If you’ve ever thought about diving into the world of Pokémon, one of the biggest and most immediate questions you’ll face is as simple as it is daunting: where on Earth do you even start?
With over two decades of games spanning nine generations, countless remakes, and a number of experimental spin-offs, finding the “best” order to play the Pokémon games can feel like trying to cook a meal without a recipe. Or any ingredients. Or even a kitchen.
While you could always just grab the latest release and try to jump right in, you’d be missing out on a lot of surprisingly intricate lore, not to mention the hundreds of region-specific Pokémon that might not be available in the newest title.
Plus, there’s something special about starting a game series from the very beginning and working your way up the generational ladder of titles. It makes the whole franchise feel that much more complete, and always keeps you eagerly awaiting the series’ next installment.
There are only nine generations of story-relevant games in the Pokémon franchise; though its many spin-off titles are fun, they’re also entirely optional, and can be played at any time on your journey to become the Champion.
This guide breaks down the best order to play the main series Pokémon games, so no matter if you’re a first-time trainer or a retired Poké-veteran, you’ll know exactly where to begin (or re-begin) your journey. Go catch ’em all!
The order that we’ve chosen for this list isn’t about story chronology or release dates. Instead, we’ve chosen to order all the mainline Pokémon games based on their respective difficulties and accessibility to a wide audience range. Essentially, we’re starting with the easiest Pokémon games for beginners and working our way up to the toughest challenges the franchise has to offer.
You’ll also notice that we have chosen to highlight each generation’s most recent versions or remakes instead of the original releases. While the classics will always be the best way to experience the original magic, the newer versions are generally easier to find, smoother to play, and come with many quality-of-life improvements that make the journey more enjoyable for modern players.
1
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee
2018 Gen 1 Remakes for the Nintendo Switch
No one can argue that the best place to begin your Pokémon journey is the same place where it all started, and the best way for new players to do that is by starting with Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee.
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are the newest remakes of Gen 1, made for the Nintendo Switch console. Designed as a friendly bridge between the Pokémon GO mobile game and the mainline series, Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee are the ultimate beginner games.
Gone are traditional wild battles; instead, these titles simplify the early games’ catching mechanics with a Pokémon Go-style throwing system, where you can catch Pokémon using Poké Balls thrown via the Switch’s detachable joysticks.
Your partner Pokémon (either Pikachu or Eevee) will also learn ridiculously strong exclusive moves, EXP will practically fall from the sky, and the gyms feel almost more like a warm-up than a real challenge; essentially, even if you’ve never touched a real Pokémon game before, these titles are the easiest and most accessible place to start.
They may not be quite as faithful to the originals, but they’re approachable, widely available, and still manage to effortlessly capture that very-first-Pokémon-adventure magic.
2
Pokémon Sword and Shield
2019 Gen 8 Games for the Nintendo Switch
Gen 8’s Galar region brought us Dynamax battles, a massive Wild Area, and some of the most generous leveling curves in the entire series; it’s honestly one of the most accessible and beginner-friendly Pokémon games out there, and I’m not just saying that because it’s on the Nintendo Switch.
EXP Share is literally always on, raid battles shower you with rewards, and the gym leaders lack the ruthlessness of those in the OG generations. Pokémon Sword and Shield offer newcomers an incredibly friendly Pokémon experience, focusing more on the fun of it than the challenge.
Along with the Wild Area and Dynamaxing, another fun feature that Gen 8 introduced is the “camping” feature. You get to customize and carry around your own tent, allowing you and your Pokémon to rest up on the go. This feature allows you to release your team from their Balls and play with them, pet them, and even cook up a wide variety of curries to boost their stats and friendship.
These cozy additions drew in even the harshest of Poké-skeptics, and I can’t say that I blame them. Finally, the days of burning poffins in Super Contests are long gone; you can finally become a real Poké-chef!
The games also came with two expansions, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, which added even more Pokémon, story content, and areas to explore. Honestly, I think Pokémon Sword and Shield are the best Pokémon games to have been put on the Switch, and I would recommend them to anyone embarking on their first Pokémon journey.
3
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
2022 Gen 9 Games for the Nintendo Switch
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are far from simple, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t great for newcomers to the franchise. These games took the franchise fully open-world, letting you tackle gyms, Team Star bases, and Titan Pokémon in any order you want.
The freedom that this grants players is great, as it allows them to tackle challenges at their own pace and level their Pokémon to their heart’s content before taking them on. Want to over-level your Pokémon to ridiculous heights just to watch them squash the competition like ants under a truck tire? Go for it, it’s up to you!
Between the ever-present EXP Share, constant picnics with your Pokémon, and getting to ride around on your legendary partner like a glorified motorcycle, Scarlet and Violet are incredibly forgiving. The biggest challenge is honestly just deciding where to go next, which can be tricky considering the game’s considerable map size.
Thankfully, fast-travel mechanics make these kinds of decisions a lot easier, and there are very few things that you’ll actually have to worry about on your Scarlet and Violet journey.
Similar to the last few generations, Gen 9 also introduced its own unique battle gimmick: Terastallization. This mechanic allows Pokémon to “terastallize” and change their typing mid-battle, which is honestly way cooler than the previous generations’ “make Pokémon big and strong” gimmick. This adds an extra layer of excitement to each battle, making the games that much more tempting to newcomers of the series.
Today, both Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet remain enjoyable and ambitious additions to the Pokémon series lineup, and I personally cannot wait to see what Gen 10 will have in store for us next (whenever Nintendo gets around to making them).
4
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
2021 Gen 4 Remakes for the Nintendo Switch
These remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl games keep Gen 4’s original spirit alive, while still dialing back the difficulty for those who may be new to the franchise. The campaign flows more smoothly, the visuals are much more polished, and though Champion Cynthia is still no joke, her team isn’t quite as brutal as it was in the original Gen 4.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl sit in a reasonable sweet spot: easier than most older titles and many others in the series, but still tougher than more recent generations.
Essentially, they’re the perfect choice if you’re looking for a slightly challenging introduction to the Pokémon series without wanting to tear your hair out every five seconds because your team got poisoned for the 100th time.
While some fans have argued that they don’t add as much new content as past Pokémon remakes, I firmly believe they added as much as they could while still staying true to the original Nintendo DS versions. I especially loved how they updated the Grand Underground, which always felt a little unnecessary to me in the original games. I could’ve lived without the changes they made to the Super Contests, but that’s really neither here nor there.
Whether you believe they added enough improvements or not, they’re still the best way for modern-day gamers to experience Sinnoh’s core adventure, as they’re both widely available on the Nintendo Switch.
5
Pokémon X and Y
2013 Gen 6 Games for the Nintendo 3DS
Pokémon X and Y were the first fully 3D Pokémon games to be released in the series, and while this definitely helped their popularity flourish, their success can also be attributed to several other factors as well.
For example, X and Y were also some of the easiest games of the earlier generations, offering players a slight reprieve from the harder experiences they were used to. Many fans marked X and Y to be something of a turning point in the series, where less focus was put on the game’s difficulty and more focus was put on the overall experience and storytelling.
Additionally, X and Y happened to be the first of many games to introduce “battle gimmicks” into their gameplay. Their gimmick was known as Mega Evolution, and it became extremely popular among fans; this new mechanic let certain Pokémon temporarily evolve into larger, even stronger forms mid-battle, adding an entirely new layer of strategy to battling.
This helped keep the gameplay fresh and exciting after the long line of Pokémon games that came before it, offering a nice reprieve from the same old “attack, get attacked, repeat” formula from older generations.
X and Y were also the first games to introduce Fairy-type Pokémon to the series, which helped balance out some of the other, more dominant Pokémon types (*cough* *cough*, Dragon-type) while also reshaping competitive gameplay as a whole.
But unless you’ve got an old 3DS lying around and are willing to haggle with mouth breathers on eBay over ridiculously priced game cartridges, you might want to look into downloading an emulator for this one.
6
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
2017 Gen 7 Remakes for the Nintendo 3DS
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon serve as faithful remakes of the original Sun and Moon games, offering a much smoother and more polished experience than their predecessors. They also added several new features that the originals didn’t have, like a new Pokédex, new locations, new activities, and even a more challenging post-game storyline.
Gen 7 takes players to the tropical Alola region, where, instead of battling gym leaders, you’re taking part in “Island Trials”: a series of puzzles, battles, and showdowns against powerful Totem Pokémon. It’s a fresh twist that gives the region its own unique identity while still keeping the spirit of the classic journey alive, though many fans still prefer the classic gym battling experience of earlier generations (myself included).
That being said, taking part in the trials was still a fun and compelling experience, and makes these Gen 7 remakes the perfect options for anyone not a fan of Pokémon’s classic battle mechanics.
Another fun feature that Gen 7 blessed us with is Ultra Beasts. Ultra Beasts are extradimensional Pokémon from another dimension, known as “Ultra Space”, that can only be accessed via Ultra Wormholes.
The fact that these games allow their players to explore other dimensions makes them some of the most expansive Pokémon games to date, and I’m honestly disappointed that Nintendo just left the entire idea in the dust back in 2017.
They really dangled extradimensional Pokémon in front of our faces once and then never again; I’d really like to see a continuation of this concept in future generations, though I’m sure it’ll be a while before Nintendo ever gets around to it.
These games were also the first to introduce regional variants of preexisting Pokémon, called “Alolan Forms“. Not only do these alternate variants look vastly different from their Kanto counterparts, but they also possess different types as well, making them tempting prospects for Pokémon collectors. Alolan Vulpix, for example, is pure white with icy blue eyes, and features a pure Ice typing instead of Fire.
Overall, if you can get your hands on an emulator or an original console, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the perfect next steps after Kalos.
7
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
2022 Gen 4 Prequel for the Nintendo Switch
Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn’t your typical Pokémon game, and it remains somewhat of an oddball in the series. That being said, it’s perfect for those just starting out on their Pokémon journey, as its nontraditional formula is more approachable to those unfamiliar with Pokémon’s core mechanics.
Similar to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Legends: Arceus features more of an open-world style design, allowing its players to roam around its map freely. This might sound fun at first, until you realize that the wild Pokémon can also roam around freely.
These wild Pokémon are fully capable of attacking players, which can add a little suspense when you’re just walking around out in the open. If that wasn’t bad enough, there are also Alpha Pokémon lurking around every corner, which are bigger and badder versions of Pokémon that you definitely don’t want to mess with.
That being said, Arceus is still an incredibly enjoyable experience, and I could really see fans of the survival genre getting into it.
Arceus is also a great entry for Pokémon history buffs, as it adds a ton of new lore to the series.
This game takes you to Sinnoh’s distant past, to a time when it was known as Hisui, offering a completely different perspective on the region as a whole. While this new title doesn’t offer any new Pokémon, it does offer different versions of Gen 4’s Pokémon, called their “Hisuin Forms.“
These Hisuin Pokémon look completely different from their modern-day counterparts, and often have totally different typing as well; some even have completely different evolutionary lines.
There are a lot of reasons to pick up Legends Arceus, but these ancient Pokémon are easily one of the biggest draws, giving longtime fans a fresh twist on familiar favorites and offering casual players just one more reason to keep coming back for more.
8
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
2014 Gen 4 Remakes for the Nintendo 3DS
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of the original Gen 4 Ruby and Sapphire games made in 2002, and offer a much more straightforward experience than their predecessors.
Unlike the originals, these games were made for the Nintendo 3DS, and they took full advantage of its hardware; they introduced a much-needed facelift to the games’ visuals, while even going as far as updating the gameplay to include features from later generations, like online play and even Mega Evolutions (a feature that wasn’t even introduced until Gen 6!).
While they’re often overlooked in the mainline Pokémon series lineup, these games offer an incredibly fulfilling experience that would delight both longtime fans and newcomers alike.
You’ll get to sail across oceans, explore hidden caves, dive beneath ocean waves, and even face off against Groudon or Kyogre, two legendary Pokémon being wielded by an extremist cult trying to take over the world (I know, I know, we’ve heard it all before).
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also introduce the “Delta Episode”, a post-game storyline that expands on the lore in an unexpected way, rounding out the games’ original story while still leaving you wanting more. These games definitely don’t get as much attention as they should, so don’t skip them if you happen to come across an emulator!
9
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
2009 Gen 2 Remakes for the Nintendo DS
Once you’ve conquered Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s Hoenn region, the next best stop is the Johto region, and there’s no better way to experience it than with Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Widely regarded by fans as some of the best entries in the entire series, these remakes take everything that made Gen 2’s original Gold and Silver games special and polish them to near perfection.
Pokémon’s second generation was already a standout in the series, and these remakes only made it even more popular. In these games, you’ll get to face off a whole new set of legendaries, explore exciting new routes and locations, and even experience what it’s like to have your Pokémon follow you outside their Poké Balls, just like in the original Pokémon animated series.
And just when you think you’ve finished your adventure, the games surprise you by letting you return to Kanto for a second region to conquer—effectively giving you two Pokémon journeys in one.
These games are honestly the perfect mid-range choice for anyone looking to hop into the Pokémon series. They offer comprehensive difficulty while still maintaining an effortlessly exciting and compelling experience, complete with all-new adventures and more Pokémon than you’ll know what to do with.
The Poké-follow feature alone endeared the games to fans immediately and is part of the reason why they’re still so beloved today, despite being released well over a decade ago. I honestly don’t know anyone who’s played these games and not loved them; no matter where you fall on the Poké-fan spectrum, you’re guaranteed to love these titles.
10
Pokémon Black and White
2010 Gen 5 Games for the Nintendo DS
Pokémon Black and White remain some of the most iconic and well-loved entries in the Pokémon series, and personally, I couldn’t agree with fans more. These games are long-time favorites of mine, and I honestly couldn’t consider the Pokémon series complete without them.
If you’re looking to embark on your own journey through the Pokémon series, then these titles are a must-play. They’re a little more challenging than some of the previous entries on this list, but they’re more than worth the effort.
When Black and White were first released, it felt like such a bold reset for the series thus far. The Unova region introduced over 150 brand-new Pokémon, and, for the majority of the game, you could only catch those new creatures.
That design choice alone made the journey a little more challenging than previous entries, especially for fans who’d grown accustomed to relying on certain Pokémon to carry their teams; that meant no more leaning on old standbys like Gyarados or Alakazam to win your battles for you. These games actually made you strategize, with gym leaders like Elesa and Clay demanding you use solid strategies instead of just brute-forcing your way to victory.
Your rivals will also appear regularly along your route and will actually keep their teams competitive, something that can definitely catch unprepared players off guard. By the time you face off against N and Ghetsis at the game’s climax, you’ll find yourself waist-deep in some of the most exciting (and surprisingly tough) boss battles in the entire franchise.
Overall, Pokémon Black and White are phenomenal entries into the Pokémon series lineup, but I’d still recommend you check out some of this list’s previous entries first, just to make sure you’ve got the hang of things.
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