Where to Start · Mortal Kombat
Where to Start with Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is NetherRealm's long-running fighting game series — dial combos, footsies reads, and signature fatalities sold with soap-opera melodrama and over-the-top violence. For gameplay, each mainline release is largely its own on-ramp; lore carries over, but you don't need a flowchart to throw your first uppercut. See every entry on GameOrder, then pick your arena below.
Best for most players: Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) is the most polished, content-packed modern package — huge roster (with DLC breadth), customizable variations,accessible baseline mechanics, tutorial towers, and a cinematic story mode that makes the timeline approachable while teaching universal systems.
Timeline reboot story: Mortal Kombat (2011)
Mortal Kombat (2011) — often called MK9 — rebooted the canon and is widely cited as the franchise's strongest narrative: alternate trilogy retelling, fan-service beats, and chapter-hopping fights that still hold up if you can handle last-gen tech.
Latest chapter: Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) is the current-gen front door — fresh Universe twist on familiar faces, robust tutorial flow, and the same blockbuster story presentation NetherRealm leans on now. If you only want the newest binary on your SSD, it's a legitimate modern start (just know numbering reset again).
Skip as your first MK — The original arcade trilogy (MK, MKII, MK3 / updates) is historically vital but mechanically dated — stiff jumps, limited kit, and presentation that won't sell newcomers on what the series feels like today.