The Story Timeline Order of Penumbra Games
Penumbra is a series of horror video games often credited with having a significant impact on the video games industry with its characteristical first-person gameplay, stealth and realistic physics simulation when interacting with objects in the game. Penumbra games typically feature first-person horror gameplay, puzzles, dark environments and trying to avoid enemies, in a stealth-like gameplay.
The Penumbra games feature a first-person horror gameplay with elements that can be found in subsequent horror games, such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Outlast. Some of these elements include avoiding enemies, hiding and solving puzzles. For this reason, the Penumbra games are recognized as having influenced the video games industry, and in particular the horror genre. Indeed, by the early 2010s, there was a growing trend of first-person horror games, as opposed to the third-person perspective which was more common in horror games from the late 2000s. This growing trend of first-person horror games in the early 2010s seemed to continue throughout that decade. Before that, the first-person perspective in horror video game was mostly common in horror games that blended horror and FPS (first-person shooter) gameplay, which were mostly from the early 2000s, as possibly a heritage from the success of FPS games in the 1990s.
Penumbra games are known for their extensive use of darkness and shadows, as well as stealth gameplay. The games also allow players to interact with multiple objects, with a physics simulation implemented in the gameplay, adding to the realism and immersion of the Penumbra horror games. This realistic physics simulation in a horror game will later also be seen in the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Considering that the Penumbra games have a characteristic horror atmosphere, this realistic physics simulation in Penumbra is one of the elements that make Penumbra a quite atmospheric horror game experience. For this reason, for horror game fans that are looking for a more atmospheric horror video game, the Penumbra games can be an interesting experience. This horror atmosphere and slow-paced gameplay is very different from the horror action gameplay of games such as Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, and for this reason, can be a refreshing horror video game experience.
Are the Penumbra Games Connected?
It is possible to play the Penumbra games in any order and enjoy the horror gameplay. However, the three Penumbra games, Penumbra: Overture, Penumbra: Black Plague and Penumbra: Requiem, are all connected by an overall story and by the same player character protagonist, Philip. For this reason, playing the Penumbra games in story order is suggested for players who want to have the best possible experience of the Penumbra story and immersive themselves in the Penumbra games universe. Playing in story order is suggested to the players that enjoy immersing in the story of the games they place, and that also like reading backstory elements such as diaries and journals found in games, such as in the case of the Penumbra video games. For these players, playing in story order will be an enjoyable experience. For the players who only want to enjoy the gameplay, it is possible to play Penumbra games in any order, even though the story order is the most suggested playthrough order.
The Chronological Story Order of Penumbra Video Games
This is the chronological story order of the Penumbra games. In other words, this is the chronological order of events that take place in each of the Penumbra games. In the specific case of the Penumbra game series, this story order of games is identical to the release order of games. These games are directly connected to each other, and the usually start exactly when the previous game ended. For this reason, it is suggested to play the Penumbra games in this order to have the best possible story experience in the Penumbra games universe.
Penumbra: Overture
Penumbra: Black Plague
Penumbra: Requiem
The Story Timeline Order of Penumbra Video Games
These are the years in which each Penumbra game is set and in which the story events of the Penumbra games take place. This years should be considered fictional and belonging to the Penumbra universe. In other words, they could be called "Penumbra years", "years in Penumbra time" or "years in the Penumbra universe". These years should not be confused with the years of the release dates of the Penumbra games.
2001 Penumbra: Overture
200? Penumbra: Black Plague
200? Penumbra: Requiem
It is known that the first Penumbra game, Penumbra: Overture, is set in the year 2001. The next Penumbra game, Penumbra: Black Plague, takes place immediately after Penumbra: Overture, even though it is unclear if it is still set in the year 2001. The third game, Penumbra: Requiem, takes place immediately after Penumbra: Black Plague, and it is also unclear if it still set in 2001. For this reason, while it is unclear if Penumbra: Black Plague and Penumbra: Requiem are still set in 2001, it is certain that they are set in the 2000s, and it is certain that they are set after Penumbra: Overture. Since the exact years of these games are uncertain, I have written the dates as being set in the 2000s decade, which is quite reasonable considering that they are set immediately one after the other.
About Penumbra: Necrologue
The three Penumbra games are Penumbra: Overture, Penumbra: Black Plague and Penumbra: Requiem. There is a fan-made mod, called Penumbra: Necrologue, which is a total conversion mod for the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Since Penumbra: Necrologue is a fan-made mod, I did not consider it canon and did not include it in this article in the chronological story order list of Penumbra video games.
For the gamers that want to play the mod Penumbra: Necrologue and want to know where this mod could fit in the continuity, theoretically, Penumbra: Necrologue would take place after the events of Penumbra: Requiem, and for this reason, could be played after that game.
However, it is important to remember that Penumbra: Necrologue is a fan-made mod, and for this reason, it was not considered canon in this article and it is not considered to belong to the Penumbra chronological story order. It is suggested to consider the fan-made mod as a "what if" scenario, an alternate continuity, or a different interpretation.
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