The Walking Dead Series

What is The Walking Dead series about?

The Walking Dead series is a story-driven adventure game franchise developed by Telltale Games and later completed by Skybound Games. It focuses on character-driven narratives where your choices shape how the story unfolds. While it shares the same universe as the comic book series, it introduces original characters and storylines that often intersect with the broader Walking Dead lore.

The gameplay is centered around dialogue decisions, exploration, quick-time events, and player-driven outcomes. One of the franchise’s most iconic elements is how your choices carry over from one episode, and even one season, to the next.

There are also other titles, but most of them are not worth considering, if you have a VR headset you might want to check out the Saint & Sinners franchise.

When did The Walking Dead come out?

The first game, The Walking Dead: Season One, was released in 2012 and quickly became a landmark title in narrative-driven gaming. It earned numerous Game of the Year awards and established Clementine, one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, as a fan favorite. The series continued across multiple seasons, culminating in a dramatic and emotional conclusion with The Final Season in 2019.

The Walking Dead games in order of release 

There are four main seasons in The Walking Dead franchise, along with several standalone or spin-off episodes. Here's the full The Walking Dead game series in order of release:

1. The Walking Dead (2012)
2. The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (2013)
3. The Walking Dead: Season 2 (2013)
4. The Escapists: The Walking Dead (2015)
5. The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries (2016)
6. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (2016)
7. The Walking Dead: The Final Season (2018)
8. The Walking Dead + 400 Days DLC (2018)
9. OVERKILL's The Walking Dead (2018)
10. OVERKILL's The Walking Dead - Starter Edition (2018)
11. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series (2019)
12. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (2020)
13. The Walking Dead Onslaught (2020)
14. Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead (2020)
15. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution (2023)
16. The Walking Dead: Betrayal (2023)
17. The Walking Dead: Destinies (2023)

There are also other titles that are not part of the Telltale saga:

1. The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (2013)
2. The Escapist: The Walking Dead (2015)
3. The Walking Dead: No Man's Land (2015)
4. OVERKILL's The Walking Dead (2018)
5. The Walking Dead: Saint & Sinners (2020, VR)
6. The Walking Dead Onslaught (2020)
7. Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead (2020)
8. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution (2023)
9. The Walking Dead: Betrayal (2023)
10. The Walking Dead: Destinies (2023)

The best The Walking Dead games

Many fans and critics consider Season One to be the best Walking Dead game, thanks to its emotional storytelling and powerful character development between Lee Everett and Clementine. The Final Season also received high praise for delivering a satisfying conclusion to Clementine’s arc, with improved visuals and gameplay mechanics.

Season Two is noted for its difficult moral choices, while A New Frontier is more divisive but introduces interesting new characters. Michonne offers a focused, three-episode look into a well-known character from the comics, with its own self-contained arc.

If you are a fan of virtual reality you should try out The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners series. They are amazing VR games that focus on survival mechanics and engaging storytelling. You can play them natively on the Meta Quest or PC and consoles for the best graphics.

Who are the most iconic The Walking Dead game characters?

The most iconic The Walking Dead game character is undoubtedly Clementine. Introduced as a young girl in Season One, players watch her grow into a capable survivor and eventual leader. Her evolution across the seasons is one of gaming’s most memorable character journeys.

Other major characters include Lee Everett, the protagonist of Season One and Clementine’s protector; Kenny, a divisive figure whose fate can vary widely; AJ, the child raised by Clementine in the later seasons; and Javier Garcia, the main playable character in A New Frontier.

What’s next for The Walking Dead game series?

As of now, The Walking Dead: The Final Season marked the conclusion of Clementine’s story, and Skybound Games has not announced a direct sequel. However, they have expressed interest in exploring the Walking Dead universe further through new characters or possible spin-offs in the future.

We might not see another Telltale-style game, but we will for sure see a lot more titles from the universe in the future. If you want to get all the up-to-date information check out our gaming news section.