Best Of
10 Best Tomb Raider Games to Play
Choose ten Tomb Raider and Lara Croft adventures, from classic tomb exploration to modern campaigns and cooperative spin-offs.
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Tomb Raider can mean a carefully measured jump across an ancient chamber, a frantic escape, or an evening of solving traps with a friend. These ten recommendations cover that range without pretending every Lara Croft adventure follows the same formula. The two isometric spin-offs are identified separately from the mainline games. Older adventures are recommended with their available remastered packages in mind, while reboots and reimaginings remain distinct entries. Each description sticks to the opening premise and the kind of play to expect, leaving discoveries inside the tombs where they belong.
For a broader comparison, see our open-world adventures guide.
10. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Guardian of Light takes Lara into an isometric adventure built around traps, combat, and cooperation with the warrior Totec. Its smaller arenas and puzzle spaces give it a different pace from the cinematic mainline games. Choose it if you want a Lara Croft game to work through with a friend, or an action puzzle adventure that can fit into shorter sessions. Solo play is also part of its design, with the challenges adjusted around that choice. This is a standalone spin-off rather than another chapter of the Survivor trilogy, so there is no need to study that storyline first.
Official game trailer — XBOX. Xbox LIVE — Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
9. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
Temple of Osiris builds its adventure around Egyptian ruins, supernatural threats, and puzzles that work differently as the group changes. The isometric perspective makes its combat and mechanisms easy to read together, which is useful when several players are trying to coordinate. Pick it for a cooperative evening rather than a long, solitary exploration campaign. It supports solo play as well, but the group problem-solving is its clearest distinction on this list. Check player limits and the specific platform’s local and online options before organizing a session; the presence of co-op does not guarantee every arrangement on every release.
Official launch trailer, German-language upload. [DE] Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris: Launch Trailer.
8. Tomb Raider III
Tomb Raider III is for players who enjoy being left to study an environment rather than having the next route made obvious. Its globe-spanning adventure offers varied spaces, awkward dangers, and puzzles that ask for patience. The I–III Remastered collection provides a modern package to investigate, while the core recommendation remains the third game. Choose it if deliberate movement and mapping out a room sound enjoyable. It is a less welcoming first choice when you want forgiving navigation or a fast cinematic campaign. Lara’s search for unusual artifacts provides the setup; the destinations and discoveries are better experienced without a detailed itinerary.
Original Tomb Raider III promotional video from the official franchise channel. Tomb Raider III Promotional Video – “Virtual Lara” (1998).
7. Tomb Raider: Underworld
Underworld sends Lara into large archaeological spaces where understanding the environment is as important as reaching the next fight. Climbing, swimming, and working out how a mechanism fits into the surrounding architecture give it an exploratory identity. Pick it if you want the older puzzle-and-traversal emphasis with a more fluid presentation than the earliest games. It also follows the Legend-era storyline, so Legend and Anniversary provide useful context. Edition and platform differences matter, including extra content that was not released uniformly. Treat it as the continuation of that particular adventure rather than an interchangeable starting point for every version of Lara.
Official game trailer — Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider: Underworld Teaser Trailer (2008).
6. Tomb Raider: Legend
Legend follows Lara’s investigation into a powerful artifact and her family’s past, with a brisk mix of travel, climbing, puzzles, and combat. It is a good choice when you want a compact mainline adventure that moves confidently between locations. This is the 2006 game, not Tomb Raider II and its Dagger of Xian storyline. The distinction matters because they have different settings, characters, and routes through their mysteries. Pick Legend for its approachable pace and clear sense of forward movement. Its older control and camera conventions still need a little adjustment if you have only played the later Survivor games.
Original Legend teaser archived by IGN; not a film or the later Legacy of Atlantis game. Tomb Raider: Legend Xbox 360 Trailer – Teaser.
5. Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Anniversary reimagines Lara’s original adventure through a later set of movement and puzzle systems. That makes it an interesting bridge between the measured exploration of the early games and the smoother traversal of the Legend era. Choose it if the idea of studying large chambers and discovering how their moving parts connect is the main attraction. It is not the same product as the original game inside I–III Remastered. That collection preserves a different version of the adventure. Anniversary’s familiar opening expedition is enough story context; the satisfaction comes from reading the ruins rather than knowing in advance what every puzzle unlocks.
Original Anniversary promotional trailer archived by IGN. Tomb Raider Anniversary PlayStation 2 Trailer – One Last.
4. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow follows a more experienced Lara into an expedition shaped by an ancient threat and the consequences of her own urgency. Jungle exploration, underwater passages, and elaborate challenge tombs give it a different rhythm from the earlier Survivor entries. Choose it when exploring spaces sounds more attractive than moving from one firefight to the next. It is the third game in that trilogy, so Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider offer the intended buildup. Check whether the edition includes its additional tomb content. The core recommendation is the campaign and exploration, without explaining its later choices or discoveries.
Official game trailer — Tomb Raider. Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Launch Trailer [ESRB].
3. Tomb Raider II
Tomb Raider II gives the classic formula a wider range of settings and a more assertive mix of traps, combat, and traversal. Lara’s search for the Dagger of Xian supplies the premise; the places that search leads are part of the adventure. Choose it if you like learning the proportions of a room and committing to precise movement. The I–III Remastered collection is a convenient modern package to compare, with its own display and control options. This entry remains the original second adventure, rather than Legend or a new story using the same character. Expect older design conventions to require some patience.
Official I–III Remastered collection trailer, including Tomb Raider II. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft – Launch Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games.
2. Tomb Raider (2013)
The 2013 Tomb Raider begins with a shipwreck and a younger Lara forced to learn how to survive on a hostile island. Its blend of traversal, combat, upgrades, and quieter exploration makes it an approachable starting point for the Survivor trilogy. Pick it if you want a clear character-led campaign that moves at a cinematic pace. It has optional tombs, but it is not the same puzzle-heavy proposition as Anniversary. The original release, Definitive Edition, and platform packages should be compared on their own terms. Its opening situation provides all the context needed without describing who can be trusted or how the island’s mystery resolves.
Official Definitive Edition trailer for the 2013 adventure; package details vary by platform. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition “Announcement Trailer”.
1. Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise follows Lara to Siberia in pursuit of a legendary discovery, expanding the spaces available for exploration between its main story beats. Challenge tombs and optional routes give you reasons to examine the landscape rather than move directly toward the next objective. It is the strongest starting recommendation here when you want a balance of cinematic action and satisfying exploration, though the 2013 game establishes this version of Lara. Check the 20 Year Celebration and other edition listings for included content instead of assuming every package is identical. The larger mystery can wait; choosing a route through an unfamiliar ruin is the immediate pleasure.
Official game trailer — Tomb Raider. Rise of the Tomb Raider – Launch Trailer.
Which Should You Play First?
Rise is the balanced modern pick, while Anniversary and the remastered classics put more weight on studying spaces. Start the Survivor story with Tomb Raider (2013). For a cooperative change of pace, choose Guardian of Light or Temple of Osiris and check the available multiplayer options on your chosen platform.
If you want to explore another direction, our stealth games on PC guide offers a useful next step.
