The Dark Souls games in order are Dark Souls (2011), Dark Souls II (2014) and Dark Souls III (2016), and that release order is also the story order.
This guide adds the remasters, the Trilogy collection, every DLC in sequence, the related Souls games from Demon's Souls to Elden Ring Nightreign, and where each one is sold today.
Dark Souls games in order of release
Three numbered games make up the Dark Souls series. The later releases are re-releases of those three, not new stories.
| Order | Game | First release | Current platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Souls | 2011 on consoles; Prepare to Die Edition on PC August 24, 2012 | Replaced by Dark Souls: Remastered |
| 2 | Dark Souls II | 2014; PC on April 25, 2014 | PC (Steam) |
| 3 | Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | April 2015 (PC on Steam April 1, 2015) | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
| 4 | Dark Souls III | April 2016 (Steam April 11, 2016) | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
| 5 | Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition | Retail on April 21, 2017 | PS4, Xbox One, PC |
| 6 | Dark Souls: Remastered | May 2018 (Steam May 23, 2018); Nintendo Switch October 19, 2018 | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch |
| 7 | Dark Souls Trilogy | Three-disc collection, available now | PS4, Xbox One |
The “Souls” series
FromSoftware's Souls series is wider than the three Dark Souls games. These titles share the design style but tell separate stories in separate worlds.
| Game | Release | World | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demon's Souls | February 2009 in Japan, PS3 | Boletaria | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Dark Souls | 2011 | Lordran | Bandai Namco |
| Dark Souls II | 2014 | A new kingdom in the Dark Souls world | Bandai Namco |
| Bloodborne | March 24, 2015, PS4 | The ancient city of Yharnam | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Dark Souls III | 2016 | The fading Dark Souls world | Bandai Namco |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | March 2019 | Late 1500s Sengoku Japan | Activision outside Japan and Asia |
| Demon's Souls (remake) | November 12, 2020, PS5 | Boletaria | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Elden Ring | February 2022 | The Lands Between | Bandai Namco |
| Elden Ring Nightreign | May 2025 | Spin-off of Elden Ring | Bandai Namco |
Demon's Souls is the series' starting point, while Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring are new worlds rather than Dark Souls sequels.
Dark Souls games in order
In story order the three games run in the same sequence they were released. Dark Souls III is described by Bandai Namco as the final journey in the series.
| Story order | Game | DLC set in that game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Souls | Artorias of the Abyss |
| 2 | Dark Souls II | Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, Crown of the Ivory King |
| 3 | Dark Souls III | Ashes of Ariandel, then The Ringed City |
The DLC slots in after you reach the late game of each title, so play each base game first and pick up its DLC before moving to the next number.
Which Dark Souls game should you play first?
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want the story in order | Dark Souls: Remastered | It is the first game plus Artorias of the Abyss, with 60 fps and dedicated servers |
| You want the most modern feel | Dark Souls III | The newest of the three, on PC, PS4 and Xbox One |
| You own a PS4 or Xbox One and want everything | Dark Souls Trilogy | All three games and all their DLC on three discs |
| You play on Nintendo Switch | Dark Souls: Remastered | The Dark Souls release with a Switch version, out since October 19, 2018 |
| You own a PS5 and want the series' roots | Demon's Souls | The 2020 remake of the 2009 game that came before Dark Souls |
Dark Souls DLC in order
| DLC | Game | Where it is included |
|---|---|---|
| Artorias of the Abyss | Dark Souls | Prepare to Die Edition on PC and Dark Souls: Remastered |
| Crown of the Sunken King | Dark Souls II | Scholar of the First Sin |
| Crown of the Old Iron King | Dark Souls II | Scholar of the First Sin |
| Crown of the Ivory King | Dark Souls II | Scholar of the First Sin |
| Ashes of Ariandel | Dark Souls III | The Fire Fades Edition |
| The Ringed City | Dark Souls III | The Fire Fades Edition |
Dark Souls Trilogy bundles Remastered, Scholar of the First Sin and The Fire Fades Edition, so it carries every DLC above.
Dark Souls Remastered vs Dark Souls Trilogy
| Edition | What it contains | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls: Remastered | Dark Souls in high definition at 60 fps plus Artorias of the Abyss, with dedicated online servers | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | Dark Souls II plus all three Crown DLC | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
| Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition | Dark Souls III plus Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City | PC, PS4, Xbox One |
| Dark Souls Trilogy | All three editions above on three discs with a steel book | PS4, Xbox One |
Where to buy Dark Souls games on PC, PlayStation and Xbox
| Game | PC | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls: Remastered | Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch |
| Dark Souls II | Steam | Scholar of the First Sin on PS4 | Scholar of the First Sin on Xbox One | Not available |
| Dark Souls III | Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Not available |
| Demon's Souls | Not available | PS5 remake; original on PS3 | Not available | Not available |
| Bloodborne | Not available | PS4, also playable on PS5 | Not available | Not available |
On Steam, the original Dark Souls II and Scholar of the First Sin are separate store pages, and Scholar offers an upgrade price for owners of the original.
Games like Dark Souls from FromSoftware
If you finish the trilogy, these are FromSoftware's later games in the same style.
| Game | Release on Steam | What changes from Dark Souls |
|---|---|---|
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | March 21, 2019 | A fixed hero, the one-armed wolf, with stealth, ninja abilities and prosthetic tools |
| Elden Ring | February 24, 2022 | An open world, the Lands Between, with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion |
| Elden Ring Nightreign | May 29, 2025 | A standalone three-player co-op adventure in the Elden Ring universe |
Bloodborne is the other close relative, but it is a PlayStation game with a faster, gothic-horror style. If you like working through a series in release order, the FNAF games in order follow the same idea.
Will there be a Dark Souls 4?
No Dark Souls 4 has been announced, so treat Dark Souls III as the last numbered game. Bandai Namco's own Dark Souls Trilogy page calls Dark Souls III the final journey in the series, and FromSoftware's newer releases are Elden Ring and its spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign.
Dark Souls games in order FAQs
Do I need to play the Souls games in order?
No. Each Dark Souls game has its own world and new character, so any one can be played first. Playing Dark Souls, Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III in order makes the returning themes and the ending of Dark Souls III land better.
Will there be another Dark Souls game?
No new Dark Souls game has been announced. Bandai Namco describes Dark Souls III as the final journey in the series, and FromSoftware has since released Elden Ring and Elden Ring Nightreign instead.
How many Dark Souls games are there?
There are three Dark Souls games: Dark Souls, Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III. Remastered, Scholar of the First Sin, The Fire Fades Edition and the Trilogy collection are re-releases of those three.
What is the first Dark Souls game?
Dark Souls, released in 2011, is the first game in the series. Today it is sold as Dark Souls: Remastered, which includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC and runs at 60 fps, something an FPS counter on PC can confirm.
Is Demon's Souls part of the Dark Souls series?
No. Demon's Souls came out in 2009, before Dark Souls, and is set in the separate kingdom of Boletaria. It is the predecessor in style, and its 2020 remake is a PS5 exclusive.
Is Bloodborne a Dark Souls game?
No. Bloodborne is a separate game set in the city of Yharnam, released for PS4 on March 24, 2015 by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It shares the Souls style but not the Dark Souls story.
Is Elden Ring connected to Dark Souls?
No. Elden Ring takes place in the Lands Between, its own open world, and is not a Dark Souls sequel. It comes from the same studio and shares the style and difficulty.
Does Dark Souls Trilogy include the DLC?
Yes. Dark Souls Trilogy bundles Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin and Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, which together include every DLC for all three games.
