Off the Shelf Media

The Kingdom Hearts franchise is known for its incredible gameplay, Disney tie-ins, and its infamously confusing storyline. There are over a dozen titles spread across multiple platforms including the PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, 3DS, and mobile gaming. Oh, and they were all released out of chronological order. 

Well, here I am setting the record straight and setting you up for success to play the entire storyline in order. I can’t guarantee you won’t still be confused by the storyline, but at least you’ll play the games in order. 

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover & Kingdom Hearts: Union — Dark Road

This is technically cheating since both of these mobile-only games were shut down. However, if you still want the canon origin story you can watch the Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover movie when you purchase Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. 

The story is set hundreds of years before the first Kingdom Hearts game and tells the story of the Keybalde War. Union tells the origin story of the series’s main antagonist, Master Xehanort.

Both add historical context to the future games, but honestly, a recap video on YouTube will bring you up to speed. 

Trust me, you aren’t missing much. 

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Alright, let’s get into a game you can actually play! Birth by Sleep is set 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts. You play from the viewpoint of Ventus, Aqua, and Terra who look to achieve the title of Keybalde Master. 

This game is critical to understanding the overall story of Kingdom Hearts. It shows the early stages of Xehanort’s plan, reveals him as the main villain, and explains why Sora and Riku can wield keyblades later in the series.

If you skip this game you will be confused in Kingdom Hearts 3 so give it a shot. The combat is unique to the rest of the series and Aqua, Ventus, and Terra all have different abilities and combat styles. 

This game is currently available on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

Kingdom Hearts 

We finally get to the first released game of the series. Kingdom Hearts is the game that started it all. You play as Sora, a boy from Destiny Islands who has dreams of traveling to the other worlds with his friends Riku and Kairi. Those plans go terribly wrong when the heartless arrive and swallow his world into darkness.

Shortly thereafter, Sora meets his new friends, Donald and Goofy who are on a quest to find the keyblade and save the rest of the worlds from darkness. Sora, Donald, and Goofy travel from world to world, making new friends, conquering new enemies, and uncovering a plot from Ansem who wants to open the doors to Kingdom Hearts. 

This game is currently available on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

This game sucks and I hate that I’ve beaten it three times. It’s a shame it’s critical of the main storyline since it’s a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts. 

Sora, Dold, and Goofy have shut the doors to Kingdom Hearts and defeated their archnemesis, Ansem. Now, they are wandering down the road to their next adventure. They arrive at the doors of Castle Oblivion, a stronghold of the mysterious group, Organization XIII. 

As they get deeper and deeper into the castle, Sora loses more and more of his memories. In reality, his memories are being stolen by the Organization and implanted into their newest member, Roxas. 

This game has a new combat system and it drags the game down hard. It relies on a card system that I still don’t fully understand. Boss fights are grueling and I have no idea why Square Enix decided to make such a pivotal sequel to their game on the Gameboy Advanced instead of the PlayStation 2. 

Let me reiterate how important this game is to the overall franchise. In this one game, you learn the following:

1. How and why did Sora Donald and Goofy all go to sleep before the start of KH2
2. Sora’s connection to Roxas and why Roxas has his memories
3. The origin story of Namine and her connection to Kairi 
4. The original plans of Organization XIII
5. Why some members aren’t in KH2

I went from KH1 straight into KH2 and I was beyond confused. I had no idea this game existed and when I first played it I hated it. I still hate it but it’s so important to the overall story. 

I’ll save my full rant for my review where I’ll have to beat it for a 4th time. Until then, you can try it on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

This game rocked when it came out for the Nintendo DS. You play as Roxas, the new member of Organization XIII. The game runs parallel to Chain of Memories and runs right up to the opening scene from Kingdom Hearts 2. 

The game adds the missing context behind Roxas’ time in Organization XIII and why he doesn’t remember any of it in KH2. The gameplay is much better and abandons the card system from its predecessor. 

The story is charming, the gameplay is fun, and I’m upset it never got remastered for the PC. If you still have it on the DS you can play it. If not, all of the cutscenes are available as a movie on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

100% worth it if you want the full story. It’s an entertaining time and worth the watch. 

Kingdom Hearts 2

Kingdom Hearts 2 originally came out on the PlayStation 2 and gives the franchise a fresh start. You start as Roxas but the game picks up as soon as you play as Sora yet again. It’s a shame you had to play two games to fully understand the first 45 minutes of the game, but that’s just how Kingdom Hearts is. 

KH2 has the most story progression out of all the games. You learn more about Organization XIII, its leader Xemnas, Ansem the Wise, Xehanort, and the mysterious Nobodies. 

I’ll have more to say in my official review as well as my KH ranking, which is coming out soon. 

For now, you can enjoy the game on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded

I don’t know who this game was for but it certainly wasn’t for me. This was originally released in Japan as a mobile game but rereleased as a Nintendo DS game in the U.S.

This game has no significant impact on the overall story and can be skipped. Think of it as digitizing the Jiminy Crickets journal from the first game but in the end, it explains what King Mickey’s bottle note was at the ending cutscene of KH2.

Seriously, that is it. It’s not that important. SPOILER. It’s a warning to Sora telling him his friends are in danger….

Yup, it’s filler…moving on. 

If you care, you can watch the cutscene movie on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- bundle.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

You play as both Sora and Riku as they complete their Mark of Mastery exam. This is an official prequel to KH3 and I don’t think this is a filler game like some of the others on this list.

It originally came out for the Nintendo 3DS and is a worthy entry into the franchise. The game looks great, the combat is smooth as ever with the Flowmotion system, and the story is compelling. You get more backstory on Master Xehanort and his overall plans. 

This game is different because it focuses more on Riku as a main character and Sora is the one who needs saving. It’s a nice twist and a welcome one this deep into the franchise. 

I’m not a fan of the Dream Eaters but that’s a complaint for another day. 

The game is worth playing on Steam as part of the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue bundle. 

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage

This isn’t a full game but is canon so I’m adding it here. This is the prologue to Kingdom Hearts 3 and takes place immediately following Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. You play as Aqua wandering the Realm of Darkness looking to get back into the Realm of Light.

This is only available in the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue so if you picked up the bundle you might as well take the 30 minutes to play the game. It doesn’t add much but it’s a solid preview for the combat system in KH3 which is out-of-this-world fun.

Kingdom Hearts 3 

This is it. The game we all waited years and years for. We sat through the filler and played it again to get ready for the epic conclusion to the Dark Seeker Saga. 

KH3 masters the combat, gives you new worlds to explore, wraps up the story in a satisfying way, and ties in all of the characters from the other games. As a fan of the franchise, I was happy with the story but I can’t say I’ve played the game more than once. 

I’m going to replay all the games from start to finish for my reviews so stay tuned for all of those. 

Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC) is available now on Steam.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

If you’ve never played a KH game, this one is a recap of the entire franchise told through the music. It’s a fun and sometimes challenging melody game made for the fans of the music. 

You can play it now on Epic Games. 

I hope this list helps as you try and piece the complex story together through over 20 years of video games. Coming up, I will be ranking them from best to worst. You won’t want to miss it. I’ll see ya there, but until then, y’all take care.