In What Order Should I Play the Hitman Games?
As a gaming content creator focused exclusively on the Hitman franchise, one of the most common questions I get asked from new players is what order they should play the games in. With over 20 years spanning 8 major releases, plus remasters and re-releases, it definitely can seem daunting to figure out where to start!
Well after over 1,000 hours across the series replaying levels and experiencing Agent 47‘s story, I recommend new players start with chronological story order. Playing the games in storyline order allows you to fully immerse in the entire narrative arc seeing 47‘s origins, backstory reveals, and character growth over time.
Choosing Story Order for Maximum Immersion
Though the Hitman games can technically be played in any order, playing chronologically tells Agent 47‘s full tale from childhood to the present day. Here is the in-universe chronological order:
- Hitman: Codename 47
- Hitman: Contracts (first level)
- Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
- Hitman: Blood Money (first 3 levels)
- Hitman: Contracts (remaining levels)
- Hitman: Blood Money (remaining levels)
- Hitman: Absolution
- Hitman
- Hitman 2
- Hitman 3
What may seem confusing at first glance actually works beautifully – later games filled in 47‘s early story and overlapped with previous titles. Playing this way provides rewarding "aha" moments as you see backstory revealed that enriches later levels.
For example, after seeing young 47 experimented on in Absolution, Blood Money hits harder as you see the innocent boy molded into a killer. Having the full context makes present-day 47 even more compelling.
Visual Story Timeline
The chart above details the full Hitman chronological timeline with key character ages, moments, and events over the years.
Gameplay and Visual Improvements Over Time
| Game Year | Notable Improvements |
|---|---|
| Hitman: Codename 47 (2000) | First game establishing stealth assassination fundamentals |
| Hitman: Contracts (2004) | Enhanced graphics, new poisoning mechanics |
| Hitman: Blood Money (2006) | Larger crowds and levels, environmental kills |
| Hitman 2 (2018) | Full 360° gameplay, fluid animations |
| Hitman 3 (2021) | Detailed facial expressions, 4K 60fps support |
As the visuals and depth improved with each entry, going chronological also lets you see the series gameplay evolve over decades.
Getting Access to the Full World of Assassination
To play all the Hitman games in order, I highly recommend picking up the Hitman World of Assassination collection. Thisbundle includes all content from Hitman 1, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3 for $99.99 USD providing hundreds of hours worth of replayable content.
Compared to buying each game individually at $60 a piece, the World of Assassination collection saves you $80+! It also makes it simple to carryover progression between all three modern titles. Your mastery level, item unlocks, completed challenges and more transfer over providing a seamless experience.
The image below details exactly how data carries between each Hitman release:
Hitman Series Data Import Explained
Tips for New Players
For those just getting started with Hitman, don‘t feel intimidated! Here are my top tips as an expert player for beginners:
Play on a lower difficulty first. The higher difficulties like Professional and Master disable elements like Instinct mode and save opportunities which help learn a level‘s dynamics.
Save often and reload checkpoints when noticed. Stealth gameplay is all about trial and error, so use reloading to experiment freely.
Go for unique kills and discoveries first before chasing a "perfect" silent run. Creative kills and trying new strategies keeps levels endlessly replayable.
Follow Mission Stories when first exploring a level. These guide you toward unique assassination opportunities you might otherwise miss!
The key is to have fun and immerse yourself in the amusing, macabre world of Agent 47. Now go forth, and let the contracts be completed!
