Game · in order

Professor Layton Games in Order

By the Bingerun team · How we choose the order →

All 11 Professor Layton entries in order: 10 games plus the franchise's only anime film (Eternal Diva, 2009), covering the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, the Phoenix Wright crossover, the next-generation spin-offs and the upcoming New World of Steam (late 2026), with release order as the recommended path.

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  1. Professor Layton and the Curious Village 2007

    Series debut and intended starting point; chronologically 4th since the prequel trilogy precedes it; mobile HD port (JP Jun 8, 2018; worldwide Sep 25, 2018) is the easiest modern way in

  2. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 2007

    Direct follow-up to Curious Village; released in Europe as Pandora's Box, same game; mobile HD port available

  3. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 2008

    Original trilogy finale and the series' emotional peak; EU title Lost Future; New World of Steam is set one year after it, so play this first; mobile HD port available

  4. Professor Layton and the Last Specter 2009

    Prequel trilogy part 1 and chronologically earliest; EU title Spectre's Call; the London Life bonus RPG is included in the JP, NA and Australasian releases but was cut from the European version; DS physical only, never ported

  5. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva 2009

    The franchise's only film; sits in the prequel era between Last Specter and Miracle Mask (Emmy and Descole appear), matching its JP release slot; often mis-slotted by fan lists; not an entry point

  6. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask 2011

    Prequel trilogy part 2 and the jump to 3DS (JP launch title); deep dive into Layton's school days; 3DS physical only since the eShop closed Mar 27, 2023

  7. Layton Brothers: Mystery Room 2012

    Optional mobile spin-off starring Alfendi Layton, Hershel's son, at Scotland Yard; set a generation later, exact order vs Mystery Journey never officially fixed; free-to-start on iOS/Android, still live (last updated Feb 2025)

  8. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 2012

    Optional crossover with no official timeline slot; standalone side canon best played after a couple of games from each series; never re-released, 3DS physical only; see our Ace Attorney order guide

  9. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy 2013

    Prequel trilogy finale whose ending flows directly into Curious Village; last mainline Hershel game for 13+ years; 3DS physical only; Western release order differs here (it hit NA after Mystery Room)

  10. Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy 2017

    Next-generation sequel starring Katrielle Layton, Hershel's daughter; the Switch DX / Deluxe Edition adds 40+ puzzles and is the recommended version (the DX+ re-issue is Japan-only); the 2018 TV anime adapts this era but is a separate production

  11. Professor Layton and the New World of Steam 2026

    Releases late 2026 (official window 'toward the end of 2026', no exact date as of Aug 2026) on Switch 2, Switch, PS5 and PC; first new Layton in ~9 years, set one year after Unwound Future; play the original trilogy first

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Why this order?

Professor Layton looks like a simple numbered series and is anything but. The first three games (Curious Village, Diabolical Box, Unwound Future) form the original trilogy, and then Level-5 did something unusual: the next three mainline games (Last Specter, Miracle Mask, Azran Legacy) are all prequels, set before Curious Village. That means games 4 through 6 by release are chronologically first, and Azran Legacy's ending is deliberately engineered to flow straight into Curious Village. Release order remains the recommended path anyway. Unwound Future's reveals hit hardest as the trilogy capper, and Azran Legacy's bridge lands flat if you have not already played Curious Village. Chronological order technically spoils no twist, but the callbacks were built the other way.

The franchise's only film, Eternal Diva, is the most mis-slotted entry online. It belongs in the prequel era, between Last Specter and Miracle Mask: prequel-only characters Emmy Altava and Descole both appear, and its Japanese release (three weeks after Last Specter) happens to match its story slot exactly. Many fan lists wrongly wedge it between Diabolical Box and Unwound Future. It is not an entry point despite its standalone plot.

Two entries float free of the timeline. Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, the Capcom crossover, has no official slot and is best treated as standalone side canon played after a couple of games from each series (see our Ace Attorney guide for the other half). Layton Brothers: Mystery Room and Layton's Mystery Journey star Layton's children, Alfendi and Katrielle, a generation later; their internal order has never been officially fixed.

All of this matters again in 2026 because Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, the first new Layton in about nine years, is set one year after Unwound Future. It leapfrogs the prequel trilogy, the crossover and the entire Katrielle era, so the only required prep is the original trilogy, above all Unwound Future, which New World of Steam would comprehensively spoil if played first. One more trap: European titles differ (Pandora's Box is Diabolical Box, Lost Future is Unwound Future, Spectre's Call is Last Specter), so do not double-count them.

Timeline 2007-2026

Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.

  1. 2007 and the Curious Villageand the Diabolical Box
  2. 2008 and the Unwound Future
  3. 2009 and the Last Specterand the Eternal Diva
  4. 2011 and the Miracle Mask
  5. 2012 Layton Brothers: Mystery Roomvs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
  6. 2013 and the Azran Legacy
  7. 4-year gap
  8. 2017 Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Mil…
  9. 9-year gap
  10. 2026 and the New World of Steam

Where to play it today

  • iOS/Android: original trilogy HD ports (Curious Village, Diabolical Box, Unwound Future, roughly $10 each)
  • DS/3DS physical cartridges only for the prequel trilogy (Last Specter, Miracle Mask, Azran Legacy) and Layton vs. Phoenix Wright; the eShop closed Mar 27, 2023
  • Switch eShop: Layton's Mystery Journey DX / Deluxe Edition (the DX+ version is Japan-only); also on mobile and 3DS
  • iOS/Android: Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, free-to-start with the first two cases free
  • Eternal Diva film: no US subscription streaming as of Aug 2026, Blu-ray/DVD is the reliable route; availability varies sharply by region, check JustWatch locally
  • New World of Steam: Switch 2, Switch, PS5 and Steam, late 2026

Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Professor Layton.

Frequently asked questions

How many Professor Layton games are there?

11 entries total: 10 games plus one anime film (Eternal Diva, 2009). The 10 games are the six mainline Hershel games (original trilogy 2007-2008 and prequel trilogy 2009-2013), the Phoenix Wright crossover (2012), the Mystery Room spin-off (2012), Layton's Mystery Journey (2017) and the upcoming New World of Steam (late 2026). The mobile HD ports and the DX remaster are versions of existing games, not separate entries.

Which Professor Layton game should I start with?

Curious Village (2007). Release order is the recommended path, and the mobile Curious Village HD port is the easiest modern way in. Starting chronologically with Last Specter technically works and spoils no twist, but it weakens Azran Legacy's bridge into Curious Village and the original trilogy's payoffs.

Do I need to play the old games before New World of Steam?

Only the original trilogy. New World of Steam is set one year after Unwound Future (2008), which it would heavily spoil if played first. The prequel trilogy, the crossover and Katrielle's Mystery Journey are not required.

Why isn't the 2018 anime series in this guide?

Layton Mystery Detective Agency (50 episodes, 2018-19) is a TV spin-off adapting the Katrielle era, not part of the game timeline. It is optional viewing after Layton's Mystery Journey, so it is not counted among the 11 entries.

Are Pandora's Box, Lost Future and Spectre's Call different games?

No. They are the European titles for Diabolical Box, Unwound Future and Last Specter respectively. Same games, so do not double-count them.

Is Layton vs. Phoenix Wright canon, and when should I play it?

It has no official timeline slot and both franchises treat it as a standalone side story set while Luke is still Layton's apprentice. Play it any time after a couple of games from each series; see our Ace Attorney order guide for that half. It was never re-released, so it is 3DS physical only.

What's the best way to play Professor Layton in 2026?

Original trilogy: the mobile HD ports on iOS/Android. Prequel trilogy and the crossover: DS/3DS cartridges only, since the eShop closed Mar 27, 2023. Mystery Journey: the Switch DX (Deluxe Edition) version, which adds 40+ puzzles. Mystery Room: free-to-start on iOS/Android. New World of Steam: Switch 2, Switch, PS5 or Steam in late 2026.

Who are Katrielle and Alfendi Layton?

Hershel Layton's daughter and son, stars of the next-generation entries. Katrielle leads Layton's Mystery Journey (2017, with Layton himself missing) and Alfendi leads Layton Brothers: Mystery Room (2012, Scotland Yard cases). Their two stories' internal order has never been officially fixed; both sit after the Hershel-era games.

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Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, gematsu.com, nintendoeverything.com, justwatch.com, myanimelist.net, siliconera.com, apps.apple.com, play.google.com

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