"Tomb Raider Games: Chronological Play Guide"

Tomb Raider boasts a storied legacy, with Lara Croft fearlessly exploring ancient ruins and tombs across the globe. Overcoming every obstacle in her path, Lara has cemented her status among the most iconic video game protagonists. With Crystal Dynamics currently developing a new Tomb Raider game, promising yet another thrilling adventure for Lara, we've put together a chronological list of all Tomb Raider games. This guide will help both newcomers and veterans embark on or revisit their spelunking journey from the very beginning.

**Jump to**:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play in release order

**How Many Tomb Raider Games Are There?**

As of 2025, there are a total of 20 Tomb Raider games. These span across three distinct timelines, each offering unique plotlines and variations on Lara Croft and her companions. Out of these, 14 games were released for home consoles, 6 were also available on handheld portable consoles, and another 6 were designed for mobile devices. Stand-alone titles such as Tomb Raider: The Prophecy, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Lara Croft Go, Lara Croft: Relic Run, and Tomb Raider Reloaded are excluded from our lists.

**Which Tomb Raider Should You Play First?**

If you're new to the franchise in 2025, we highly recommend starting with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. This game kicks off the "Survivor" trilogy, setting the stage for Lara Croft's most recent adventures, culminating in 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

**Tomb Raider**

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**Tomb Raider Games in Chronological Order**

Embarking on a chronological journey through the Tomb Raider series involves navigating through three different timelines:

• Original Saga Timeline
• Legend of Tomb Raider Timeline
• Survivor Trilogy Timeline

**First Timeline - Original Saga**

1. **Tomb Raider (1996)**

The inaugural Tomb Raider game follows Lara as she's hired by businesswoman Jacquelin Natla to locate the Scion of Atlantis. After gathering all three fragments scattered worldwide, Lara faces betrayal by Natla and must battle her on a volcanic island teeming with monsters.

**Available on:** PlayStation, iOS, Android, Mac OS | IGN's Tomb Raider Review

2. **Tomb Raider: The Curse of the Sword (2001)**

A Game Boy Color exclusive sequel, this game sees Lara on a mission to find and destroy a mystical sword before Madame Paveau can use it to resurrect from the underworld and conquer the world with dark magic.

**Available on:** Game Boy Color | IGN's Curse of the Sword Review

3. **Tomb Raider II (1997)**

In this sequel, Lara hunts for the Dagger of Xian, a magical weapon capable of transforming its owner into a dragon. She competes against the cult leader Marco Bartoli, who seeks the dagger for its powers.

**Available on:** PC, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Mac OS | IGN's Tomb Raider II Review

4. **Tomb Raider III (1998)**

Lara's quest in the third installment is to find the Infada Stone, one of four artifacts created from a meteorite. She races against Dr. Willard, who plans to use the stones to accelerate evolution and mutate the planet.

**Available on:** PC, PlayStation, Mac OS | IGN's Tomb Raider III Review

5. **Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)**

Exploring an Egyptian tomb, Lara unwittingly releases the god of chaos, Set. She then teams up with Semerkhet to summon Horus, the only deity capable of stopping Set's rampage across Cairo.

**Available on:** PlayStation, Mac OS, PC, Dreamcast | IGN's The Last Revelation Review

6. **Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000)**

Following the uncertain ending of The Last Revelation, Lara's friends recount her past adventures, from exploring Roman catacombs to battling demonic forces on a haunted island, solidifying her reputation as a seasoned explorer.

**Available on:** PlayStation, PC, Mac OS, Dreamcast | IGN's Tomb Raider: Chronicles Review

7. **Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)**

Framed for the murder of her mentor Werner Von Croy, Lara journeys through Paris and Prague to clear her name. She encounters Kurtis Trent, the last of the Lux Veritatis Society, who harbors a dark secret.

**Available on:** PC, PlayStation 2, Mac OS X | IGN's Angel of Darkness Review

**Second Timeline - Legend of Tomb Raider**

1. **Tomb Raider Anniversary (2007)**

A remake of the 1996 original, this game revisits Lara's quest for the Scion of Atlantis with updated puzzles and physics, shifting from item collection to environmental puzzles.

**Available on:** PC, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, Mobile, OS X, PS3 | IGN's Tomb Raider Anniversary Review

2. **Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)**

This reboot reimagines Lara's origins as she races to find the mythical sword Excalibur before her former friend Amanda Evert can claim it.

**Available on:** GBA, Gamecube, PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PS3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360 | IGN's Tomb Raider: Legend Review

3. **Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)**

The final chapter of the Legend trilogy, Lara searches for Mjolnir, the key to Helheim, confronting the villainous Natla once more as she explores various mythological underworlds.

**Available on:** Nintendo DS, PS3, Wii, PC, Xbox 360, Mobile, PlayStation 2, OS X | IGN's Tomb Raider: Underworld Review

**Third Timeline - Survivor Trilogy**

1. **Tomb Raider (2013)**

This gritty reboot sees Lara's first expedition to find Yamatai go disastrously wrong, stranding her on a hostile island where she must stop the Solarii Brotherhood and the ritual to choose a successor for the Sun Queen.

**Available on:** PC, PS3, Xbox 360, OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, Linux | IGN's Tomb Raider (2013) Review

2. **Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)**

Lara explores Siberia in search of the legendary city of Kitezh, clashing with the paramilitary group Trinity and uncovering the truth about the Deathless Ones.

**Available on:** Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PS4, macOS, Linux, Stadia | IGN's Rise of the Tomb Raider Review

3. **Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)**

The concluding chapter of the Survivor Trilogy, Lara races through the Americas to find Paititi and prevent a Mayan apocalypse, facing off against the Yaaxii and Trinity.

**Available on:** PS4, PC, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, Stadia | IGN's Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review

**How to Play ALL the Tomb Raider Games By Release Date**

• Tomb Raider (1996)
• Tomb Raider II (1997)
• Tomb Raider III (1998)
• Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)
• Tomb Raider (Game Boy Color, 2000)
• Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000)
• Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (Game Boy Color, 2001)
• Tomb Raider: The Prophecy (GBA, 2002)
• Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
• Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)
• Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)
• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010)
• Tomb Raider (2013)
• Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014)
• Lara Croft: Relic Run (2015)
• Lara Croft Go (2015)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)
• Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023)

**What’s Next for Tomb Raider?**

For fans eager to relive the classics, Aspyr released remastered collections for current-gen consoles. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered hit the shelves in early 2024, followed by Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered in February.

Crystal Dynamics is hard at work on a new Tomb Raider game, set to be powered by Unreal Engine 5 and published by Amazon Games. While details are scarce, Crystal Dynamics has hinted on Twitter that this new title will continue Lara Croft's saga, possibly extending the Survivor trilogy that ended with Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018.

Beyond gaming, Netflix launched the animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft in October, which has already been greenlit for a second season. Meanwhile, Amazon's planned series with Phoebe Waller-Bridge as writer and executive producer appears to have been shelved.