellers, while the wider mobile storyline follows additional characters and events.

Kingdom Hearts Union χ

7.2. Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

Continue with Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. It is a rhythm game that revisits much of the earlier saga, but it also includes new story scenes set after Kingdom Hearts III and Re Mind.

If you do not want to play a rhythm game, you can watch the new story scenes instead. For a KH4 catch-up, those new scenes are more important than completing every musical stage.

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

7.3. Kingdom Hearts Dark Road

Finish your first-time catch-up with Kingdom Hearts Dark Road. It follows a younger Xehanort and expands the history surrounding him and Scala ad Caelum.

Dark Road takes place much earlier chronologically, but there is no need to interrupt your first playthrough by moving it near the beginning.

Kingdom Hearts Dark Road

8. Shortest Kingdom Hearts Route Before Kingdom Hearts 4

If you are short on time, focus on playing the major action RPGs and use movies or story videos for the entries that take longer to track down.

This saves time without reducing the series to only Kingdom Hearts I, II, and III. Too many important characters and story developments are introduced between the numbered games to ignore everything else.

9. Kingdom Hearts Chronological Order

Chronological order is better for returning players than newcomers. Several Kingdom Hearts stories also overlap, so the timeline is not as simple as finishing one game and immediately starting the next.

If you still want to experience the series by its internal timeline, use this general order:

1. Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover / χ / Union χ
2. Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
3. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
4. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage – begins after Birth by Sleep and later overlaps events from the first Kingdom Hearts
5. Kingdom Hearts
6. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – begins around the end of Kingdom Hearts
7. Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories – occurs while 358/2 Days is underway
8. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days – remaining story
9. Kingdom Hearts II
10. Kingdom Hearts coded / Re:coded
11. Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
12. Kingdom Hearts III
13. Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind
14. Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

Riku, Kairi and Sora in Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

For your first time through the series, use the recommended play order at the beginning of this article instead. It avoids revealing prequel information before the games that originally introduced those mysteries.

You can also check this KeenGamer article to know the latest news about Kingdom Hearts IV.

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