has an official timeline that Nintendo updates when a new game is released, but that timeline has a reputation for being convoluted.
At the same time, it's interesting to study the timeline and see how games have been placed and why, creating a larger narrative for the in-game universe.
Whilethere are many more than 10 games in the franchise, some have a greater impact on the timeline than others.
It's more common for a series to release its games in a mostly chronological order, assuming the games in that series are connected. games have a unique setup where the main characters are reincarnated at different times to save the kingdom from its current threat, so the series is able to show new points anywhere in the timeline.
While this style offers a lot of freedom, it also means that understanding the timeline can be difficult. As the first game chronologically in the official timeline, includes a fair bit of important information for the series as a whole.