Overview

The Atelier series is a cross-genre set of games that combine a JRPG core with a deep and expansive crafting system. They are known for their down to earth, “moe slice of life anime” feel, as much as for their niche-defining alchemy systems. Each game is independent, but they generally fit into overall series arcs with some continuing plotline and characters, so the first of each is generally the best place to start any one of the series. Herein are overviews, guides, charts, and apps for a number of the games in the series, with a few still a work in progress.

Where to Start

There are many games in the series, where should one begin? The general consensus is to pick any of the games that are at the beginning of one of the many arcs, though one can always start in the middle and then fill in later if one wants to. Some are more friendly in different ways. Personally, I’d select Sophie 1 or Ryza 1 as comfortable but representative samples of the series. Possibly also Rorona as long as you plan to only play it casually and won’t be trying to max/100% anything there. Or Marie R that just came out, which is a recreation from scratch of the first Atelier – it plays differently than modern games, but still carries the same moe feel and lore of the rest of the series, and the quest-driven light style plotline that carried the series, chaptered ones like Rorona or Lydie&Suelle aside, thru til the more narrative driven Ryza. A few articles that break this down:

• https://barrelwisdom.com/blog/atelier-series-guide
• https://rpgamer.com/2020/07/the-atelier-series-where-to-start/
• https://sweetmonia.com/The-Lost-Konpeitos/what-atelier-game-to-start-from-a-comprehensive-guide-for-picking-your-first/
• https://www.rpgfan.com/feature/so-you-want-to-start-an-atelier/

* and ** are my recommended places to start, italics are considered non-canon, [MC] are on modern consoles

Game Meta Breakdown

For those new to the series, a comparison of game series meta to other JRPGs in general can be found here: