The Story Timeline Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games
Dungeons & Dragons, commonly referred to as Dungeons and Dragons, D&D and DnD, is a franchise of role-playing games. Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most famous franchises of RPGs, and includes tabletops RPGs as well as RPG video games. D&D has been praised by players over the world for its deep lore and possibilities of gameplay, in regard to both the tabletop RPGs as well as to the RPG video games inspired by the universe of Dungeons & Dragons. Considering that there is a vast amount Dungeons & Dragons video games, and that most of these video games are set in specific time periods of the Dungeons & Dragons universe, it is important to know the chronological order in which these video games relate to each other, and to be more precise, a timeline that includes the years or approximate time periods of each of these video games. This timeline is quite useful for RPG players and D&D fans who want to play these video games in story order.
1281 DR - Icewind Dale (2000) | Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
1312 DR - Icewind Dale 2
1340 DR - Pool of Radiance
1350 DR - Pools of Darkness
1356 DR - Gateway to the Savage Frontier
1357 DR - Teasures of the Savage Frontier
1358 DR - Eye of the Beholder (1991) | Eye of the Beholder (2002)
1358 DR - Curse of the Azure Bonds
1358 DR - Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
1358 DR - Secret of the Silver Blades
1358 DR - Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor
1359 DR - The Temple of Elemental Evil
13?? DR - (Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession)
13?? DR - (Ravenloft: Stone Prophet)
1368 DR - The Black Pits
1368 DR - Baldur's Gate (1998) | Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
1369 DR - Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
1369 DR - Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn | Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
1372 DR - Neverwinter Nights (2002)
1373 DR - Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
1374 DR - Neverwinter Nights 2
1374 DR - Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
1374 DR - Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
1??? DR - Dungeons & Dragons Online (2006)
1420 DR - Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale
1479 DR - Neverwinter (2013)
1492 DR - Sword Coast Legends
1493 DR - Baldur's Gate III
The timeline I presented in this article refers to the Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Forgotten Realms campaign. In general, Dungeons & Dragons video games are set in a specific world, which belongs to a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The most known Dungeons & Dragons campaigns are Forgotten Realms and Eberron, and most of the Dungeons & Dragons video games are set in Forgotten Realms. Considering that the games set in Forgotten Realms present a very different world when compared to games compared to Eberron, it is reasonable to separate the video games of different campaigns in different timelines. Moreover, most of the Dungeons & Dragons video games are set in the Forgotten Realms campaign.
In Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms video games, the DR notation is used to mark the passage of time, and is thus used to represent specific dates across different time periods. To be more precise, in Dungeons & Dragons video games, DR refers to Dale Reckoning.
Many players confuse the difference between Forgotten Realms and Faerûn. These are two different concepts that are indeed connected, but represent different notions. To be precise, Forgotten Realms is the setting, or campaign, or world, in which some Dungeons & Dragons video games take place. Faerûn is the continent in which many of these video games take place. In other words, Faerûn is a region of the Forgotten Realms scenario.
Precision of the Timeline
The timeline I wrote in this article is the most accurate I was capable of, and took into account all of the available information in each of the video games. This list displays the Dungeons & Dragons video games in chronological story order, with the addition of the year in which each video game is set, thus making it a timeline of these games.
In most cases, the year I wrote in this list refers to the year in which the video game begins, and not necessarily the year in which such game ends. It is also important to mention that I was not able to find the exact time period, or fictional year, in which some Dungeons & Dragons video games are set. In many cases, years are mentioned in some dialogues in these video games, in journal pages, diary pages, and other lore elements that can be accessed during the gameplay. In some cases, the exact year is not mentioned, but certain past story events of other video games are mentioned, and this can be used as a tool to understand the placement in the timeline.
It is important to note that the years displayed in this timeline refer to the fictional years in which each video game is set. In other words, these fictional years refer to the passage of time and to the timeline of the fictional Dungeons & Dragons video games universe. For this reason, these years could be called "years in Dungeons & Dragons video games time", "years in the Dungeons & Dragons video games timeline" and "years in the Dungeons & Dragons video games universe". To be more precise, the time period of each of these video games is indicated with the "aaaa DR" notation, in which "aaaa" is the year and "DR" is the Dale Reckoning notation used in the Dungeons & Dragons video games universe.
The Ravenloft Video Games
In regards to whether Ravenloft video games are set in Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession starts in Elturel, which is set in Forgotten Realms. Most of the gameplay in Raveloft: Strahd's Possession is set in Ravenloft, which is not exactly a part of the Forgotten Realms. It could be disputed whether the Ravenloft video games that I included in my timeline of Dungeons & Dragons video games set in Forgotten Realms, which are Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession and Ravenloft: Stone Prophet, should be included in this list, as these games take place in Ravenloft, which is an alternate dimension, called demiplane in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Indeed, Ravenloft is often described as its own campaign setting. In the specific case of the Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession and Ravenloft: Stone Prophet video games, I decided to include these in my timeline because Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession's beginning of the gameplay is set in Forgotten Realms, and Ravenloft: Stone Prophet is a sequel to Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession. For this reason, even though most of the gameplay in these games is set in Ravenloft, and not exactly in Forgotten Realms, I decided to include them in my timeline of Dungeons & Dragons video games set in Forgotten Realms. I marked both of these games with parenthesis in order to emphasize their interdimensional status.
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Despite what some RPG players think, the MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online is technically set in both Eberron and in Forgotten Realms. While most of the base game is set in Eberron, there are expansions which are set in Forgotten Realms. In regards to the part of Dungeons & Dragons Online which is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign, this content mostly takes place after Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II, which is a video game that is set in 1374 DR. However, it must be noted that the base Dungeons & Dragons Online video game is set in Eberron, and that some of its expansions are set in Forgotten Realms. Thus, it is important to consider that Dungeons & Dragons Online is partly set in Forgotten Realms, while the base video game is set in Eberron.
What Are Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Like?
In general, Dungeons & Dragons video games are role-playing games. However, gameplay can be quite different from one game to the other. For example, Neverwinter Nights (2002) features gameplay of one main character and a companion, whereas Baldur's Gate (1998) features gameplay of a party of characters, such as seen in Icewind Dale (2000) and in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000). Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance features isometric action RPG gameplay, which is also seen in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance features third-person action gameplay.
While there are differences in camera perspective, as well as in gameplay elements, most of the Dungeons & Dragons video games are RPGs in which the player character is able to complete quests, adventure in different environments, fight monsters and progress through the storyline.
Differences Between Forgotten Realms and Eberron Campaigns
Forgotten Realms and Eberron are two different Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. In general, video games set in different campaign settings do not have continuity; in other words, these games from different campaign settings are not directly related, story-wise, as they are set in different worlds.
To be more precise, the Forgotten Realms campaign scenario features a medieval Western high fantasy setting, including dragons, magic, elves, orcs and other classic RPG elements. In contrast, the Eberron campaign scenario, while featuring many of the elements also found in Forgotten Realms, features a low fantasy setting, including technological developments not usually seen in Forgotten Realms. Another difference is that most of the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms video games are set in Faerûn, while the Dungeons & Dragons Eberron video games are set in Khorvaire.
Forgotten Realms and Eberron are two different Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. In general, video games set in different campaign settings do not have continuity; in other words, these games from different campaign settings are not directly related, story-wise, as they are set in different worlds.
To be more precise, the Forgotten Realms campaign scenario features a medieval Western high fantasy setting, including dragons, magic, elves, orcs and other classic RPG elements. In contrast, the Eberron campaign scenario, while featuring many of the elements also found in Forgotten Realms, features a low fantasy setting, including technological developments not usually seen in Forgotten Realms. Another difference is that most of the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms video games are set in Faerûn, while the Dungeons & Dragons Eberron video games are set in Khorvaire.
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Forgotten Realms
In the case of some games, such as Neverwinter Nights, there can be some confusion regarding which game is being referred to, as there is more than one game with such name. In these cases, I used the release date year to be more precise. For example, Neverwinter Nights (2002) refers to the game released in 2002, whereas Neverwinter (2013) refers to the game released in 2013. This is also the case with the games Eye of the Beholder (1991) and Eye of the Beholder (2002), which are two different games, sharing the same name, released in different years.
Considering the vast number of Dungeons & Dragons video games, in order to make my chronological story order list more simple, I decided not to include expansions in this chronological story order. Instead, I only included the base games. In most cases, the expansions take place immediately after the base game, and the expansions are most often presented, in each game, in chronological story order. For this reason, I did not find a strong reason to include the expansions of all games in this list as it would make the list even longer without adding significant chronological context. Thus, for players looking for the best order to play expansions, my suggestion is to play the base game first, and then play all of the expansions of such base game in the same order as they are presented in the game.
Icewind Dale (2000) | Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
Icewind Dale 2
Pool of Radiance
Pools of Darkness
Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Teasures of the Savage Frontier
Eye of the Beholder (1991) | Eye of the Beholder (2002)
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Eye of the Beholder III: The Legend of Darkmoon
Secret of the Silver Blades
Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor
The Temple of Elemental Evil
(Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession)
(Ravenloft: Stone Prophet)
The Black Pits
Baldur's Gate (1998) | Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn | Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Neverwinter Nights (2002)
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Neverwinter Nights 2
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale
Neverwinter (2013)
Sword Coast Legends
Baldur's Gate III
Considering that I was not able to find precise information regarding the time period of some Dungeons & Dragons video games, I was not able to include these games in a precise chronological story order placement in my list. For this reason, I had to write a separate list for these games, which are the games I yet do not know the precise time period, even though they are set in the Forgotten Realms scenario setting.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
Blood & Magic
Dungeon Hack
Neverwinter Nights (1991)
Descent to Undermountain
Menzoberranzan
Hillsfar
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation
Lords of Waterdeep
(Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft)
Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
The Story Timeline Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Forgotten Realms
For Dungeons & Dragons video games fans and RPG fans, I wrote a story timeline of Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Forgotten Realms scenario. This list displays these Dungeons & Dragons video games in story timeline order, with the addition of the year in which each video game is set, thus making it a timeline of these games.
It is important to note that the years displayed in this story timeline list refer to the fictional years in which each video game is set. In other words, these fictional years refer to the passage of time and to the timeline of the fictional Dungeons & Dragons video games universe. For this reason, these years could be called "years in Dungeons & Dragons video games time", "years in the Dungeons & Dragons video games timeline" and "years in the Dungeons & Dragons video games universe".
In most cases, the year I wrote in this list refers to the year in which the video game begins, and not necessarily the year in which such game ends. It is also important to mention that I was not able to find the exact time period, or fictional year, in which some Dungeons & Dragons video games are set.
1281 DR Icewind Dale (2000) | Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
1312 DR Icewind Dale 2
1340 DR Pool of Radiance
1350 DR Pools of Darkness
1356 DR Gateway to the Savage Frontier
1357 DR Teasures of the Savage Frontier
1358 DR Eye of the Beholder (1991) | Eye of the Beholder (2002)
1358 DR Curse of the Azure Bonds
1358 DR Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
1358 DR Secret of the Silver Blades
1358 DR Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor
1359 DR The Temple of Elemental Evil
13?? DR (Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession)
13?? DR (Ravenloft: Stone Prophet)
1368 DR The Black Pits
1368 DR Baldur's Gate (1998) | Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
1369 DR Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
1369 DR Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn | Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
1372 DR Neverwinter Nights (2002)
1373 DR Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
1374 DR Neverwinter Nights 2
1374 DR Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
1374 DR Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
1420 DR Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale
1479 DR Neverwinter (2013)
1492 DR Sword Coast Legends
1493 DR Baldur's Gate III
???? DR Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
???? DR Blood & Magic
???? DR Dungeon Hack
???? DR Neverwinter Nights (1991)
???? DR Descent to Undermountain
???? DR Menzoberranzan
???? DR Hillsfar
???? DR Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
???? DR Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation
???? DR Lords of Waterdeep
???? DR (Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft)
???? DR Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Missing From My Timeline
There are some Dungeons & Dragons video games for which I was not able to find the exact year in the Dungeons & Dragons video games universe, or in some cases, not even a connection to previous or future story events of other Dungeons & Dragons video games. While it is possible that some of these Dungeons & Dragons video games are set in an alternate timeline, it is also possible that I just missed information.
???? DR Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
???? DR Blood & Magic
???? DR Dungeon Hack
???? DR Neverwinter Nights (1991)
???? DR Descent to Undermountain
???? DR Menzoberranzan
???? DR Hillsfar
???? DR Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
???? DR Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation
???? DR Lords of Waterdeep
???? DR (Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft)
???? DR Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace
What Is the Difference Between Forgotten Realms and Eberron Campaign Settings?
Forgotten Realms and Eberron are two different Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. In general, video games set in different campaign settings do not have continuity; in other words, these games from different campaign settings are not directly related, story-wise, as they are set in different worlds.
To be more precise, the Forgotten Realms campaign scenario features a medieval Western high fantasy setting, including dragons, magic, elves, orcs and other classic RPG elements. In contrast, the Eberron campaign scenario, while featuring many of the elements also found in Forgotten Realms, features a low fantasy setting, including technological developments not usually seen in Forgotten Realms. Another difference is that most of the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms video games are set in Faerûn, while the Dungeons & Dragons Eberron video games are set in Khorvaire.
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Eberron
As far as I am aware, there are not many Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Eberron campaign scenario. The only two games I found in my research that are set in Eberron are Dungeons & Dragons Online (regarding the base game) and Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard. Despite both of these games being set in Eberron, I did not find direct story connection between them.
Dungeons & Dragons Online | Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Dragonlance
Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Dragonlance campaign setting take place in the world of Krynn. While these video games share common elements that may also be found in Dungeons & Dragons video games set in different campaign settings, it is important to keep in mind that each campaign setting is comparable to its own world.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance
Dragons of Flame (1989)
Shadow Sorcerer
War of the Lance (1989)
DragonStrike (1990)
Champions of Krynn
Death Knights of Krynn
The Dark Queen of Krynn
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Greyhawk
Such as is the case with the Eberron campaign setting, there are not many Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Greyhawk campaign setting. Of the few that are set in Greyhawk, I did not find clear evidence of direct story connection.
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes
The Temple of Elemental Evil
Dungeons & Dragons Tactics
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Mystara
I did not find precise information regarding story connections between most of the Dungeons & Dragons Mystara video games, except for Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara.
Dungeons & Dragons: Order of the Griffon
Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun
Fantasy Empires
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara
The Chronological Story Order of Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Set in Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, or scenario setting, which includes some video games. Though not as numerous as the Dungeons & Dragons video games set in the Forgotten Realms scenario, the Dark Sun video games are set in their own universe.
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager
Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands
If you are interested in the story timeline order of RPG video games, you may also be interested in checking out the story timeline orders of Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher.
Sources of Research: