Play Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 12 playedThe core platformers in release order, grouped by era, which is the recommended play order.
2D beginnings
- 1 Kirby's Dream Land
- 2 Kirby's Adventure Introduced Copy Abilities.
SNES and N64 era
- 3 Kirby Super Star
- 4 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Handheld era
- 5 Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
- 6 Kirby: Squeak Squad
- 7 Kirby Mass Attack Touch-controlled spinoff style; skippable.
Modern era
- 8 Kirby's Return to Dream Land Play Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023), the current version.
- 9 Kirby: Planet Robobot
- 10 Kirby Star Allies
Switch era
- 11 Kirby and the Forgotten Land Best entry point; the Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (2025) is current.
- 12 Kirby Air Riders Switch 2 vehicle-action sequel to 2003's Air Ride.
About Kirby
Kirby's story barely matters. Nearly every game is Kirby, Meta Knight and King Dedede facing a new threat to Pop Star, then teaming up by the end. Release order is the recommended play order, and almost any game works as a first one.
Newcomers should start with Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022), the first full 3D entry and the series bestseller. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023) is the best pick for classic 2D-style play.
Good to know
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch, 2023) is the current version of Return to Dream Land, and the Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (August 28, 2025) is the current version of Forgotten Land. Kirby Mass Attack (DS, 2011) is a stylus-controlled oddity included for completeness but easy to skip. Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2, November 20, 2025) is a vehicle-action game from Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco, a sequel to 2003's Air Ride, and it closes this list. Dozens of spinoffs (Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse, Dream Buffet, Fighters) sit outside it. No new mainline platformer has been announced as of September 2026.
