How to Play Every Dark Souls Game and Expansion in Order

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Back in 2011, FromSoftware released a spiritual successor to its 2009 cult classic, Demon’s Souls. This new game, titled Dark Souls, was a tough sell: a punishing, hardcore RPG where players attempt to survive a haunting fantasy hellscape teeming with gruesome monsters that could eviscerate them in seconds. At the time, it was hard to imagine the team’s crushing new creation would become one of gaming's most revered modern franchises.

However, Dark Souls’ ruthlessly satisfying combat, brutal yet compelling boss encounters, and story-rich world transformed it into a global phenomenon, inspiring an entire genre of challenging RPGs that’s still thriving over a decade later. With FromSoftware’s work on the Dark Souls franchise now wrapped up, we’ve decided to break down every game and expansion in the trilogy, as well as offer new players a recommended starting point.

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Not including remasters or ports, there are three Dark Souls games and six expansions, with every release arriving on home consoles and PC.

For newcomers, picking a place to dive into the franchise is tricky. Some will suggest starting with the original Dark Souls, as it marked the beginning of the franchise and gives you a broad overview of what the series offers.

While Dark Souls 1 is a great place to start, from a gameplay standpoint, we'd recommend diving into Dark Souls 3 first. Although you can expect a steep learning curve at points, Dark Souls 3 is the simplest of the trilogy to pick up and play, with a more linear world to traverse and a series of early-game encounters that help you learn the ropes. It’s also the newest of the three Dark Souls games and, by extension, the smoothest to play.

That being said, if the lore of Dark Souls appeals to you, you're probably best jumping into the original game first. Dark Souls has a rich world and a deep story that you’ll uncover over time, and while each game largely stands on its own, some aspects of the lore are best experienced chronologically.

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