Play Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 12 playedMajor releases in order. Pick an entry point; nothing requires playing all of these.
- 1 Shogun: Total War The original. Dated but short.
- 2 Medieval: Total War Classic era. Skippable today except for history.
- 3 Rome: Total War Fan favorite era. The Remastered (2021) version is the one to buy.
- 4 Medieval II: Total War Still modded heavily. Good history entry.
- 5 Empire: Total War Gunpowder era. Ambitious and buggy at launch.
- 6 Shogun 2: Total War Common recommendation for newcomers to historical titles.
- 7 Rome II: Total War Fixed up over years. Huge ancient map.
- 8 Total War: Warhammer Fantasy entry point 1 of 3.
- 9 Total War: Warhammer II Fantasy entry point 2 of 3. Best Vortex campaign.
- 10 Total War: Three Kingdoms Romance of the Three Kingdoms setting. Great characters.
- 11 Total War: Warhammer III Current fantasy platform with Immortal Empires. Best starting point for Warhammer fans.
- 12 Total War: Pharaoh Bronze Age collapse. Latest historical entry.
About Total War
Total War pairs turn-based empire management with real-time battles. Entries are standalone, so there is no story order. History fans usually start with a setting they like, while fantasy fans start with the Warhammer trilogy.
This guide lists the major releases in release order with entry points flagged, rather than pretending a 20-game series has one true path.
Good to know
DLCs attach to their base game; buy them only for the entry you actually play. Warhammer 1 to 3 connect through the Immortal Empires map if you own all three.
