All Tomb Raider Games In Order
TheTomb Raiderfranchise is one of the most well-knownin gaming, and Lara Croft is one of the most iconic female characters in the medium. The explorer has stylishly shot and back-flipped her way through demons, gods, and dinosaurs. Here iseveryTomb Raidergame in orderof release.
Tomb Raider (1996)
The firstTomb Raidergame was released in 1996. Starring adventurerLara Croft, the game sees her hired to find the Scion of Atlantis. An ancient artifact capable of creating an army of monsters. The game was developed by English studio Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive for the original PlayStation, PC, and the Sega Saturn.
Tomb Raider II (1997)
Lara returned a year later in a sequel that saw her on the hunt for the mystical Dagger of Xian. A powerful weapon once belonging to the fittingly named Dragon Emperor, the blade could transform its wielder into a dragon if they stab themselves in the heart with it. The short development time ofTomb Raider IIled to series creator Toby Gard leaving Core Design during development. Despite this,Tomb Raider IIwas a huge success, released on the PlayStation and PC to critical and commercial acclaim.
Tomb Raider III (1998)
TheTomb Raiderfranchise released annual titles well beforeCall of Duty‘s yearly bombardment. In 1998,Tomb Raider IIIadopted a new game engine, but still released on the PlayStation and PC. A bona fide video game icon at this point, Lara’s third adventure sees her traveling the globe to recover a set of powerful stones carved from a meteorite.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)
Dropping the number for the fourth entry in the series,Tomb Raider: The Last Revelationsees Lara going up against a literalEgyptian godas she battles the armies of Set. Due to burnout from constantly working on the yearly franchise, the developers at Core Design intended to end the game with Lara’s death. However, her fate was left ambiguous instead.
Tomb Raider (2000)
Lara Croft’s first hand-held adventure was for theGameboy Colorin 2000. Simply titledTomb Raider, it was developed by Core Design but published by THQ. As such, it was the first game that didn’t feature Eidos Interactive’s input. In the plot, Lara is tasked with stopping a group of treasure hunters from freeing an evil god called Quaxet through the use of the Nightmare Stone.
Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000)
Back to mainline entries, and also released in 2000,Tomb Raider: Chronicleswas one of the least well-received titles in the series. With Lara presumed dead after the events ofTomb Raider: The Last Revelation,Chroniclestells four short stories of Lara’s past adventures. The first story shows her hunt for the famed Philosopher’s Stone; the second features the Spear of Destiny (the weapon that was supposedly used to stab Jesus during his crucifixion); the third sees Lara fighting to survive on a haunted island, and the fourth is about her falling out with her mentor Werner Von Croy.
Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (2001)
The second Gameboy Color title,Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword, is a sequel to the Gameboy Color gameTomb Raider. Developed by Core Design and published by Activision this time,Curse of the Swordhad Lara chasing down a cult that wanted to use her body to resurrect a witch.
Tomb Raider: The Prophecy (2002)
Releasing in 2002,Tomb Raider: The Prophecywas the third and final Gameboy Color game starring Lara Croft. It was the first game in the series not to be developed by Core Design. Instead, Ubisoft handled both development and publication. This game sees Lara come up against, you guessed it, a cult. Only this time, they’re after three magical stones, and the story is based on a prophecy written in the Book of Ezekial.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
After three years away, Lara returned to home consoles and PCs with 2003’sTomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, which was also her debut on the PlayStation 2. Intended to kick start a new trilogy of games,The Angel of Darknesscontinued the continuity of Lara’s past installments. However, these plans were scrapped due to a difficult development and poor reception upon release.The Angel of Darknessended up being Core Design’s finalTomb Raidergame, with the studio being acquired by Rebellion (best known for theSniper Eliteseries) in 2006. Renamed Rebellion South, the studio would work on the embarrassingly badRogue WarriorandAlien vs Predatortie-in game before closing down in 2010. The plot ofTomb Raider: The Angel of Darknessfeatures Lara being framed for murder and on the run in Paris as she searches for paintings related to an alchemical artifact.
Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)
Tomb Raider: Legendrebooted the franchise withCrystal Dynamics(then known for theGexandLegacy of Kainfranchises) taking on development duties. The game was released on PC, PS2, Gamecube, Gameboy Advance, and Nintendo DS, with Buzz Monkey Software (now Zynga Eugene) working on the PSP release. It was also the franchise’s first appearance on Xbox, appearing on the original system and the Xbox 360. With a new look and backstory, Legend saw Lara searching for the legendary sword Excalibur, believing that it may be linked to her mother’s disappearance.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)
2007’sTomb Raider: Anniversaryis a remake of the original 1996 classic while also retrofitting the events of that game into Crystal Dynamic’s new canon.Tomb Raider: Anniversarywasreleased on the PC, PS2, Xbox 360, PSP, and Nintendo Wii, with Buzz Monkey again working on the PSP release. Crystal Dynamics brought back Lara’s creator Toby Gard to expand upon the story and characterization of Lara.
Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)
Crystal Dynamics concluded its trilogy in 2008 withTomb Raider: Underworldon the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS. This time, Buzz Monkey developed the Nintendo Wii version of the game.Underworldwas the final game in the franchise to be published by Eidos Interactive, with the English publisher merging with Square Enix in 2009. Despite good reviews, Lara’s quest for Mjolnir and the entrance to Helheim sold below expectations. This led to the mainline series going on a hiatus.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010)
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Lightwas a 2010 spin-off that debuted on the Xbox Live Arcade and subsequently released on PC and the PlayStation Network.Guardian of Lightwas quite a big departure from the franchise’s routes, focussing on co-op gameplay with an isometric, fixed camera angle and arcade-inspired gameplay. The game was developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix. It sees Lara teaming up with a 2000-year-old Mayan warrior voiced by Winnie-the-Pooh himself, Jim Cummings.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics rebooted theTomb Raiderfranchise and revitalizedLara Croft for a modern audiencewith 2013’sTomb Raider.It released on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. In Lara’s absence,Unchartedand Nathan Drake had taken her spot as gaming’s primary action archeologist.Tomb Raider 2013borrowed some elements from the PlayStation franchise, and Lara’s adventures became more action-packed and cinematic than ever. This game kicked off a new, very successful trilogy and was a big inspiration for the 2018 film adaptation starring Alicia Vikander.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014)
Lara Croft and The Temple of Osirisis not part of Square Enix’s reboot trilogy. Instead, it is a sequel to 2010’s spin-offLara Croft and the Guardian of Light. It is another multiplayer arcade-style game with an isometric camera and was released on PS4, PC, Xbox One,Google Stadia (RIP), and Nintendo Switch. In it, Lara teamed up with rival treasure hunter Carter Bell and Egyptian deities Isis and Horus.
Lara Croft: Relic Run (2015)
Lara Croft: Relic Runis a free-to-playTemple Runclone developed by Simutronics formobile devices. As a semi-sequel toLara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, it sees Lara searching for fellow archaeologist Carter Bell.
Lara Croft Go (2015)
No, this mobile game doesn’t task players with capturing wild Lara Crofts. Rather, it is a turn-based puzzle game in which players must guide Lara across a board full of obstacles and enemies. Square Enix Montreal developed it as a spiritual successor to its game,Hitman Go. The title was later released on PS4, PlayStation Vita, MAC, and Linux.
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
Rise of the Tomb Raiderwas the second game in Square Enix’s so-called ‘Survivor’ trilogy, continuing Lara’s adventures. This time, she is in Siberia looking for the lost city of Kitzeh. The game expanded on its predecessor’s levels, featuring semi-open areas that Lara could explore for secrets, crafting materials, and side quests.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)
2018’sShadow of the Tomb Raiderconcluded the Survivor trilogy. Developed by Eidos-Montreal and not Crystal Dynamics (Eidos-Montreal had worked as a support team on the previous two titles),Shadow of the Tomb Raiderhas a darker tone and more apocalyptic themes. In her ongoing quest to defeat the villainous organization Trinity, Lara steals the Dagger of Chak Chel and inadvertently kick-starts the end of the world.
Tomb Raider: Reloaded (2023)
Tomb Raider: Reloadedis a mobile arcade game developed by Emerald City Games and published by CDE Entertainment for IOS, Android, andNetflix. Using Lara’s classic design, Reloadedis a top-down rogue-like shooter.
The Lara Croft Collection
The Lara Croft Collectionbundles together 2010’sLara Croft and the Guardian of Lightand 2014’sLara Croft and the Temple of Osirisfor the Nintendo Switch. Developed by Crystal Dynamics and Feral Interactive, the latter published the collection.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024?)
Crystal Dynamics has partnered with Texan publisher Aspyr to release Lara’s first three adventures for modern platforms. Featuring fresh graphics and performance upgrades,Tomb Raider I-III Remasteredwill featurethe first three games in the series, as well as their respective expansions. Those beingTomb RaiderandUnfinished Business,Tomb Raider IIandGold Mask, andTomb Raider IIIandThe Lost Artifact.
Untitled Amazon Game
In December 2022,Twinifinite reportedthat Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games had partnered to release a new multiplatformTomb Raidergame. The title “continues Lara Croft’s story” with Unreal Engine 5 allowing Crystal Dynamics to “take storytelling to the next level, in the biggest, most expansiveTomb Raidergame to date.”
That’s all of theTomb Raidergames as of writing. Which was the first game in the series you played? Which is your favorite? Let us know.
