GameTimeline

Watch order

Game of Thrones timeline

HBO’s Westeros shows in one watch guide: Game of Thrones Seasons 1–8, the House of the Dragon timeline (Dance of the Dragons), and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Use Release for US premiere order and Story for in-universe AC years. For Long Night, Conquest, Mad King, and Targaryen eras beyond season entries, see the Westeros history timeline.

Updated August 2026

Release order

When each HBO season premiered in the US—one entry per season, not individual episodes. Game of Thrones S1–S8 (2011–2019), House of the Dragon S1–S3 (2022–2026), then A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S1 (2026).

  • Classic order → Game of Thrones S1–S8 first (how most fans originally watched)
  • Story chronology → House of the Dragon S1–S3 → A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms → Game of Thrones
  • HotD only → GoT is not required first, but GoT callbacks make more sense after HotD
  • Licensed games (Telltale, mobile) → optional—not part of the HBO story
Story order tips

When events happen in Westeros fiction—one story-order titles per HBO season with approximate AC year ranges. HotD S1–S3 (~112–135 AC), KotSK S1 (~209 AC), then GoT S1–S8 (~298–305 AC). Seasons do not each span an entire series era.

  • HotD S1 → ~112–132 AC (time jumps); HotD S2 → ~132–133 AC; HotD S3 → ~133–135 AC (Dance continues)
  • KotSK S1 → ~209 AC (Dunk & Egg)
  • GoT S1–S5 → roughly 298–301 AC; S6 jumps to ~303 AC; S7–S8 → ~304–305 AC
  • Many fan guides use one AC year per season (298→305)—ranges here are approximate; see FAQ

Timeline

When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.

Release order

  1. Game of Thrones — Season 1

    Game of Thrones — Season 1

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Ned Stark is pulled into court intrigue at King’s Landing while Daenerys’s story opens across the Narrow Sea—Winterfell, the Wall, and Essos all arrive in one season. Ten episodes that launched HBO’s main saga; the multi-king war escalates after this setup year.

    Overview
    HBO’s adaptation of A Game of Thrones locked the look of Westeros: Stark honor, Lannister politics, and dragon eggs in Essos. Benioff & Weiss introduce the ensemble without assuming book knowledge. Still the correct start if you want the original release path.
    Related games
    Corresponds to Martin’s first novel (A Game of Thrones). Licensed games (Telltale 2014–15, mobile titles) sit in the TV era but are optional extras—not required for this watch order.
    Where it fits
    Start here on Release for how most fans first watched. On Story, this lands last in the HotD → KotSK → GoT chain—after both prequel lanes.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 17, 2011; ten episodes through June 19, 2011.
  2. Game of Thrones — Season 2

    Game of Thrones — Season 2

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Rival claimants fight across Westeros while King’s Landing braces for a sea assault—the season that turns political setup into open war. Ten episodes, capped by the Battle of Blackwater Bay, that make Game of Thrones feel like a continent-sized chessboard.

    Overview
    Adapts A Clash of Kings: Renly, Stannis, Robb, Joffrey, and Balon all claim power at once. Wildfire, Melisandre, and the Wall’s ranging expand the board beyond Season 1’s court focus. Direct sequel craft—no alternate premiere slot.
    Related games
    Maps to A Clash of Kings. Telltale’s Game of Thrones game overlaps this TV era loosely—optional, not HBO canon.
    Where it fits
    Watch immediately after Season 1 on Release. On Story it stays early in the main saga (~299 AC), long after HotD and KotSK.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 1, 2012; ten episodes through June 3, 2012.
  3. Game of Thrones — Season 3

    Game of Thrones — Season 3

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Alliances fracture in the Riverlands while Jaime and Brienne’s road trip becomes the season’s odd-couple spine. Ten episodes that include the Red Wedding—peak mid-saga shock for many first-time viewers.

    Overview
    First half of A Storm of Swords on screen: Frey politics, Northern ambition, and Daenerys’s growing Khalasar. Production scale jumps; the ensemble juggling becomes the show’s signature. Often cited as a high-water mark before later compression.
    Related games
    Covers the opening arc of A Storm of Swords. For older Targaryen wars that shaped this world, see the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    Watch after Season 2 without gap. Same mid-saga slot on Story; HotD/KotSK remain earlier in fiction but later (or separate) on Release.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere March 31, 2013; ten episodes through June 9, 2013.
  4. Game of Thrones — Season 4

    Game of Thrones — Season 4

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    King’s Landing celebrates a royal wedding that turns lethal; Oberyn Martell arrives with a vendetta, and the Mountain’s trial-by-combat becomes appointment TV. Ten episodes that finish the Storm of Swords stretch and leave several threads past easy book mapping.

    Overview
    Completes the Storm of Swords adaptation while accelerating Dorne and Wall payoffs. Spectacle (the Mountain vs the Viper) and courtroom drama sit beside quieter Arya and Jon beats. Some arcs already diverge from published novels here.
    Related games
    Closes A Storm of Swords material; later seasons lean harder on show outlines. Licensed mobile/strategy games are optional flavor only.
    Where it fits
    Direct continuation after Season 3 on Release. On chronology it is still deep in the main saga—HotD and KotSK play earlier in AC years.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 6, 2014; ten episodes through June 15, 2014.
  5. Game of Thrones — Season 5

    Game of Thrones — Season 5

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Cersei courts the Faith Militant, Dorne opens a new front, and Jon’s Night’s Watch arc hardens at the Wall while Meereen simmers. Ten episodes where HBO starts compressing Feast and Dance hard—books and show paths split more clearly from here.

    Overview
    Draws from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons with heavy merging of POV timelines. Braavos, Sparrows, and the Wall’s politics widen the map again. First season many book readers call “show-first” in tone.
    Related games
    Corresponds to condensed Feast/Dance material—not a 1:1 chapter map. For Rebellion-era context behind Robert’s court, use the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    Watch after Season 4 on Release. Last full season before the big Story-tab time jump into Season 6 (~303 AC).
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 12, 2015; ten episodes through June 14, 2015.
  6. Game of Thrones — Season 6

    Game of Thrones — Season 6

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Northern power shifts through the Battle of the Bastards while Tower of Joy flashbacks rewrite what fans thought they knew about the Rebellion’s end. Ten episodes—often ranked a late-series peak—push past published novels into HBO’s outline.

    Overview
    First season largely beyond the published A Song of Ice and Fire books, with Martin consultation on broad endpoints. Spectacle set pieces and long-teased reveals finally land. Momentum into the shortened final stretch starts here.
    Related games
    Show-original plotting after the novels—compare book status in FAQ. Rebellion flashbacks connect to milestones on the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    Watch after Season 5 on Release. On Story, note the ~two-year AC jump from S5—still long after HotD and KotSK.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 24, 2016; ten episodes through June 26, 2016.
  7. Game of Thrones — Season 7

    Game of Thrones — Season 7

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Daenerys’s fleet reaches Westeros and rival houses scramble into uneasy coalitions while the Army of the Dead pushes south. Seven summer episodes—shorter, faster travel, and the penultimate sprint toward the endgame.

    Overview
    Compressed penultimate season: dragons in the Reach, wight-hunt diplomacy, and alliances that would take books years. Runtime per episode climbs; geography shrinks for pace. Designed as a bridge into the six-episode finale year.
    Related games
    Beyond published novels—HBO endgame outline. No licensed game is required; Telltale’s title covered earlier TV seasons only.
    Where it fits
    Watch immediately after Season 6 on Release. On Story (~304 AC) it remains near the saga’s end—HotD/KotSK are earlier fiction, later premieres.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere July 16, 2017; seven episodes through August 27, 2017 (summer slot vs spring).
  8. Game of Thrones — Season 8

    Game of Thrones — Season 8

    HBOTV seriesLive-actionMain series

    Six feature-length episodes close the Long Night threat and settle who rules the Seven Kingdoms—polarizing for some fans, required if you want the main saga finished. US run ended May 19, 2019; prequels would arrive years later in real life.

    Overview
    Finale season of the main HBO saga: Winterfell’s last stand, King’s Landing’s reckoning, and a new political settlement. Episode lengths approach short films. Whatever you think of the landing, this is the on-screen end of Game of Thrones S1–8.
    Related games
    Show-only ending—books unfinished as of this page’s update. For eras before the main saga (Conquest, Dance, Rebellion), see the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    End of the main series on Release—then HotD and KotSK premiere later. On Story, this is the last entry; chronology still runs HotD → KotSK → GoT.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO premiere April 14, 2019; six episodes through the finale May 19, 2019.
  9. House of the Dragon — Season 1

    House of the Dragon — Season 1

    HBOMaxTV seriesPrequelSpin-off

    A Targaryen succession crisis unfolds across decades of time jumps—young friendships, rival courts, and dragons circling the Iron Throne. Ten episodes that open HBO’s first major Westeros prequel; the Dance ignites by the finale.

    Overview
    Adapted from Martin’s Fire & Blood—a pseudo-history tone with unreliable chroniclers made cinematic. HBO pitches it ~200 years before Game of Thrones. Cast aging and time skips are the storytelling engine, not weekly cliffhangers alone.
    Related games
    Source text: Fire & Blood (Dance prelude). No required game tie-in; for Conquest → Dance milestones beyond season entries, use the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    First HotD entry on Release (after GoT S1–8 aired). On Story it leads the chronology: HotD → KotSK → GoT. Fine as a standalone entry point.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO/Max premiere August 21, 2022; ten episodes through October 23, 2022.
  10. House of the Dragon — Season 2

    House of the Dragon — Season 2

    HBOMaxTV seriesPrequelSpin-off

    The Dance of the Dragons turns into open civil war—retaliation cycles, strained alliances, and dragons meeting in the sky at Rook’s Rest. Eight episodes that deepen the Blacks vs Greens conflict after Season 1’s succession break.

    Overview
    Continues Fire & Blood’s war years: propaganda, grief, and dragon-on-dragon combat become the center. Shorter than Season 1 but denser with military set pieces. Sets the board for Season 3’s mid-Dance escalation.
    Related games
    Still Fire & Blood territory—no game prerequisite. Pair with the Westeros history timeline for how the Dance sits between Conquest and Dunk & Egg.
    Where it fits
    Watch after HotD Season 1 on Release. On Story, still before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (~209 AC) and long before Game of Thrones.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO/Max premiere June 16, 2024; eight episodes through August 4, 2024.
  11. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Season 1

    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Season 1

    HBOMaxTV seriesPrequelSpin-off

    Hedge knight Dunk and his squire Egg wander tourneys and petty courts in a lighter, more intimate Westeros—roughly ninety years before Game of Thrones. Six half-hour-leaning episodes that adapt Martin’s Dunk & Egg novellas.

    Overview
    Adaptation of The Hedge Knight and companion tales—smaller stakes, more humor, and road-story pacing versus dragon civil war. Designed as a palate cleanser between HotD’s scale and GoT’s grim politics. Tone is closer to chivalric adventure than throne-room thriller.
    Related games
    Source: Dunk & Egg novellas (The Hedge Knight, etc.). Unrelated to Telltale or mobile strategy games; place it on the Westeros history timeline between Dance and Robert’s Rebellion.
    Where it fits
    On Release, KotSK S1 aired before HotD S3 in 2026. On Story, it sits between HotD (~112–135 AC) and GoT (~298 AC)—the middle prequel lane.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO/Max premiere January 18, 2026; six episodes weekly through February 22, 2026.
  12. House of the Dragon — Season 3

    House of the Dragon — Season 3

    HBOMaxTV seriesPrequelSpin-off

    The Dance continues through Crownlands battles, naval pressure, and shifting control of King’s Landing—dragon losses raise the war’s cost. Eight episodes that push the civil war deeper after Season 2’s Rook’s Rest fallout.

    Overview
    Third season of the Targaryen civil war on screen, still drawing from Fire & Blood while the show spreads book-compressed years across seasons. Expect larger military campaigns and court upheaval as the Dance’s middle act. Season 4 remains in development as of this page’s update.
    Related games
    Book spine: Fire & Blood. For the wider Dance milestone and centuries around it, see the Westeros history timeline.
    Where it fits
    Watch after HotD S1–S2 on Release (KotSK S1 premiered earlier the same year). On Story, still before KotSK (~209 AC) and GoT.
    Premiere dates
    US HBO/Max premiere June 21, 2026; eight episodes through August 9, 2026.

FAQ

GoT vs House of the Dragon timeline, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms placement, books vs show, and Westeros history.

Watch order

On this page, the House of the Dragon timeline means HBO seasons: S1 (2022) → S2 (2024) → S3 (2026) on the Release tab, or Story-tab AC windows (~112–135 AC) before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones.

The in-universe war is the Dance of the Dragons (~129–131 AC core years). For Conquest → Dance → Mad King → Rebellion milestones (not season entries), use the Westeros history timeline. Spelling note: searches often say “house of dragon” or “house of dragons”—same show.

Release order lists US HBO premiere dates—GoT first because it aired 2011–2019, then HotD, then KotSK. Story order lists Westeros fiction per season with approximate AC year ranges—HotD S1 (~112–132 AC) through GoT S8 (~304–305 AC). Use Release for "when did this premiere?"; use Story for "what year in the story does this season cover?"

No—HotD works on its own as a Targaryen tragedy set about 200 years before Game of Thrones (HBO's official description). Yes, eventually, if you want the full HBO universe—Game of Thrones references dragon extinction and Targaryen madness that HotD explains. Many newcomers in 2026 watch HotD → KotSK → GoT; longtime fans often watched GoT first when it was the only show.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms timeline sits at ~209 AC—about 90 years before Game of Thrones Season 1 and roughly 80 years after the Dance of the Dragons (House of the Dragon). Watch after HotD S1–S3 for pure chronology, or after GoT if you prefer release history. Season 1 ran six episodes (January–February 2026); Season 2 is expected later.

Canon & books

Westeros history

This page tracks HBO seasons only. For the full in-universe timeline—Long Night, Conquest, Dance, Robert's Rebellion, and which shows touch each era—use the dedicated Westeros history timeline.

Quick calendar: BC = Before Aegon's Conquest; 1 AC = Aegon unifies six of the Seven Kingdoms (Dorne joined later, ~187 AC). Major on-screen eras: Dance (~129–131 AC core years) → House of the Dragon; Dunk & Egg (~209 AC) → A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms; main saga (~298–305 AC) → Game of Thrones S1–8.

Optional & extras

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.