Emerging from its roots as a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off, the Persona series has carved out a distinct identity, becoming a cornerstone of modern RPGs. With major sequels, remakes, anime adaptations, and stage productions, Persona has grown into a multimedia powerhouse, showing no signs of slowing down.

With Persona 3 Reload now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC, newcomers may wonder where to begin. Below, we provide a complete guide to every game and spin-off, highlighting the best starting points for new players and detailing both chronological and release orders.

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How to play in orderHow to play by release dateUpcoming releases

Which modern Persona title stands out as the best?

Persona 3 ReloadPersona 4 GoldenPersona 5 RoyalOther (Share your thoughts below!)

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How Many Persona Titles Exist?

Currently, there are twenty Persona games. Many are enhanced editions of mainline entries, including re-releases with added story content or remakes. While direct ports or remasters are excluded, we’ll highlight all alternate versions of each title below.

Which Persona Game Is Best for Beginners?

For those new to the series, Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Golden, or Persona 5 Royal are excellent starting points. These are the latest editions of the third, fourth, and fifth mainline games, available on PC and major consoles, though Persona 3 Reload isn’t on Nintendo Switch.

Concerned about missing story context by starting later? Each game—Persona 3, 4, or 5—features a standalone narrative with new characters, unconnected to prior entries, making them ideal for newcomers. To choose, check out gameplay videos or explore social links in each title to find what resonates with you.

Persona 3 Reload

54Available on PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X.See it at Amazon

Persona 4 Golden

42Available on PC, Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo SwitchSee it at Nintendo

Persona 5 Royal

103Available on PC, Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo SwitchSee it at Amazon

Every Persona Game and Spin-Off in Chronological Order

These descriptions include minor spoilers, such as characters, settings, and plot points.

1. Revelations: Persona (1996)

The series’ debut, Revelations: Persona built on the success of Shin Megami Tensei: If…, another spin-off focused on high schoolers fighting demons. Embracing this concept, the game delivered a dungeon-crawling RPG where a group of teens in Mikage-cho battle a supernatural outbreak using their awakened Personas.

Players navigate dungeons, face random encounters, and strengthen their party through combat, laying the groundwork for the franchise with features like Persona-wielding battles, the Velvet Room, and a teenage cast.

2. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)

Launched in 1999, Persona 2: Innocent Sin follows high schooler Tatsuya Suou and his friends as they confront a shadowy villain named Joker and the Masked Circle cult in Sumaru. The story revolves around rumors that materialize into reality, driving players to explore dungeons, wield Personas, and battle shadows.

Uniquely, it received a direct sequel, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, the following year, continuing its narrative.

Read our review of Persona 2: Innocent Sin.

3. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)

Continuing Innocent Sin’s story, Eternal Punishment elevates side character Maya Amano to protagonist. Tasked with investigating a rumor about the Joker Curse, Maya and her allies face a returning enemy in a turn-based, dungeon-crawling adventure focused on building their party and battling shadows.

Read our review of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

4. Persona 3 (2006) / Persona 3 FES (2007) / Persona 3 Portable (2009) / Persona 3 Reload (2024)

Persona 3 marked a pivotal evolution, emphasizing its high school setting with a daily calendar system. Players balance school life—attending classes, forming bonds, and studying—with battles in Tartarus, a supernatural realm. The story follows Makoto Yuki, who navigates the Dark Hour, a hidden time where a demonic tower emerges, uncovering a global threat with his classmates.

This entry introduced social links and daily activities, defining the franchise’s modern identity.

Read our review of Persona 3 Reload.

Alternate Versions of Persona 3:

Persona 3 has been re-released three times. Persona 3 FES added The Answer epilogue and a female protagonist campaign. Persona 3 Portable, a handheld version, includes the female protagonist but omits The Answer. Persona 3 Reload is a modern remake, excluding both The Answer and the female protagonist.

5. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (2018)

A rhythm-based spin-off set during Persona 3’s campaign, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight features Elizabeth challenging the S.E.E.S team to a dance-off in the Velvet Room. Canon to the story, this dream-based adventure sees the team perform dance routines to iconic Persona 3 tracks.

6. Persona 4 (2008) / Persona 4 Golden (2012)

Set in the rural town of Inaba, Persona 4 follows Yu Narukami, a city teen who moves to live with his uncle and cousin. When murders plague the town, Yu and his friends discover a supernatural realm accessible through TVs, where they battle to uncover the truth behind the killings.

Building on Persona 3’s mechanics, it features a calendar system, social links, and dungeon exploration with Persona-driven combat.

Read our review of Persona 4 Golden.

Alternate Versions of Persona 4:

Persona 4 Golden, released in 2012, is an expanded version with new story content and an extra dungeon, widely regarded as the definitive way to experience the game.

7. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)

A crossover between Persona 3 and 4, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth occurs during both games’ timelines. The S.E.E.S and Investigation Squad teams are trapped in a distorted Yasogami High School, exploring a labyrinth to escape and uncover an original story rooted in the series’ dungeon-crawler origins.

Read our review of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.

8. Persona 4 Arena (2012)

A fighting game spin-off continuing Persona 3 and 4’s stories, Persona 4 Arena sees Yu Narukami return to Inaba and enter a mysterious TV-world tournament. Battling allies and the Shadow Operatives—Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis from Persona 3—it features a roster of iconic Persona characters.

Read our review of Persona 4 Arena.

9. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013)

A sequel to Persona 4 Arena, Ultimax sees the Persona 4 team and Shadow Operatives return to the TV World to confront the forces behind the tournament. With an expanded roster including Yukari, Junpei, Ken, and Koromaru, it enhances the original’s fighting mechanics.

Read our review of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.

10. Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)

A rhythm-based spin-off, Persona 4: Dancing All Night follows the Investigation Squad in a canon adventure on the Midnight Stage, an alternate dimension. The team performs dance routines to iconic Persona tracks while continuing the storyline.

Read our review of Persona 4: Dancing All Night.

11. Persona 5 (2016) / Persona 5 Royal (2019)

Persona 5, launched in Japan in 2016 and globally in 2017, follows Joker, a teen on probation in Tokyo after a false accusation. With his friends, he discovers a supernatural realm, forming the Phantom Thieves to infiltrate palaces and reform corrupt hearts. Building on Persona 3 and 4’s formula, it introduces Mementos and negotiation mechanics, becoming Atlus’ best-selling title.

Read our review of Persona 5 Royal.

Alternate Versions of Persona 5:

Persona 5 Royal, an expanded re-release, adds a new companion, dungeon, and semester, making it the definitive version of the game.

12. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)

A sequel to Persona Q, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth features a crossover of Persona 3, 4, and 5 characters. Trapped in a movie theater, the Phantom Thieves, S.E.E.S, and Investigation Squad explore film worlds to escape, battling enemies in first-person dungeons.

13. Persona 5 Tactica (2023)

A strategy spin-off set during Persona 5, Persona 5 Tactica follows the Phantom Thieves in the Kingdoms, an alternate realm. After their allies are brainwashed by Tyrant Marie, Joker and Morgana join a resistance to save them, using tactical grid-based combat akin to XCOM.

Read our review of Persona 5 Tactica.

14. Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (2018)

A rhythm-based spin-off, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight sees Caroline and Justine challenge the Phantom Thieves to a Velvet Room dance-off, performing routines to Persona 5’s iconic tracks.

15. Persona 5 Strikers (2020)

Set four months after Persona 5, Strikers reunites the Phantom Thieves for a vacation, only to be pulled into the Metaverse via the EMMA app. With a new ally, they investigate EMMA’s impact on Tokyo, featuring real-time combat inspired by Dynasty Warriors.

Read our review of Persona 5 Strikers.

Every Persona Game and Spin-Off in Release Order

Revelations: Persona (1996)Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)Persona 3 (2006)Persona 3 FES (2007)Persona 4 (2008)Persona 3 Portable (2009)Persona 4 Arena (2012)Persona 4 Golden (2012)Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013)Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)Persona 5 (2016)Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight (2018)Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight (2018)Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)Persona 5 Royal (2019)Persona 5 Strikers (2020)Persona 5 Tactica (2023)Persona 3 Reload (2024)

What’s Next for the Persona Series?

In 2024, Atlus fans enjoyed Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio, a new RPG from Studio Zero. Following Metaphor’s award-winning success, Sega expressed strong commitment to further investing in Atlus and the Persona franchise during a developer Q&A.

Next up is Persona 5: The Phantom X, a free-to-play mobile game launched in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Korea in 2024, with a Japanese release planned after a closed beta in October. A global launch is anticipated, though no official date is confirmed. Atlus describes it as “an original story in the Persona 5 universe, where new characters emerge as Phantom Thieves.”

Persona 6 is the next expected mainline entry, though Atlus has not yet confirmed its development.