The Mortal Kombat games in order of release run from the original arcade Mortal Kombat in 1992 through to Mortal Kombat 1 in 2023, taking in eighteen mainline entries and spin-offs along the way. In story order the sequence is different, because the 2011 reboot rewrote the timeline and Mortal Kombat 1 reset it again. If you only want the short answer: play Mortal Kombat (2011), then X, then 11, then 1 — that is the complete modern narrative in four games.
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Below is the full release list with years and platforms, the chronological story order including the spin-offs that slot between mainline games, and clear guidance on where a newcomer should actually start.
| Game | Platform | Genre | Why It’s Great | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortal Kombat (2011) | PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, PC | Fighting | The reboot that saved the series, with a landmark story mode | 9.0/10 |
| Mortal Kombat X | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Fighting | Variations system and a strong new generation of characters | 8.8/10 |
| Mortal Kombat 11 | PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC | Fighting | Best-looking entry of its era with deep customisation | 9.1/10 |
| Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC | Fighting | Kameo fighters reinvent the tag mechanic entirely | 8.6/10 |
| Mortal Kombat II | Arcade, SNES, Genesis, PS, PC | Fighting | The classic-era peak and the definitive arcade experience | 9.0/10 |
| Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 | Arcade, SNES, Genesis, PS, DS | Fighting | Enormous roster and the fastest 2D combat in the series | 8.7/10 |
| Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks | PS2, Xbox | Action adventure | Co-op brawler that retells the MKII story brilliantly | 8.0/10 |
| Mortal Kombat: Deception | PS2, Xbox, GameCube | Fighting | Peak Midway experimentation with Konquest and minigames | 8.2/10 |
All Mortal Kombat games in order of release
Mortal Kombat (1992) — Arcade, then SNES, Genesis, Game Gear and more. Seven playable fighters, digitised actors and the fatalities that triggered a moral panic and ultimately the creation of the ESRB.
Mortal Kombat II (1993) — Arcade and home ports. Twelve fighters, Shao Kahn as final boss, and the entry most classic fans consider the high point of the 2D era.
Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) — Added run buttons, combo strings and Animalities. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) restored missing ninjas and expanded the roster. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996) combined nearly everyone from the first three games into one package.
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997) — A side-scrolling action game on PS1 and N64, and a prequel to the original tournament.
Mortal Kombat 4 (1997) — The first fully 3D entry, introducing weapons and Quan Chi. Mortal Kombat Gold (1999) was an expanded Dreamcast version.
Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000) — A poorly received PS1 action game starring Jax, and the last Midway release before the reinvention.
The Midway 3D era of Mortal Kombat games in order
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002) rebuilt the series on PS2, Xbox and GameCube with three fighting stances per character and the Krypt unlock system. Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004) added stage fatalities, the Konquest adventure mode and even Chess Kombat.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005) is a co-op action adventure starring Liu Kang and Kung Lao that retells the Mortal Kombat II storyline, and it remains one of the best-liked spin-offs in the franchise. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006) put essentially every character ever created into one roster and closed out the original timeline.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008) was the transitional crossover, notably toned down to secure a lower rating. Playing these older entries today usually means emulation or a retro console, and a retro gaming controller buying guide matters more than most people expect since fighting games live or die on D-pad quality.
The NetherRealm era
Mortal Kombat (2011), often called MK9, is the reboot. Raiden sends a message back in time to his younger self, restarting the story from the first tournament with altered outcomes. Its cinematic story mode became the template every fighting game copied afterwards.
Mortal Kombat X (2015) jumps twenty-five years forward, introducing Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda and Kung Jin, and adds three variations per fighter. Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) brings in Kronika, keeper of time, and pulls past and present versions of characters into the same conflict; the Aftermath expansion continues the story.
Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) follows MK11’s ending, in which Liu Kang becomes a god and builds a New Era from scratch. Familiar characters return with entirely new histories, and the Kameo system gives each fighter an assist partner. Online play in this era is rollback-netcode based, so connection quality matters enormously — a gaming router buying guide is genuinely relevant for ranked play.
Mortal Kombat games in order of story chronology
The original timeline runs: Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, then Mythologies: Sub-Zero, then Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3 and Ultimate, then Mortal Kombat 4 and Gold, then Deadly Alliance, then Deception, then Armageddon. Shaolin Monks sits alongside Mortal Kombat II, covering the same events from Liu Kang and Kung Lao’s perspective.
Armageddon’s ending directly causes the reboot. From there the new timeline is Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 and its Aftermath expansion, and then Mortal Kombat 1, which establishes the New Era. If you want a continuous, coherent narrative with modern presentation, those four are all you need.
Where a newcomer should start
Start with Mortal Kombat (2011) if you care about story, because it deliberately re-tells the classic arcade trilogy for players who never touched it. Start with Mortal Kombat 1 if you want the current online population and the newest mechanics. Start with Mortal Kombat 11 if you want the deepest single-player content, since its Towers of Time and Krypt offer dozens of hours solo.
Avoid starting with Mortal Kombat X’s story if you have not played MK9, since it opens on consequences from the previous game. Fighting games are also unusually demanding on display latency, and a gaming monitor buying guide explains why input lag, not resolution, is the specification that matters for competitive play.
Spin-offs, handhelds and mobile entries
Beyond the mainline list there are Game Boy Advance conversions including Mortal Kombat Advance and Deadly Alliance, a DS port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and the long-running Mortal Kombat Mobile card-battler on iOS and Android. Mortal Kombat: Onslaught launched in 2023 as a mobile squad-based RPG.
None of these are required for the story, and most are best treated as curiosities. The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection and various Kollections bundle the classic games for modern platforms, which is the easiest legitimate route to the 1992 to 1995 entries. If you plan to build a home arcade setup for those, a arcade fight stick buying guide is the right place to start rather than guessing at parts.
Playing the whole series today
The practical reality is that the classic games are widely available in compilations, the Midway 3D era is largely trapped on PS2 and Xbox hardware, and the NetherRealm four are all purchasable on modern platforms. Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1 are on Switch as well, in reduced form.
For PC players the whole NetherRealm era runs well on modest hardware, though MK1 is the most demanding by a wide margin. A gaming PC buying guide is worth consulting if you intend to play at high frame rates, since fighting games are locked to sixty frames per second and consistency matters more than peak numbers, and a good gaming headset buying guide helps with the audio cues that experienced players use to time blocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Mortal Kombat games are there in order?
Counting mainline fighting games and major spin-offs, there are roughly eighteen entries from 1992 to 2023, plus numerous handheld conversions, compilations and mobile titles. The four NetherRealm games — Mortal Kombat 2011, X, 11 and 1 — form the complete current storyline that most new players actually need.
Which Mortal Kombat game should I play first?
Mortal Kombat (2011) is the best story entry point because it deliberately retells the original arcade trilogy for newcomers. If you want active online lobbies and the newest mechanics instead, start with Mortal Kombat 1, which introduced the Kameo assist system and resets the timeline again.
Does Mortal Kombat 1 come after Mortal Kombat 11?
Yes, despite the confusing name. Mortal Kombat 1 released in 2023 and directly follows Mortal Kombat 11’s ending, in which Liu Kang ascends to godhood and rebuilds reality. The title refers to the fresh New Era timeline rather than being a remake of the 1992 original.
Are the spin-off games worth playing?
Shaolin Monks is genuinely excellent and worth seeking out on PS2 or Xbox, since it retells the Mortal Kombat II story as a co-op action adventure. Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Special Forces are historically interesting but have aged poorly and are not required to follow the plot.
