GameTimeline

Release & story order

Portal timeline

Portal from the 2007 Orange Box debut through Portal 2 (2011)—US release dates, Chell’s Aperture Science chronology (~Combine era then years of stasis), and FAQ for Still Alive, Peer Review co-op, and fan games. Same Valve fiction as Half-Life, but this page is Portal-only; for Gordon’s arc see the Half-Life timeline.

Updated August 2026

Start with:

Release order Story order

Release order

When Valve shipped each Portal chapter—Portal in The Orange Box (October 10, 2007 on PC and consoles) then Portal 2 (April 19, 2011). Portal: Still Alive, Peer Review co-op DLC, Portal Stories: Mel, and LEGO Dimensions Portal levels are FAQ-only—not numbered Release rows.

  • Play path → Portal → Portal 2 (same order on Release and Story tabs)
  • Full Valve universe → see FAQ; Gordon path lives on Half-Life timeline
  • Still Alive / Peer Review / Mel / LEGO → FAQ only—not extra Release rows
  • Buy today → Steam Portal + Portal 2; Orange Box history is Release context
Story order tips

Chell’s Aperture path: Portal (~Combine invasion era / post–Black Mesa, dates intentionally vague) → Portal 2 after a long forced stasis. Release order and story order match for the two main games; crossover placement with Half-Life stays FAQ-only.

  • Core fiction: Portal (~Combine era) → Portal 2 (years later after stasis)
  • Exact years are fan-debated—Valve keeps Aperture dates soft
  • GLaDOS / Borealis ties enrich Half-Life; play order tips sit in FAQ
  • Co-op (Peer Review) is a parallel branch—not a third Story row

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Portal

    Portal

    PCXbox 360PS3PuzzleMainline

    Portal (2007) ships inside The Orange Box—Chell’s first Enrichment Center run with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device and GLaDOS. Same story as the later Xbox Live Arcade Still Alive pack (FAQ-only SKU).

    Overview
    First-person portal gun puzzles wrapped in dry Aperture satire—chamber design, cake gags, and a silent protagonist that redefined Valve’s puzzle tone overnight.
    In-game setting
    Series opener. Story slot is ~Combine era. Xbox Live Arcade Portal: Still Alive retells this campaign with extras—not a sequel row. Shared-universe neighbor: Half-Life timeline.
    Should you play it?
    Required first. Play before Portal 2. Orange Box collectors still start here; Still Alive is the same story for 360 XBLA buyers—see FAQ.
    Release date
    US October 10, 2007 in The Orange Box on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Later sold standalone on Steam; prefer current digital Portal for newcomers.
  2. Portal 2

    Portal 2

    PCXbox 360PS3PuzzleMainline

    Portal 2 (2011) returns Chell to a ruined Aperture after long stasis—gels, Wheatley, and co-op robots. Peer Review adds co-op courses; it is part of Portal 2, not a separate Release row.

    Overview
    Expands chamber comedy into a full facility odyssey—mobility gels, dual protagonists in co-op, and Aperture’s corporate history told through ruined labs and Cave Johnson recordings.
    In-game setting
    Direct sequel after Portal. Story label is Years later. Peer Review co-op DLC folds into this SKU—FAQ only. Fan Portal Stories: Mel is unofficial—FAQ only.
    Should you play it?
    Requires Portal first for intended jokes and ending payoff. Current end of the official single-player Portal path as of August 2026.
    Release date
    US April 19, 2011 on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3; later Steam Deck–friendly on PC. Peer Review co-op content shipped as DLC for this edition.

FAQ

Play order, Half-Life crossover path, vague Valve dates, Still Alive, Peer Review, Mel, and related pages.

Play order

Portal (2007) → Portal 2 (2011). Release and Story tabs use the same sequence. Do not start with Portal 2 if you want the intended jokes, GLaDOS setup, and ending payoff. Still Alive, Peer Review, Mel, and LEGO levels are optional extras—see FAQs below—not substitute first games.

Portal-only: Portal → Portal 2. Full Valve universe (lore-heavy): follow the Half-Life timeline Gordon path, slotting Portal after Half-Life (and optional HL1 expansions) and Portal 2 after Half-Life 2 / the Episodes (many players add Alyx around that stretch). Episode Two’s Borealis payoff lands better if you know Aperture. Skipping Half-Life entirely is fine for puzzle-only players—same universe, separate product lines.

Story & lore

Valve never published one locked calendar. Portal broadly sits in the Combine invasion era after Black Mesa—post-invasion Aperture, with Combine interest turned away before Chell’s tests (per Marc Laidlaw-era commentary). Portal 2 resumes after Chell’s long stasis; year counts are fan-debated (decades vs far longer). This page uses ~Combine era and Years later—not fake exact dates. Deep crossover charts belong on the Half-Life timeline FAQ, not invented Story years here.

Optional & related

No. Portal: Still Alive (Xbox Live Arcade) is the same Portal campaign with extra challenge chambers and achievements—not a new story chapter. We keep it FAQ-only so Release order stays Orange Box Portal → Portal 2. If you already finished Portal on Steam/PC, you do not need Still Alive for plot.

Peer Review is co-op DLC for Portal 2 (Atlas and P-body courses). It is part of Portal 2, not a third mainline Release or Story row. Play co-op anytime you own Portal 2—it runs parallel to Chell’s single-player arc and does not replace Portal → Portal 2 for story.

More timelines

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