How To Play All Amnesia Games in Order

The Amnesia games don’t share a single story, but they do share several themes and elements. These include:

• The protagonist has lost all or part of their memory
• A supernatural force and/or monsters are pursuing the protagonist
• There’s an artifact or substance hinted to come from another dimension
• The protagonist cannot kill their enemies, outside of boss fights

Want to know more? Then I’ll explain but be prepared for some serious Amnesia storyline spoilers.

The Amnesia Series’ Storyline Connections Explained

Each game does tell a distinct story, but there are subtle story connections between some of the games, particularly involving the Orbs. Here are Amnesia’s storyline connections explained.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent. We’re introduced to the otherworldly Orb artifacts and the Shadow, which pursues the holder of the Orb. We also learn that a substance known as “vitae” can be extracted from living humans. Daniel drank an amnesia potion so he could get past his guilt at his involvement in Alexander’s experiment.

Amnesia: Justine. Justine’s father is in possession of a star-shaped stone, which is associated with the Orbs, though it’s not an Orb itself. Justine uses the stone to kill her father. Justine gave herself amnesia to test if she had any love for humanity left.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Protagonist Mandus was driven to build the machine after discovering an object in an Aztec temple, an egg, which is heavily hinted at being an Orb. His madness led his soul to ‘split’, leading to his amnesia.

Amnesia: Rebirth. Vitae is mentioned again, as The Gate Builders use it to extend their lifespan. The Shadow also reappears, and protagonist Tasi finds an Orb though she has bigger problems to deal with. The substance she was tricked into drinking gave her amnesia.

Amnesia: The Bunker. There’s no specific connection to the previous games here. Some people have found an Orb in the game’s files, though it doesn’t appear in-game. Henri’s amnesia came from the injury he suffered while on patrol.

So, there are some minor story elements shared between the games, mostly involving the Orbs or their influence. You needn’t worry that you’ll feel lost jumping into any of the games since they don’t specifically rely on knowledge of earlier entries. There’s no set number of Orbs, so one could figure into a sequel.

Ultimately, the strongest connection between the games is that the protagonist has partial or total amnesia. Sometimes this amnesia is self-inflicted, and they’re struck by some dramatic realization that has remained hidden from them; whether that’s trauma they’ve suffered or something they’ve done but seriously regret.

So, that’s how to play all Amnesia games in order, but you can jump into any of the games and still follow the storyline.

The above article was updated on 12/9/2024 by the original author to add additional information about the Amnesia games.