Yakuza Games: Chronological Play Guide

Originally released as a PlayStation 2 game in 2005, Yakuza (Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan) has blossomed into a cherished and extensive video game series, chronicling the intricate conflicts and machinations of yakuza families within the fictional Tokyo neighborhood of Kamurocho. In 2022, the series rebranded to Like a Dragon, mirroring the English translation of Ryu ga Gotoku.

These games are a unique blend of action, melodrama, cinematic storytelling, and humor, with side quests playing a crucial role in showcasing the series' distinctive comedic flair. While it took years for the franchise to gain significant acclaim outside of Japan, its reputation has continued to soar, bolstered by a steady stream of localized re-releases, spinoffs, and new titles. The latest addition to the series is the Majima-led spin-off, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, set in Honolulu.

The Yakuza Games In (Chronological) Order

10 ImagesHow Many Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games Are There?

Since its debut in 2005, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have released nine mainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon games, two remakes—Yakuza Kiwami (2016) and Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)—and a third remake on the horizon, along with 11 spin-offs. Initially exclusive to PlayStation, the series has since expanded to Xbox and PC, with every game since Yakuza: Like a Dragon launching simultaneously across all platforms except the Nintendo Switch. However, Yakuza Kiwami became the first Like a Dragon game to be ported to the Switch in October 2024, as announced in the August 2024 Nintendo Direct.

Aside from the mainline titles, Like a Dragon boasts a variety of unique spin-offs. *Kurohyō: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho* (2010) and its sequel *Kurohyō 2: Ryu ga Gotoku Ashura Hen* (2012) are exclusive to the PlayStation Portable and introduce Tatsuya Ukyo, a fresh character. *Judgment* (2018) and *Lost Judgment* (2021) feature Takayuki Yagami, a lawyer-turned-detective delving into mysterious murders in Kamurocho, with tangential ties to the Tojo Clan.

Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011) presents a zombie apocalypse scenario featuring the series' classic characters. Yakuza Online (2018), a free-to-play TCG for mobile and PC, introduced Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The Japanese series Fist of the North Star was reimagined with Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018), adopting the gameplay and structure of Kiryu's adventures.

Two historical spinoffs, Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (2008) and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! (2014)—the latter released in the West as Like a Dragon: Ishin! in 2023—feature historical figures as protagonists set in older Japanese eras.

In 2023, Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name was released, detailing Kiryu's activities concurrent with Yakuza: Like a Dragon and filling in the gaps following the dramatic conclusion of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The most recent spin-off, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, stars Goro Majima as an amnesiac protagonist in Honolulu, set six months after the events of Infinite Wealth.

Which Yakuza Game Should You Play First?

For newcomers to this expansive series, starting with Yakuza 0 provides a chronological introduction, while Yakuza: Like a Dragon offers a fresh start with a new protagonist and gameplay style.

### Yakuza Kiwami

0Newcomers or those who have experienced Yakuza 0 will appreciate the familiar controls, excellent SEGA localization, and a solid entry point into the Yakuza universe. See it at AmazonMainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games in Chronological Order:

Yakuza 0Yakuza / Yakuza KiwamiYakuza 2 / Yakuza Kiwami 2Yakuza 3Yakuza 4Yakuza 5Yakuza 6: The Song of LifeYakuza: Like a DragonLike a Dragon: Infinite WealthBeware: Mild spoilers for the plots, characters, and some major events of each game follow.

1. Yakuza 0 (2014)

Despite being the sixth game released, Yakuza 0 serves as the chronological start of the series, set during the economic boom of the late 1980s. Players control two protagonists: a young Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Dojima family framed for a murder at the Empty Lot, and Goro Majima, a former Shimano family member working in a cabaret as punishment. Majima is tasked with killing a blind woman named Makoto, who turns out to be the legitimate owner of the Empty Lot.

By the game's end, Kiryu clears his name and rejoins the Dojima family, Majima allows Makoto to live, and the Empty Lot is destroyed, leading to the construction of the Millennium Tower, a pivotal location in the series.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza 0 Review

2. Yakuza (2005) / Yakuza Kiwami (2016)

Yakuza begins with Kazuma Kiryu exiting prison after serving a decade for a murder he did not commit—the killing of his boss, Sohei Dojima, by his friend Akira Nishikiyama, who acted in defense of Yumi Sawamura. Upon his release, Kiryu is expelled from the Tojo Clan, faces the theft of ¥10 billion from the clan’s coffers, and searches for the missing Yumi. He meets Haruka, whose pendant is tied to the lost funds, and contends with Nishikiyama, now an antagonist.

In the climax, Kiryu reunites with Yumi, recovers the lost money, and battles Nishikiyama. After being offered the position of Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Kiryu appoints Yukio Terada and leaves the yakuza to care for Haruka as his adoptive daughter.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Yakuza Kiwami), PS2 | IGN’s Yakuza Review | Yakuza Kiwami Review

3. Yakuza 2 (2006) / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)

Yakuza 2 opens with Terada, now the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, seeking Kiryu's help to avert a war with the Omi Alliance. Following an ambush that leaves Terada presumed dead, Kiryu seeks to install Daigo Dojima as the new chairman. Amidst this, Kiryu confronts Ryuji Goda, the Omi chairman’s son, and works alongside detective Kaoru Sayama, who is investigating her parents' disappearance.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Yakuza Kiwami 2), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 2 Review | Yakuza Kiwami 2 Review

4. Yakuza 3 (2009)

Yakuza 3, the first entry on the PlayStation 3, finds Kiryu managing the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa, assisted by Haruka. However, tranquility is disrupted by new yakuza conflicts, assassinations, betrayals, an arms smuggling ring, and even CIA involvement.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 3 Review

5. Yakuza 4 (2010)

Set a year after Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 expands the narrative through the perspectives of four protagonists. Alongside Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, a loan shark, navigates a conflict between the Tojo Clan and the Ueno Seiwa Clan; Taiga Saejima, Majima's blood brother, escapes prison to find Majima; and detective Masayoshi Tanimura investigates Tojo Clan murders and uncovers connections to past events.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 4 Review

6. Yakuza 5 (2012)

Yakuza 5 is the most ambitious entry, featuring five protagonists in 2012. Kiryu leaves Kamurocho for Fukuoka and learns of Daigo's disappearance; Saejima escapes prison again to find Majima, who faked his death; Haruka pursues her dream of becoming a J-pop idol amidst the murder of her talent agency's president; and Tatsuo Shinada, a former baseball player, is recruited by Daigo to uncover match-fixing.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 5 Review

7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life marks the culmination of Kazuma Kiryu's saga. After serving three years for his past crimes, Kiryu returns to find Haruka in a coma and learns of her son, Haruto. His investigation takes him to Onomichi, Hiroshima, amidst ongoing conflicts involving the Saio Triad and Jingweon Mafia.

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Review

8. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon marks a significant shift with its turn-based combat system and new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. Released from prison after 18 years, Kasuga discovers the Omi Alliance has defeated the Tojo Clan. Betrayed and shot by his former patriarch, Masumi Arakawa, Kasuga finds himself in Yokohama, where he forms a new team to unravel the truth behind Arakawa's actions.

Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon Review

9. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth unites Kiryu and Kasuga in a dual-protagonist narrative that spans Japan and Hawaii. Set in 2024, the story begins with Kasuga's life being disrupted by a viral VTuber video, leading him to Hawaii in search of his supposedly deceased mother. There, he encounters Kiryu, who is also searching for Kasuga's mother while battling cancer. The game weaves a complex tale involving various international factions, a religious cult, live streamers, and global corporations.

Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC | IGN's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review

All of the the Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games and Spin-Offs in Release Order

Mainline Yakuza games are marked in bold with an asterisk.

1. Yakuza (2005) / Yakuza Kiwami (2016)*

2. Yakuza 2 (2006) / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)*

3. Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! (2008)

4. Yakuza 3 (2009)*

5. Yakuza 4 (2010)*

6. Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō (2010)

7. Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)

8. Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura Hen (2012)

9. Yakuza 5 (2012)*

10. Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! (2014) / Like a Dragon: Ishin! (2023)

11. Yakuza 0 (2015)*

12. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)*

13. Yakuza Online (2018)

14. Judgment (2018)

15. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)*

16. Lost Judgment (2021)

18. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)

19. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)*

20. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2025)

What’s Next for Yakuza/Like a Dragon?

The Like a Dragon saga is poised to continue, with *Infinite Wealth* setting the stage for further developments. Despite wrapping up its own narrative, the game ends on a cliffhanger, hinting at future installments. While RGG Studio has announced the revival of *Virtua Fighter* and a new open-world project titled "Project Century," details on the next Like a Dragon title remain eagerly anticipated.

Looking for more video game timelines? Check out these guides:

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