From changing into a staple title in the 3D platformer style with Crash Bandicoot to creating one of probably the most beloved tales in video video games with The Final of Us, Naughty Dog is with out query one of the largest and most revered names in game improvement. Leaping from style to style with every main franchise it creates, the crew’s now-iconic paw print brand has develop into synonymous with enormous productions, heart-wrenching storytelling, and characters that transcend the medium.
Naughty Dog’s rise from the house of colourful, light-hearted platforming to the go-to studio for gripping, mature storytelling has been lined with almost two dozen video games, starting from fantasy RPGs to instructional math video games. So, let’s run via each title Naughty Dog has launched via 2024.
How Many Naughty Dog Games Are There?
In complete, there are 23 Naughty Dog video games, with its first hitting cabinets in 1985 and its most up-to-date launching in 2022. The checklist under contains all game releases, standalone expansions, and remakes. Remasters (together with the current Last of Us 2 Remaster) and DLC aren’t included.
All Naughty Dog Games in Order
1. Math Jam – 1985
The mission that paved the best way for the Naughty Dog we all know in the present day, Math Jam was a collaborative mission between each of the studio’s founders: Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin. Developed for the Apple II beneath the studio title JAM, Math Jam was self-published by the duo whereas they have been nonetheless in highschool.
It taught fundamental arithmetic and was purely instructional. Nevertheless, each Rubin and Gavin determined their subsequent game was going to maneuver away from instructing and enterprise absolutely into the leisure aspect of video video games…
2. Ski Crazed – 1986
Rubin and Gavin’s second game, Ski Crazed, launched in 1986 after they have been simply 16 years previous. Additionally launched for the Apple II, it noticed gamers launch their avatars down varied ski slopes whereas avoiding hazardous obstacles and trying to rack up excessive scores.
3. Dream Zone – 1987
Rubin and Gavin’s third game hit cabinets in 1987 and noticed the duo tackle the point-and-click journey style. Titled Dream Zone, it sees gamers journey to a satirical fantasy realm primarily based contained in the protagonist’s goals, the place they need to cope with the land’s vary of eccentric imaginary inhabitants en route to flee.
4. Keef the Thief – 1989
Formally donning the Naughty Dog moniker for the primary time and partnering with EA, Rubin and Gavin’s fourth mission was one other comedic point-and-click journey game, this time titled Keef the Thief. A lot because the title suggests, the principle premise was to steal objects, with Keef exploring a big metropolis and its surrounding wilderness whereas interacting with NPCs.
5. Rings of Energy – 1991
Two years after Keef the Thief, Naughty Dog partnered with EA as soon as again to release Rings of Power on the SEGA Genesis. Placing gamers in the sneakers of a sorcerer referred to as Buc, the game was an isometric RPG set in the fantasy realm of Ushka Bau, the place a magical employees shattered into eleven items that the participant should search out and acquire. Alongside the best way, they meet and recruit a celebration, resulting in a ultimate with a malevolent demon named Void.
6. Method of the Warrior – 1994
Taking a swing on the combating style, Naughty Dog’s sixth mission was Way of the Warrior for the 3DO. The game had gamers choose a fighter and battle their means via a hellacious event, defeating their rivals and spreading their legend all through the annals of historical past.
7. Crash Bandicoot – 1996
Naughty Dog’s first breakout success, Crash Bandicoot was the corporate’s seventh game and their first on a PlayStation console. It stars the titular Crash Bandicoot, a mutated science experiment that escapes the laboratory of his creator, the villainous Physician Neo Cortex.
A colourful 3D mascot platformer that duties gamers with conquering quick however difficult levels and defeating Cortex’s band of mutated animal henchmen, the game sees Crash leap, slide, and spin his means via a zany world full of danger. It was an enormous success for Naughty Dog and Sony, spawning a serious franchise that’s nonetheless energetic to at the present time.
8. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Again – 1997
The second game in the Crash Bandicoot franchise, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back picks up a 12 months after its predecessor, with Crash as soon as again having to cease Neo Cortex’s villainous plans. This time round, Crash is looking for a sequence of magical crystals that Cortex must construct his new outer-space Cortex Vortex vessel. Cortex Strikes Again is ready over 25 levels, with every degree that includes contemporary mechanics, hazards, enemies, and executives.
9. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped – 1998
The third and ultimate entry in Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Crash Bandicoot: Warped is ready instantly after the occasions of Cortex Strikes Again, with Neo Cortex’s house station crashing into the Earth and giving rise to a malevolent new risk: Aku Aku’s evil brother, Uka Uka. To fight this new foe, Crash and his youthful sister, Coco, journey via time, discovering crystals to stop Cortex and Uka Uka from executing their evil plans.
Very similar to Cortex Strikes Again, Warped contains 25 new ranges in addition to a host of further hazards to beat, enemies to overcome, and mechanics to study. It additionally welcomes a model new playable protagonist, with gamers in a position to step into the sneakers of Coco.
10. Crash Group Racing – 1999
A spin-off of the mainline Crash Bandicoot sequence, Crash Group Racing transports the character to the world of arcade racing. You’re taking the wheel as iconic Crash Bandicoot characters – Crash, Cortex, Coco, Physician N.Gin, and others – and race throughout a variety of hazardous programs in an effort to win races in single- and multiplayer modes.
11. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – 2001
Leaving Crash Bandicoot behind, Naughty Dog moved on to a brand new 3D mascot platformer franchise in 2001 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Following titular finest pals Jak and Daxter, the game sees the pair embark on a journey to remodel Daxter back right into a human after he’s submerged in a mysterious substance often known as darkish eco and become an otter-weasel hybrid.
Alongside the best way, the pair develop into embroiled in a plot to avoid wasting the world, with the villainous Gol and Maia hatching a plan to make use of darkish eco to change the realm. In contrast to Crash Bandicoot’s strictly linear ranges, Jak and Daxter presents gamers massive worlds to discover, with every map containing a spread of Precursor Orbs they will acquire in any order to progress.
12. Jak 2 – 2003
Ditching each Daxter’s title from the title and the quirky, upbeat tone, Jak 2 is a a lot darker reinvention of Jak and Daxter’s world. Happening after the conclusion of the primary game, it sees Jak and Daxter unwillingly flung into the far future, the place they arrive in a dystopian metropolis often known as Haven Metropolis. After their arrival, Jak is arrested and subjected to harrowing experiments for 2 years, awakening a sinister monster inside of him often known as Darkish Jak.
Daxter ultimately rescues Jak, setting the pair off on a brand new journey throughout Haven Metropolis, the place they be part of forces with a neighborhood insurgent militia trying to overthrow the futuristic metropolis’ corrupt chief, Baron Praxis. Alongside switching the fantasy setting out for a futuristic sci-fi aesthetic, Jak 2 made a number of gameplay modifications, including weapons, flying vehicles, and the power to remodel into Darkish Jak.
13. Jak 3 – 2004
Capping off the Jak and Daxter trilogy, Jak 3 opens with its lead duo being dumped in The Wasteland past the partitions of Haven Metropolis. Banished from their dwelling and left to die, they take refuge in town of Spargus hidden deep inside the desert. Because the pair start to earn their hold, they study sinister plans unfolding in Haven Metropolis, starting an journey to avoid wasting their dwelling.
Jak 3 layers a number of new options on prime of Jak 2’s gameplay, together with further automobiles to traverse the desert, new mild eco powers, and a spread of contemporary weapons.
14. Jak X: Fight Racing – 2005
Very similar to Crash Group Racing, Naughty Dog determined to observe up its work on the Jak and Daxter trilogy by releasing an arcade racer tie-in. Jak X: Combat Racing is strictly what it says on the tin: You play as Jak, or one of his closest allies or enemies, and race throughout a sequence of tracks in single- or multiplayer.
15. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – 2007
Naughty Dog’s first foray onto the PlayStation 3 and one of its most seminal releases, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a serious shift in tone for the corporate. Transferring away from cartoon mascot platformers, Naughty Dog started to concentrate on cinematic blockbusters, telling the story of an Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunter named Nathan Drake.
Attempting to find the misplaced metropolis of El Dorado in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, Drake battles in opposition to pirates and different enemies whereas following in the footsteps of his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. A third-person, cover-based shooter with platforming components, Uncharted not solely paved the best way for one of gaming’s largest trendy franchises but in addition influenced Naughty Dog’s transformation right into a studio synonymous with extremely produced video game storytelling.
16. Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves – 2009
A sequel launched two years later, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees Nathan Drake return to hunt for the misplaced metropolis of Shambhala in the Hymalian mountains. Betrayed by an previous good friend throughout a heist, Drake groups up with Sully and newcomer Chloe to trace down the Cintamani Stone, hoping to stop struggle legal Zoran Lazarevic and his personal militia from accessing Shambhala.
Alongside the best way, gamers are met with a wholesome dose of third-person cover-based fight and platforming, in addition to the type of bombastic set items that make Drake blurt out a litany of expletives in fast succession.
17. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 2011
The third entry in the Uncharted sequence, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception follows Nathan Drake as he makes an attempt to uncover The Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub' al Khali desert. Set two years after the earlier game, Drake’s Deception picks up with Drake and Sully battling in opposition to the villainous Katherine Marlowe and her personal military. Studying she intends to uncover the secrets and techniques of the Atlantis of the Sands, Drake begins a race to get there first, launching into an journey that forces him to confront demons from his previous.
Drake’s Deception was the final Uncharted game of the PlayStation 3 era, providing gamers yet one more Nathan Drake journey earlier than Sony moved on to PlayStation 4 two years later.
18. The Final of Us – 2013
Arguably one of the most iconic video games of all time, Naughty Dog took a break from Uncharted to carry followers The Last of Us in 2013. Set in a harsh post-apocalyptic world the place a parasitic fungus is reworking people into bloodthirsty monsters, The Final of Us follows a hardened smuggler named Joel and an immune teenager named Ellie as they try to trace down a bunch of survivors often known as The Fireflies.
What follows is an emotionally gripping story of grief, survival, and hope, as Ellie and Joel type an unbreakable bond whereas battling in opposition to the monsters that plague their world, each contaminated and human. A third-person shooter with heavy stealth components, The Final of Us has gone on to develop into Naughty Dog’s flagship franchise, even receiving its personal HBO adaptation in early 2023.
19. The Final of Us: Left Behind – 2014
Initially launched as DLC earlier than changing into a standalone expertise, The Last of Us: Left Behind acts as a prequel to The Final of Us. The story flits between two timelines: the primary is ready throughout the occasions of the principle marketing campaign, with Ellie defending Joel whereas he recovers from the accidents he sustained in The College chapter. The second takes place three weeks earlier than the occasions of the game, with Ellie exploring an deserted mall along with her finest good friend Riley.
Whereas the trendy timeline options lots of action sequences, the flashbacks take a decidedly totally different method, focusing closely on exploration and storytelling. The enlargement fleshes out Ellie’s backstory, including further context to her character and the story she reveals to Joel throughout the ultimate scene of the principle game.
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Finish – 2016
The explosive finale to the Uncharted saga, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End catches up with Nathan Drake years after the occasions of Drake’s Deception. Now retired from treasure searching and dwelling a daily life together with his spouse Elena, Drake is dragged back into the game after his brother, Sam, arrives on his doorstep with a tantalizing provide: He’s going after Henry Avery’s misplaced treasure and wishes the experience of Nathan Drake to seek out it.
A Thief’s Finish wraps up Nathan Drake’s story whereas utilizing the facility of the PlayStation 4 so as to add new strings to Uncharted’s bow, together with a grappling hook, non-linear ranges, and vastly upgraded visuals.
21. Uncharted: The Misplaced Legacy – 2017
A standalone enlargement for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s Finish, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy passes the reins of the franchise to 2 new leads: Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Following the unlikely companions as they journey to India in search of the Tusk of Ganesh, Misplaced Legacy expands upon Uncharted 4’s open-ended ranges, setting the game inside a big map and permitting gamers to finish primary targets in any order they like.
You may take a look at our guide to the Uncharted games in order for extra particulars concerning the timeline.
22 The Final of Us: Half II – 2020
The long-anticipated follow-up to the primary Final of Us, The Last of Us: Part II removes Joel from the principle protagonist position and arms the reins to Ellie. After settling in the small city of Jackson, Ellie’s life is shipped right into a downward spiral when a bunch of mysterious survivors arrive on the settlement’s outskirts throughout a snowstorm and undertake a mission that modifications her life ceaselessly.
Swearing revenge, Ellie pursues the group, tailing them back to Seattle the place she begins looking for their chief: a ruthless survivor by the title of Abby. Increasing the stealth mechanics and together with smarter enemy AI that may observe Ellie’s each transfer, The Final of Us: Half II upgrades and enhances the sequence’ gameplay in each conceivable means. Whereas its story has been divisive, it’s undeniably a considerably enhanced post-apocalyptic survival expertise.
23. The Final of Us: Half I – 2022
Launched in late 2022, The Last of Us: Part I is a shot-for-shot, rebuilt-from-the-ground-up remake of the primary Final of Us, together with all of the unique chapters and Left Behind enlargement. Using the facility of the PlayStation 5, it provided next-generation graphics, state-of-the-art accessibility choices, and improved gameplay.
Callum Williams is a contract media author with years of expertise as a game critic, information reporter, guides author and options author.