The Kingdom Hearts games in order of release are Kingdom Hearts (2002), Chain of Memories (2004), Kingdom Hearts II (2005), 358/2 Days (2009), Birth by Sleep (2010), Re:coded (2010), Dream Drop Distance (2012), the 0.2 prologue and the χ Back Cover film (2017), Kingdom Hearts III (2019), its Re Mind add-on (2020) and Melody of Memory (2020) (Wikipedia’s series page), leaving out the mobile and browser games covered below. Kingdom Hearts IV is due in late 2027. Nearly all of it now sits in one product: the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III], which reached Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 8 October 2026, as announced in June (Game Rant).
The box copy of the first half is where people get lost. The 1.5 + 2.5 collection lists six titles, but PlayStation’s own page calls them six “experiences”: four full games and two HD cinematics (358/2 Days and Re:coded). Across all three collections the count is 11 titles: seven games, one add-on and three films. This guide gives the order, shows where players actually quit, and sorts every title into play, watch or skip. It contains light spoilers for the whole series.
Kingdom Hearts Games in Order: The Short Version
Play in release order, and swap the three films in for the games they replace. Here is the full path, with the collection each title lives in:
- Kingdom Hearts Final Mix — play (1.5 + 2.5)
- Re:Chain of Memories — play, or watch a recap if card combat loses you (1.5 + 2.5)
- Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix — play (1.5 + 2.5)
- 358/2 Days — watch the film (1.5 + 2.5)
- Birth by Sleep Final Mix — play (1.5 + 2.5)
- Re:coded — watch the film (1.5 + 2.5)
- Dream Drop Distance — play (2.8)
- χ Back Cover — watch the film (2.8)
- 0.2 Birth by Sleep — play, it is short (2.8)
- Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind — play both (III + Re Mind)
- Melody of Memory — optional, sold separately
The 1.5 half lists 358/2 Days straight after Chain of Memories. We move it behind Kingdom Hearts II because that is release order (2009 against 2005) and it is where KeenGamer and The Outerhaven both place it. The film ends where II begins, so either side works.
What Is Actually in the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III]?
The collection holds 11 titles across three products. Seven are playable games, Re Mind is an add-on and three are films (the 1.5 page, the 2.5 page, the 2.8 page and the Kingdom Hearts III page on Wikipedia agree on the contents).
| Title | Type | Original release | Product | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Hearts Final Mix | Game | PS2, 2002 (Final Mix was Japan-only) | 1.5 + 2.5 | Introduces Sora, the Heartless and the Keyblade |
| Re:Chain of Memories | Game | GBA 2004, 3D remake 2007 | 1.5 + 2.5 | Direct sequel and bridge to II, with card-based combat |
| Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix | Game | PS2, 2005–06 | 1.5 + 2.5 | Introduces the Nobodies; Organization XIII returns |
| 358/2 Days | Film | DS, 2009 | 1.5 + 2.5 | Roxas inside Organization XIII; leads into II |
| Birth by Sleep Final Mix | Game | PSP, 2010 | 1.5 + 2.5 | Prequel starring Terra, Aqua and Ventus |
| Re:coded | Film | DS, 2010 | 1.5 + 2.5 | Takes place after II and leads into Dream Drop Distance |
| Dream Drop Distance HD | Game | 3DS, 2012 | 2.8 | Sora and Riku’s Mark of Mastery exam; Xehanort returns |
| χ Back Cover | Film | New in 2017 | 2.8 | The Foretellers, the earliest point the series reaches |
| 0.2 Birth by Sleep | Game | New in 2017 | 2.8 | Aqua’s time in the Realm of Darkness; prologue to III |
| Kingdom Hearts III | Game | PS4/Xbox One, 2019 | III + Re Mind | Concludes the Dark Seeker Saga |
| Re Mind | Add-on | 2020 | III + Re Mind | Continues after the ending; Sora reaches Quadratum |
The takeaway: only four of the six 1.5 + 2.5 entries need a controller. Final Mix, Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II and Birth by Sleep are games, while 358/2 Days and Re:coded are cutscene retellings of DS games, about three hours each according to Wikipedia. Back Cover is a one-hour film.
How the Names Work
Four naming habits stack up. Final Mix marks an expanded re-release; the first game, II and Birth by Sleep all got one in Japan before the HD collections. Re: marks a remake (Re:Chain of Memories, Re:coded). 1.5, 2.5 and 2.8 are the HD collections, which loosely track where each set sits between the numbered games (our reading, not an official rule). χ labels the browser-and-mobile line.
Even the count shifts by page. Wikipedia’s series page says “thirteen games”, yet its Melody of Memory page calls that game the fourteenth installment and its Kingdom Hearts IV page calls IV the fifteenth. Counting depends on whether mobile titles and add-ons count, so this guide names titles instead of numbering them.
If the Final Fantasy cameos are what pulled you in, note that Re Mind adds Aerith, Cid, Squall and Yuffie. Our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth beginner’s guide covers the other end of that crossover.
Release Order or Story Order?
Play in release order the first time. Birth by Sleep stars Terra, Aqua and Ventus, characters who only appear briefly in Kingdom Hearts II, so a story-order run meets them in their own game first and II’s cameos lose their mystery. Release order keeps those as questions the prequel later answers. The table shows where the two orders disagree.
| Title | Released | Story position | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth by Sleep | 2010 | Ten years before the first game | A prequel; save it until after II |
| χ Back Cover | Film in 2017, game in 2013 | Thousands of years before the first game | Watch it before III, whose last scene summons the Foretellers |
| Dark Road | 2020 | 70 years before Birth by Sleep | A Xehanort origin story, delisted since 2024 (see below) |
| 358/2 Days | 2009 | Between the first game and II | Fills a gap after the fact |
| 0.2 Birth by Sleep | 2017 | After Dream Drop Distance, overlapping the first game’s ending | A short prologue to III |
Story order is: χ and Union χ, Dark Road, Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts II, Re:coded, Dream Drop Distance, 0.2, III, Re Mind, Melody of Memory, IV (Union χ and Dark Road are covered below). It suits a second playthrough, not a first.
Where Players Actually Quit: Steam Achievement Data
The sharpest step down in the first collection’s data is Chain of Memories, not the opening game. Steam’s global achievement rates, read on 13 October 2026, show how far owners of each product got:
| Milestone | Product | Share of Steam owners |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed the first keyhole in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix | 1.5 + 2.5 | 49.6% |
| Cleared Kingdom Hearts Final Mix | 1.5 + 2.5 | 21.7% |
| Cleared Land of Dragons in Kingdom Hearts II | 1.5 + 2.5 | 17.0% |
| Cleared the Birth by Sleep prologue | 1.5 + 2.5 | 13.9% |
| Cleared Re:Chain of Memories as Sora | 1.5 + 2.5 | 6.5% |
| Began the Mark of Mastery exam in Dream Drop Distance | 2.8 | 58.2% |
| Began Kingdom Hearts III | III + Re Mind | 88.0% |
| Finished Kingdom Hearts III and saw the ending | III + Re Mind | 31.3% |
| Cleared Re Mind | III + Re Mind | 21.6% |
Three readings follow from the arithmetic. First, only 6.5% of owners cleared Re:Chain of Memories as Sora, against 21.7% who cleared the first game: about 30%, so roughly seven in ten first-game finishers have not finished the sequel. Second, 17.0% cleared a Kingdom Hearts II world. At most 6.5% of owners can have done both, so more than 60% of players who got into II’s worlds went around Chain of Memories. Third, the tail is healthy: 21.6% cleared Re Mind against 31.3% who finished III, so about 69% of III’s finishers kept going, and Re Mind unlocks only after the base game.
A plausible cause is combat: Chain of Memories swaps the series’ real-time fighting for a card-based system (that is our hypothesis; the data cannot prove it). Some caveats apply. These are three separate Steam products with different owners, an owner is not the same as a player, and the figures are a snapshot. Review counts tell the same story from another angle: 1.5 + 2.5 has 11,055 Steam reviews, III + Re Mind has 2,648 and 2.8 has 722. That suggests the middle of the saga gets the least attention.
Skip, Watch or Play: Every Title Sorted
Nothing is strictly mandatory. Square Enix itself turned two DS games into films, and III carries its own “Memory Archive” of short films explaining the earlier games (Wikipedia). Our verdicts are editorial judgment rather than anything Square Enix has stated, and they only apply to what you are choosing to do.
| Title | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, II Final Mix | Play | The numbered core; everything else is built on them |
| Re:Chain of Memories | Play, or watch a recap | Where most players quit; the collection has no film of it, so watching means an outside recap video |
| 358/2 Days, Re:coded, χ Back Cover | Watch | The collections ship them as films, so there is no game to skip |
| Birth by Sleep Final Mix | Play | Its three leads return in III |
| Dream Drop Distance, 0.2 | Play | III builds directly on both; 0.2 is the short prologue |
| Kingdom Hearts III | Play | Concludes the first saga |
| Re Mind | Play | The bridge to IV: it ends with Sora’s arrival in Quadratum |
| Melody of Memory | Watch the story, skip the rhythm | Mostly a recap, plus Kairi scenes after Re Mind |
| Union χ, Dark Road | Watch a recap | Union χ is a cutscene viewer and Dark Road is delisted; IV uses their characters |
Why we rate Re Mind as essential: Wikipedia’s IV page says III’s ending and Re Mind “see Sora’s arrival” in Quadratum, the world IV opens in. Why Melody of Memory is skippable as play: it retells the saga through Kairi and continues her story after Re Mind, but Nomura said the new story is “not meant to advance things significantly” (Melody of Memory page). He also said it hides hints about the Master of Masters, so watch its cutscenes.
The Mobile Games You Cannot Play
Union χ ended service on 17 June 2021 and was turned into a cutscene viewer. Dark Road became an offline game, then was delisted from every store in August 2024. A fan-made browser port appeared in September 2026; it is unofficial, so we do not link it. Missing-Link, the mobile game that Nomura tied to IV, was cancelled in May 2025. IV’s Dandelions include Strelitzia and Sigurd from Union χ and Vali from Dark Road, so a recap is worth seeking out.
Which Route Fits You?
| If you are… | Do this | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| New, with time | The full path above, in release order. HowLongToBeat lists 158½ hours for 1.5 + 2.5 alone (Deku Deals) | Nothing |
| New, short on time | Play Final Mix, II, Birth by Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, 0.2 and III + Re Mind; watch the other four (a recap for Chain of Memories) | Chain of Memories’ card game and the Foretellers’ context, though III’s Memory Archive helps |
| Returning after finishing III in 2019 | Play Re Mind first, then watch Melody of Memory’s story and a Union χ/Dark Road recap | Replaying the first nine titles |
| Completionist | The full path, then Melody of Memory properly | Dark Road and Union χ as playable games |
A word of caution: no source we found says what Kingdom Hearts IV assumes you know. The short route is our reading of who the characters are in III, not a Square Enix statement.
Where to Play Them in October 2026
Pick the collection if you are on console, and the three separate products if you are on Steam. Here is what is on sale as of 13 October 2026:
| Platform | What you can buy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | Three products at $39.99 each (Steam); Steam Deck Verified for all three | Very Positive user reviews on each; a Microsoft Store PC version was also announced (Gematsu) |
| PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S | Collection [I~III] launched 8 October 2026; each part is also sold separately | Pre-orders on PS5 and Switch 2 were $79.99 (Game Rant, June); physical Switch 2 copies use the Game-Key Card |
| Switch 1 | Only 1.5 + 2.5 has a native version | Cloud versions of the rest are discontinued; per the Kingdom Hearts Wiki, they stop working on 9 June 2027 |
| PS4, Xbox One | The older releases of each part | Not part of the new collection |
On Switch 2, the hands-on from Gaming Trend found 1.5 + 2.5 locked to 60 fps outside cutscenes. It reported 20 to 60 fps in 2.8, called III “far from smooth” and described the Re:coded and 358/2 films as “pretty fuzzy”. So the performance question is mostly about 2.8 and III. Save conversion from the cloud version of III is available.
Where Kingdom Hearts IV Fits
IV is scheduled for late 2027 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC; its Steam page lists only “2027”. It opens a new “Lost Master” arc with Sora trapped in Quadratum, while Donald and Goofy go looking for him. Nomura has described IV as the start of a new saga ({ext(U_SERIES, ‘Wikipedia’)}).
That timing leaves room. The 1.5 + 2.5 set alone is 158½ listed hours, so there is no rush. Between collections, our list of the best games of Q1 2026 makes a decent palate cleanser, and if a long saga starts to feel heavy, the best cozy games for beginners are a gentler break.
Series order guides for other franchises: Doom, Banjo-Kazooie and Ace Attorney.
Kingdom Hearts Order FAQ
Should you play Kingdom Hearts in release order or story order?
Release order. Birth by Sleep’s three leads appear only briefly in Kingdom Hearts II, and a story-order run plays their prequel first, which removes that mystery. Save story order for a second playthrough.
Can you skip Chain of Memories?
You can skip the card game, not the story. Only 6.5% of Steam owners cleared it as Sora, so you will be in a crowd. Watching its cutscenes before Kingdom Hearts II costs far less time and keeps Organization XIII’s set-up intact.
Do you need Melody of Memory before Kingdom Hearts IV?
Not as a rhythm game. Wikipedia says IV is set after III and Melody of Memory, but Nomura said Melody of Memory’s new story is not meant to advance things significantly. Watch its cutscenes, and buy the game only if you want the songs.
Are Union χ and Dark Road playable in 2026?
Not officially. Union χ shut down in 2021, and Dark Road was delisted in August 2024. IV still uses characters from both, so a recap is the practical route.
Is the 1.5 + 2.5 collection really six games?
No: four are games and two are films. The six come from PlayStation’s own count of “experiences”. Choose it by playtime (158½ hours listed) rather than by title count.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts (series): games, years and collections. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_(series))
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_HD_1.5_Remix)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_HD_2.5_Remix)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_HD_2.8_Final_Chapter_Prologue)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts III, Re Mind and Memory Archive. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_III)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts:_Melody_of_Memory)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts IV. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_IV)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts Union χ. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_Union_%CF%87)
- Wikipedia. Kingdom Hearts Dark Road. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_Dark_Road)
- PlayStation. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX store page. Sony Interactive Entertainment (https://www.playstation.com/en-vn/games/kingdom-hearts-hd-1-5-2-5-remix/)
- Steam. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX store page, reviews and Deck status. Valve (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2552430/)
- Steam. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue store page. Valve (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2552440/)
- Steam. Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind store page. Valve (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2552450/)
- Steam. Kingdom Hearts IV store page. Valve (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3216600/)
- Steam Community. Global achievement statistics, 1.5+2.5. Valve, read 13 October 2026 (https://steamcommunity.com/stats/2552430/achievements/)
- Steam Community. Global achievement statistics, 2.8. Valve, read 13 October 2026 (https://steamcommunity.com/stats/2552440/achievements/)
- Steam Community. Global achievement statistics, III + Re Mind. Valve, read 13 October 2026 (https://steamcommunity.com/stats/2552450/achievements/)
- Game Rant. Kingdom Hearts Collection [1~3] launches October 8. J. Ratcliff, 9 June 2026 (https://gamerant.com/kingdom-hearts-collection-switch-2/)
- Gematsu. Kingdom Hearts Collection [I ~ III] announced for PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2. 9 June 2026 (https://www.gematsu.com/2026/06/kingdom-hearts-collection-i-iii-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-and-switch-2)
- Gaming Trend. Kingdom Hearts is on Switch 2 now, and it’s fine. 5 October 2026, updated 8 October (https://gamingtrend.com/impressions/kingdom-hearts-is-on-switch-2-now-and-its-fine/)
- Kingdom Hearts Wiki. Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece / Collection [I~III] (https://www.khwiki.com/Kingdom_Hearts_Integrum_Masterpiece)
- Nintendo. Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece for Cloud store page
- Deku Deals. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX (HowLongToBeat and OpenCritic data) (https://dekudeals.com/app/2552430)
- Deku Deals. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (HowLongToBeat data)
- KeenGamer. Kingdom Hearts games in order: best play order before Kingdom Hearts 4. M. Suquet, 30 August 2026 (https://keengamer.com/articles/guides/kingdom-hearts-games-in-order-best-play-order-before-kingdom-hearts-4/)
- The Outerhaven. What play order should you play Kingdom Hearts in preparation for Kingdom Hearts IV. S. Adams, 22 August 2026 (https://www.theouterhaven.net/what-play-order-should-you-play-kingdom-hearts-in-preparation-for-kingdom-hearts-iv/)
Steam prices, review counts and achievement rates were read on 13 October 2026 and will move. Square Enix’s own press release for the late 2027 window could not be fetched, so that date is cited to Wikipedia and Steam.
Images on this page are AI-generated illustrations and our own graphics, not game footage or box art. Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square Enix and Disney.
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.