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If you’re new to Castlevania, play in release order for the clearest introduction to the series. Choose story chronology instead if your main goal is following the Belmont family’s history and its battles with Dracula. The two orders answer different questions, and neither makes every game equally accessible.
Which Castlevania order should a beginner choose?
Release order shows how Castlevania changed over time, from linear action to exploration-focused games and later action-adventure entries. It also preserves the references and design progression players encountered when each game was new. The trade-off is that the story jumps across centuries.
Story chronology follows the fictional events instead, but it can send you between hardware generations and very different controls. It is also a commonly cited core sequence rather than a definitive checklist: some games’ continuity or placement is disputed.
| Order | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Release order | Seeing the series evolve and following its original references | The story moves back and forth through time. |
| Story chronology | Following the Belmont and Dracula saga by fictional era | Gameplay and accessibility vary across generations, and some continuity is unsettled. |
| Collection-led order | Playing titles available on your current platform | The collections divide the catalog and do not include every important game. |
A beginner-friendly path through the games
Start with release order
Begin with Castlevania, then play Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest and Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. The first game is dated 1986 in Japan; Konami’s Anniversary Collection page lists its releases as 1987 in the US and 1988 in Europe. Simon’s Quest followed in 1988 in the US. Dracula’s Curse arrived later, though its story takes place a century before Simon Belmont’s birth.
#1 Best Overall
- Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse | Night One Edition includes: Main Game, Alucard Style Costume, Digital Sound & Art Gallery, Trevor Style Costume, Sypha Style Costume, and Family's Grace (Relic).
- Medieval Paris, Where the Tolling Bells Herald the End - 1499: Paris is engulfed in flames as monstrous creatures suddenly emerge from the shadows. Armed with the legendary holy whip, the Vampire Killer, Trevor Belmont’s successor ventures into the burning streets and the looming castle to hunt down the beasts. Can they save the city from the brink of destruction?
- Satisfying Whip Action - The iconic whip of the series is now more important than ever! Crack your whip to move around freely like a trapeze artist! Master the whip mechanics and be creative to pounce on your prey like a wolf in fast-paced combats!
- A Large Selection of Weapons and Abilities - The whip is not the only tool at your disposal. You will need to strategically plan your next move in combat and make full use of all the weapons and abilities to stand a chance!
- Environment Hazards That Will make you grit your teeth - Biomes are packed with secrets, traps and puzzles. It is not just about muscles, it's about brains too!
Continue through the classic-era games and then move into later connected entries as your platform access allows. This approach lets you experience the franchise’s changing styles in the order they appeared, rather than treating a timeline as a guarantee that every game will feel like a natural next step.
Use collections as access routes, not as a complete timeline
Konami’s digital Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a practical starting point for classic games. It includes Castlevania, Simon’s Quest, Dracula’s Curse, Super Castlevania IV, The Adventure, Belmont’s Revenge, Bloodlines, and Kid Dracula, plus the bonus ebook The History of Castlevania: Book of the Crescent Moon. Konami lists it for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam (PC). The collection does not cover the franchise in full.
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- Classics that defined the Castlevania series.
- Includes the "History of Castlevania - Book of the Crescent Moon" ebook.
- This includes eight classic Castlevania games preserved on one disc with a full-color manual.
- The Castlevania Anniversary Collection on physical disc for the PlayStation 4. Also works on PlayStation 5. Region-free.
Other collections can fill in later parts of the catalog: Requiem pairs Rondo of Blood with Symphony of the Night; the Advance Collection covers Game Boy Advance-era titles; and the Dominus Collection covers Nintendo DS-era titles. Check current store listings for your region and platform, since availability can differ.
The commonly cited core story timeline
The following sequence is a useful guide to the central saga, not a claim that every released game belongs to one settled continuity. Fictional years and placements are commonly cited chronology; detailed timeline lists are fan-maintained, while Konami’s official history is primarily a release catalog.
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- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
- Castlevania: Lament of Innocence — 1094. This prequel begins the commonly cited core sequence.
- Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse — 1476. Set before the events of the original Castlevania.
- Castlevania: Curse of Darkness — 1479. Follows the events of Dracula’s Curse.
- Castlevania: The Adventure — commonly placed in 1576. Konami’s collection description says Belmont’s Revenge follows Christopher Belmont’s earlier victory, so play those two together if you want to follow his story.
- Castlevania, then Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. These are Simon Belmont’s games, with Simon’s Quest following the first game.
- Rondo of Blood — 1792, then Symphony of the Night — 1797. These make a particularly clear paired stop in the story, and Konami offers them together in Requiem.
- Later Belmont-era entries, including Bloodlines and Portrait of Ruin. Portrait of Ruin takes place in the World War II era.
- Aria of Sorrow — 2035, then Dawn of Sorrow — 2036. Play these in that order.
Where disputed or alternate entries fit
Super Castlevania IV is generally understood as a retelling or reworking of Simon’s first-game story, not a separate later Simon adventure. Circle of the Moon, the Nintendo 64 games, Legends, multiplayer titles, and crossovers require a continuity label or separate treatment; their placement is not settled by the commonly cited core sequence above. Leaving them outside that spine is more accurate than implying that every title has an undisputed canonical slot.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the timeline is really following
The central thread is the Belmont family and its allies confronting Dracula across centuries, with protagonists and styles changing between entries. A chronology-first run begins with Lament of Innocence in 1094, even though that game was developed much later than the 1989 US release of Dracula’s Curse, whose story is set in 1476. That gap illustrates why fictional chronology and release order are not interchangeable.
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- LIMITED EDITION: Official Limited Run Games release #251 of the Castlevania Dominus Collection featuring Order of Ecclesia cover art for Nintendo Switch
- GAME FORMAT: Physical DVD-ROM release, not a digital download, packaged in standard Nintendo Switch game case
- CONTENT: Action-packed collection of classic Castlevania games, rated T for Teen by ESRB
- PACKAGING DIMENSIONS: Comes in standard Switch case measuring 6 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 2 inches deep
- REGION AND LANGUAGE: US release with English language support, compatible with Nintendo Switch systems
For a first playthrough, release order is the simpler default. If following the fictional saga matters more than experiencing the series’ development, use the core timeline and treat disputed games as separate rather than forcing them into it.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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