Batman: Arkham Games Listed in Order [to Play Chronologically]

If you want to play (or re-play) all the Batman: Arkham games in chronological order based on the action in the game, you’re at the right place.

Today, I’m listing all the games in this universe in order, so you can play them in a way that the story makes sense. I am also listing the only game (so far) that’s set in the same universe and is related to the series.

There are six main games in the Batman: Arkham series, with one VR experience and a spin-off, which were released in this order (play order below):

Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013)
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
Batman: Arkham VR (2016)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2024)
Batman: Arkham Shadow (2024)

But if you want the story to make sense, you shouldn’t play them in the order above. I actually recommend you to play them in chronological order to get fully immersed into the story.

So let’s check out below how to play the games.

Batman: Arkham Games Order (Chronological)

The launch order is not the one these games should be played in if you want to follow the story from start to finish. Here is how you should play them instead/

Batman: Arkham Origins

Released on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC

Thoughts: Released in 2013, Batman: Arkham Origins is the first game in the series chronologically. The game takes place before the events of the first game, Arkham Asylum, and features a younger Batman in his second year of fighting crime.

The game centers around a plot by the Joker to kill Batman and includes appearances by several other well-known Batman villains.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Released on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Thoughts: Released in 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the first game in the series. The game takes place entirely within the confines of Gotham’s infamous psychiatric hospital.

Batman must stop the Joker from taking over the asylum and unleashing his poisonous Titan formula on the city.

Batman: Arkham City

Released on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii U, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Thoughts: Released in 2011, Batman: Arkham City picks up a year after the events of Arkham Asylum and sees Batman trapped in a section of Gotham that has been turned into a maximum security prison.

He must once again face off against the Joker, as well as other classic Batman villains like Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, and the Penguin.

Batman: Arkham VR

Released on: PS4, PC

Thoughts: The first VR game in the series, the game is short and easy to play, but a good entry overall in the series – especially for the early days of VR gaming (remember, this one was launched in 2016!)

In the game, you will face various enemies from the Batman Universe, including Mr. Penguin, Killer Croc or The Riddler.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

Released on: Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, PC

Thoughts: Released in 2013, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a companion game to Arkham Origins. It is a 2.5D platformer that takes place after the events of the main game.

Batman must once again face off against several of his most dangerous foes in order to prevent a prison riot at Blackgate Penitentiary.

Batman: Arkham Shadow

Released on: Meta Quest 3

Thoughts: This is the second VR game in the series and it’s story places it after the events in Blackgate.

In the game, you play a young Batman fighting against the Rat King, who has evil plans to execute public office officials.

Taking place mostly in the Blackgate Penitentiary, the game offers the traditional Batman gameplay in VR and is a good fit for fans of the franchise.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Released on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Thoughts: Released in 2015, Batman: Arkham Knight is the final game in the series. The game takes place a year after the events of Arkham City.

Batman must stop a new villain, the eponymous Arkham Knight, from destroying Gotham once and for all. The game also features the return of the Joker, who haunts Batman throughout the game.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Released on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Thoughts: Released in 2024 and considered a flop, this game will remain playable offline starting January 2025, but its developers will stop updating it.

Story-wise, this open world action-adventure game takes place in Metropolis, seeing players control the Suicide Squad members. While Batman himself is not a playable character, the game is set in the Batman: Arkham universe and has to be included on the list.

While it’s not as bad as some make it sound like, you can still skip it, in my opinion, as you won’t lose much if you don’t play it.

Note: I have not one Batman game, Gotham Knights, in the list above because it is not part of the Arkham universe.

You can also check out the God of War Games Listed in Order. There’s a bit more to play there, so it’s easy to get lost. Also check out other great AAA franchises I’ve listed in order:

Conclusion

The Batman: Arkham series has been a thrilling ride for fans of the Caped Crusader, and a game series worth playing and replaying – especially in chronological order, as listed above.

From the claustrophobic halls of Arkham Asylum to the open-world chaos of Arkham City, each game has delivered a unique and immersive experience that captures the essence of Batman – even though the 2.5D side scrolling adventure was mostly a flop, in my opinion.

However, as an avid gamer and fan of the Batman franchise, I have thoroughly enjoyed playing each game. So grab your Batarang and get into the world of Batman: Arkham – just like me, I am sure you’ll love it too.

Or, if you want, keep on reading about amazing TV-based games in my previous article listing the best games based on TV detective shows.