Yakuza Games: A Chronological Play Guide

Originally launched as a PlayStation 2 title in 2005, Yakuza (known as Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan) has grown into a beloved and extensive video game series. Set in the fictional Kamurocho district of Tokyo, the series delves into the intricate conflicts and schemes of yakuza families. In 2022, the series was rebranded to Like a Dragon, reflecting the English translation of Ryu ga Gotoku.

The Yakuza games are renowned for their unique blend of action, melodrama, cinematic flair, and humor. Skipping the side quests means missing out on the series' signature humor, which is a key component of the overall experience. It took years for the franchise to gain international recognition, but its reputation has since soared, bolstered by a consistent stream of localized re-releases, spinoffs, and new entries. The latest addition to the series is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a spinoff featuring Goro Majima navigating life in Hawaii.

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), with a third remake on the horizon—and 11 spin-offs. Initially exclusive to PlayStation, the series has since expanded to Xbox and PC platforms, with every new game since Yakuza: Like a Dragon launching simultaneously across all systems except Nintendo Switch. However, Yakuza Kiwami became the first Like a Dragon title to receive a Switch port in October 2024, as announced during the Nintendo Direct in August 2024.

The series also includes the zombie-themed Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011), set in a dystopian Kamurocho, and Yakuza Online (2018), a free-to-play TCG on mobile and PC that introduced Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018) adapts the classic manga into the Yakuza gameplay style. 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, take players back to older Japanese eras.

In 2023, Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name explored Kiryu's story following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The most recent spinoff, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, follows Goro Majima as he navigates life with amnesia in Honolulu, six months after the events of Infinite Wealth.

Which Yakuza Game Should You Play First?

For newcomers eager to dive into this expansive saga, starting with Yakuza 0 offers a chronological entry point, while Yakuza: Like a Dragon provides a fresh start with a new protagonist and gameplay style.

Yakuza Kiwami

0Newcomers or fans who started with Yakuza 0 will find familiar controls, top-notch localization from SEGA, and a solid entry point into the franchise. 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 is the chronological starting point, set during Japan's economic boom in the late 1980s. Players control two protagonists: Kazuma Kiryu, a young member of the Dojima family framed for murder, and Goro Majima, a former Shimano family member working in a cabaret as punishment. The game centers around the struggle for control of the Empty Lot, an undeveloped piece of land crucial to the plot.

By the end of Yakuza 0, Kiryu clears his name and returns to the Dojima family, Majima allows Makoto, the rightful owner of the Empty Lot, to live her life, and the Millennium Tower is built on the land.

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

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

Yakuza follows Kazuma Kiryu after he takes the fall for a murder committed by his friend Akira Nishikiyama, who killed their boss Sohei Dojima for trying to assault their mutual friend Yumi Sawamura. Released from prison after a decade, Kiryu is expelled from the Tojo Clan, and discovers that ¥10 billion has been stolen and Yumi is missing.

Kiryu's journey leads him to Haruka, whose pendant holds clues to the missing money. The climax sees Kiryu confronting Nishikiyama, finding Yumi, and briefly accepting the position of Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan before appointing Yukio Terada and leaving the yakuza to raise Haruka.

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 begins with Kiryu helping Terada prevent a war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance. After Terada's apparent death, Kiryu searches for Daigo Dojima to lead the Tojo Clan. He encounters Ryuji Goda, the Omi Alliance's heir, and detective Kaoru Sayama, who aids Kiryu while seeking answers about her missing parents.

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

4. Yakuza 3 (2009)

Set in 2007, Yakuza 3 finds Kiryu running the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa, but he's soon drawn back into the yakuza world through conflicts involving new families, assassinations, and even the CIA.

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 introduces four protagonists, including Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, a loan shark; Taiga Saejima, a yakuza seeking his brother Majima; and detective Masayoshi Tanimura, who uncovers connections to a past hit.

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

6. Yakuza 5 (2012)

Yakuza 5 escalates the narrative complexity with five protagonists across different locations in 2012. Kiryu moves to Fukuoka, Saejima escapes prison, Haruka pursues her dream as a J-pop idol, Akiyama helps her investigate a murder, and Tatsuo Shinada, a disgraced baseball player, searches for truth about a fixed match.

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 end of Kiryu's saga. After serving three years for his past crimes, he returns to find Haruka in a coma and learns of her son Haruto. Kiryu's investigation takes him to Onomichi, Hiroshima, amidst threats from rival factions.

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 introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and a turn-based combat system. Kasuga takes the fall for a crime committed by his yakuza family and, upon release 18 years later, discovers the Tojo Clan's downfall. His journey takes him through Yokohama, Osaka, and Kamurocho as he uncovers the truth behind his former patriarch's betrayal.

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 story spanning Japan and Hawaii. After a viral video disrupts their lives, Kasuga seeks his supposedly deceased mother in Honolulu, where he reunites with Kiryu, who is battling cancer. The narrative weaves through themes of family, betrayal, and redemption, involving international crime syndicates and other intriguing elements.

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?

At the 2024 Game Awards, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced the revival of Virtua Fighter and a new open-world game, "Project Century," at the February 2025 State of Play. However, details about the next Like a Dragon game remain under wraps.