The series started in Japan on 21 February 1986 and the newest release, Ocarina of Time on Switch 2, arrived on 5 November 2026. This page is the map. The lists live on the pages below.
The 48-row list, with a played checklist.
Release order and story order, kept apart.
The three branches, plus what sits after them.
Scores and sales, side by side, not blended.
The November remake, the 40th year, and what is only announced.
Native games, Online classics, and what is missing.
What changed versus 1998 and the 3DS version.
The only counting page on this site.
Link, Zelda, Navi, and the rest of the cast.
Thirty picks grouped by the kind of Zelda you mean.
The three Philips games, and why they stay off the main count.
Cast and date for the live-action film, which is not a game.
What changed in 2026
On 8 September 2026 Nintendo held a 40th anniversary presentation. On 29 October 2026 a Zelda-themed Switch 2 model reached stores. On 5 November 2026 the Ocarina of Time remake shipped as a Switch 2 exclusive. I keep those three dates on the new-release page and I do not fold rumors about 2027 into them.
FAQ
How many Zelda games are there?
I count 21 mainline games. Adding 12 remakes makes 33. This archive also lists 12 spin-offs and 3 CD-i games, 48 rows in all. The counting page explains why including a compilation gives 34.
Can I play a Zelda game in the browser here?
No. Nintendo does not offer an embeddable Zelda game. The Play button goes to the Switch page, which lists official store and Nintendo Switch Online paths.
Do I have to play Zelda games in order?
Release order is optional. The timeline page is the story order, and it splits after Ocarina of Time. Most games still make sense on their own.
Sources
| Claim | Status | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Mainline history | 2 sources | Nintendo game history and Wikipedia |
| Archive counts | Editorial scope | 48 dataset rows: 21 mainline + 12 remakes + 12 spin-offs + 3 CD-i |
| 2026 remake and hardware dates | 2 independent sources | Nintendo announcement compared with Game Informer |
- Nintendo, game history — checked 2026-11-10
- Nintendo, anniversary announcement — checked 2026-11-10
- Game Informer, anniversary reporting — checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia, The Legend of Zelda — checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia, List of The Legend of Zelda media — checked 2026-11-10
- Nintendo store, Ocarina of Time for Switch 2 — checked 2026-11-10
Page updated 2026-11-10.