Tomb Raider Games in Order

Why this order?

Tomb Raider is unusual in that it has been rebooted twice, so its games split into three eras rather than one long timeline. Release order is the cleanest way to follow Lara Croft's evolution: the blocky, grid-puzzle classics from Core Design (1996-2003), the slicker Crystal Dynamics "Legend" trilogy (2006-2008), and the cinematic Survivor reboot (2013-2018). Because each era resets the story and the gameplay, you do not need to play them in any strict sequence to understand what is going on.

For most newcomers, the modern Survivor trilogy is the recommended starting point. Begin with Tomb Raider (2013), an origin story that reinvents Lara as a younger, more vulnerable survivor, then continue with Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018). This trilogy is one continuous narrative and is by far the most accessible to play today. It is also the one place in the series where order genuinely matters, because each game picks up directly from the last.

Which version to buy is now the most useful question this list can answer. For the six Core Design games the answer is the two Aspyr collections: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (February 14, 2024) covers the 1996 original, II and III along with all three expansion packs, and Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered (February 14, 2025, co-developed with Saber Interactive) covers The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness. Both let you toggle between original and enhanced graphics and between classic tank controls and a modern scheme, so they preserve the old games rather than replace them. The IV-VI set is the one to get for The Angel of Darkness specifically, because it restores content cut from that troubled 2003 release, including unreleased areas, unused voice lines and Kurtis Trent's abilities. Separately, the same collection is where the rare Times Exclusive bonus level for The Last Revelation finally became easy to play.

The modern trilogy has its own version trap. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (2014) is the visually upgraded, all-DLC-included build of the 2013 reboot, not a different game and not a sequel. It is the standard version on PS4 and Xbox One, and on Switch and Switch 2 since November 18, 2025; on PC it is sold only through the Microsoft Store, while Steam still sells the original 2013 release. Either one gives you the same story, so the newcomer path here stays three games long: buy Definitive Edition on a console, take the 2013 version on Steam, and do not count it as an extra step.

The big classic-era gotcha is Anniversary (2007): it is a full remake of the original 1996 Tomb Raider, built on the Legend engine, so its story belongs to the classic era even though it released during the Legend trilogy. Within Crystal Dynamics' continuity the intended story flow is Anniversary, then Legend, then Underworld, because Anniversary depicts Lara's earliest adventure and chronologically precedes the events of Legend. The classic Core Design games (through Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness) form their own continuous arc and are best experienced in release order.

The three-era split is now being closed on purpose, which is the biggest change to this guide in years. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (February 12, 2027) is a ground-up Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 1996 original from Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog, published by Amazon Game Studios and explicitly the second official remake after Anniversary; press coverage positions it as a sequel to the Survivor trilogy that pushes the 1996 original and Anniversary out of the timeline, though the studios have not framed it in those words. Tomb Raider: Catalyst, delayed from 2027 to 2028, is an all-new Crystal Dynamics game set in northern India years after Underworld, with the Survivor trilogy folded in as Lara's origin story. Together the two games pull the Core Design, Legend and Survivor threads toward a single timeline. None of that changes where a newcomer should start, because both new games assume the Survivor trilogy rather than the classics.

If you enjoy this kind of cinematic action-adventure with platforming and puzzle tombs, the obvious neighbor is Uncharted, the series Tomb Raider directly inspired and was later reshaped by. Fans of exploration-heavy adventure may also appreciate the Indiana Jones games and Assassin's Creed for similar globe-trotting, ruin-delving thrills.