Which Assassin's Creed should you play first in 2026?

The Assassin's Creed franchise may be one of the biggest names in the gaming industry, but that doesn't mean everyone has played it. This historic open-world series with a mysterious sci-fi twist has many games in its long history, and some players may feel intimidated trying to decide where to start.

That's why this list is here. If you're sitting here in 2026 thinking about diving into the Assassin's Creed series, but I'm interested where should you startbelow is a selection of exceptional ones AC games that are great stepping stones depending on what drew you to the series.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

The best of the old school

There are two main “times”. Assassin's Creed games: the original series that spans from the first game to Syndicate, and the RPG series that started with Assassin's Creed Origins and is more or less ongoing (although the RPG elements have been toned down in recent editions). From the earlier run of games, it is the most complete iteration of the series' formula Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.

It's a strange place to jump to, landing in the middle of the Ezio Auditore trilogy, but if you're simply looking for the best example of the old school AC game, you won't do better than Brotherhood. From the setting to the combat to the story to the inspired addition of fellow assassins that you can call into battle with the push of a button, this is one of only two games from the old games. Assassin's Creed days that are considered true classics. The other one is…

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

The Ultimate Pirate Fantasy

There are surprisingly few pirated games. Here it is Sea of ​​Thieves if you are looking for an ongoing multiplayer experience, or Skull & Bones if… you want to experience it. The lack of diversity in the genre may be due to it not being very popular, or because of that Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag it already serves as a near-perfect pirate game, even though it was released more than a decade ago.

When it comes to creating a sense of place, atmosphere, fully embracing the setting and character it wants to portray, it's as good as Assassin's Creed will get Whether it's Captain Jackdaw, exploring uninhabited Caribbean islands, bartering with unsavory characters in Nassau, or lowering sails and riding the waves to the beat of your crew's newest sea shack, you won't find a more immersive experience in this series. With the remake, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Resynchronized With a 2026 release rumored to be in the works, that's a great place to start AC way.

Assassin's Creed

Originator

If instead you choose to start your journey at the very beginning, then 2007 Assassin's Creed is the game you want. It's certainly not the best game in the series, but it's also one of the shortest, and it's a glimpse into how the series began and how each of its ideas has evolved over the past 19 years.

The best thing about this game is actually the modern story, one of the most underrated (and underutilized) aspects of the franchise. The importance of this dystopian sci-fi story will grow over the next four games, culminating in a stunning conclusion for Desmond and his personal journey, both in and out of the Animus. While basically everything in this game is repeated and tweaked in subsequent entries, if you're the type who needs to start over, it's still worth playing through.

Assassin's Creed Shadows

Best AC game in years

Positivity all around Assassin's Creed the franchise saw a major decline upon release Unity. The games that followed weren't bad at all, but fatigue set in. Annual releases are one thing when you're doing an online FPS like call of duty, but much more expect the franchise vets to play another (very similar) open world game every year. The annual releases have slowed down, some formula changes have been made, and while there have been a few bright spots in this span, the narrative has never shifted back.

That is, until 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadowswhich was best received Assassin's Creed game in a long time, both from critics and fans. It is quickly becoming the second biggest start in series history. Shadows explores the long-desired setting of feudal Japan, and a stunningly realized, massive open world that offers everything a fan of the series could wish for Assassin's Creed, and also some new elements. It is also very polished, which is rare for this series. If you are not afraid of an overarching story and just want to try cutting-edge modern Assassin's Creed game, Shadows is the way to go.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

The most unique game in the franchise

It represents the end of the old school Assassin's Creed games and paving the way for the RPG series – and in many ways acting as a catalyst for change between the two – Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a very unusual entry in this series. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like it AC game. It has skill trees, gear with unique stats, XP, and a combat system focused on quick strikes and blocks, instead of the flashy combos and quick finishers seen in the more action-packed games that came before.

It's also the most modern setting in the series, exploring London in 1868. The two main hitmen/gangsters, Jacob and Evie Frye, thus have access to more advanced technology, including a grappling hook and a gun. It finally features a duo of protagonists, the aforementioned Frye siblings, and was the first game in the series to do so (obviously followed by Alternating shadows). These twins are both killers and gang leaders and Syndicate features a gang territory side story that involves claiming turf by driving out rival gangs. It's a surprisingly complex system that can be played in a number of interesting ways, making it one of the most interesting spin-offs in the series. That is underrated AC game, but it's a good one to start with because it's kind of a microcosm of both where the series was in 2010 and beyond.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

The best of the RPG trilogy

We've talked a lot about the RPG series, and yet we've featured very few of them here. There's a reason for that. The more recent AC the games have been a mixed bag: some are popular, others are more controversial. Of the former group, he is undeniably a shining star Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Much like Syndicate, there's a lot in this game that doesn't look like it AC experience, but at the end of the day it's just a fantastic game, so why tear your hair out?

When it comes to open worlds, Odyssey it is massive. You're waiting well over 40 hours to complete the main campaign, and if you're trying to do everything, you'll easily double that. Best of all, doing everything isn't a chore; it's a joy. From exploration to combat to side content, Odyssey it just oozes quality, with fantastic cities to parkour through and lush Greek islands to explore. It also brings back the sailing mechanic seen in black flag, even if they are not as pirated as they were in AC4, it's just another awesome game mechanic to play with in a game that's absolutely loaded with them. If you want Assassin's Creed a game you can invest close to 100 hours into as your first foray into the series, do it Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Assassin's Creed Mirage

The easiest jump point

Another reason the RPG series gets so much flak is because the games in it are so damn good long. The entire series consists of open-world games, which are tedious endeavors by default, but still Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, and Shadows are challenging games that will take a lot of time if you want to see their credits. But planted right in between Valhalla and Shadows is a little game called Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

It clearly feels like a direct response from Ubisoft to the length of the previous three games, Mirage is a great place to start if you're not fully sold on Assassin's Creed games. It has all the elements that are key to the series, with a much greater emphasis on stealth, but all in a short 15 hour run time. As a true introduction to the series, without the big commitment (and price tag) that comes with most of her entries, Mirage is about as safe a bet as you can make.

Assassin's Creed Unity

The pinnacle of parkour

The Assassin's Creed the series has made its name on the back of a lot of buckles, but the most consistent of the series is undoubtedly the parkour traversal system of the series. You don't just explore historical sites and take historical monuments; you literally climb them, reach the top and view the entire city from a point of view that no one in history has experienced firsthand. If this experience is what draws you to dive in for the first time Assassin's Creed series – not the setting, not the combat, not the story, but the parkour – so Assassin's Creed Unity is the place to start.

Not only did the series (frustratingly) never replicate the parkour system we saw in Unity, but she moved firmly away from him. The reason is a mystery. The fact is that the freerunning mechanic in Unity they are so fluid and intuitive, with so much detail in the animations, that they become second nature in no time. The story isn't bad, the fights are solid and the visuals are great, but the reason to play Assassin's Creed Unity above all, there is the incomparable joy of traversing the rooftops of Paris. The game also received a 60fps patch on March 5th, so there's never been a better time to try it out.