Play Order
0 / 8 playedGames and expansions in release order.
About Half-Life
Half-Life tells Gordon Freeman's story in release order across two games plus episodes and a VR return. Half-Life from 1998 escapes Black Mesa, the Opposing Force and Blue Shift expansions retell it from other boots, and Half-Life 2 from 2004 plus Episodes One and Two continue through City 17.
Portal and Portal 2 live in the same universe as Aperture-side stories that fit any time after Half-Life 2. Alyx from 2020 rewinds to between Half-Life 1 and 2 as a VR prequel, and no Half-Life 3 has been announced, so Episode Two's cliffhanger still waits.
Good to know
Play in release order, since the expansions assume the base games and the episodes assume Half-Life 2. Slot Portal 1 and 2 after Half-Life 2 as same-universe extras with only lore nods connecting them. Alyx works best last despite being a prequel, because its ending reframes the whole saga, and the wait for a sequel needs no further explanation.
