Is there an order I should play this series?

[fwoosh waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

I know other than this game there is also Finding Paradise, Bird Story, To The Moon, and The Mirror Lied. Should I play those before Impostor Factory? And if so is there a specific order I should play? Or is it just that IF has a lot of references to the previous games?

[BlueDragonOracle]

I don't think Mirror Lied or Bird Story takes place within the same universe as the other games, but the order the main games came out in is:

1. To The Moon
2. Finding Paradise
3. Impostor Factory

They all have a self contained story that can be played through individually, but there are a few things that link them all together. Haven't played through Impostor Factory yet, so I don't know how it compares to the other games, but if you want to play through the other two games I recommend starting with To The Moon first.

[Lucathegreat]

Bird Story does

[Elekitu]

I haven't played The Mirror Lied but it's not part of the TTM series.
The 3 main games of the series are (in order) To The Moon, Finding Paradise, and Impostor Factory.
A Bird Story is a smaller game that can serve as some kind of introduction to Finding Paradise. You definitely don't have to play it (it's not as good as the main games and is much shorter), but it gives a nice addition to FP's story. If you want to play it you should do it before FP.

[Digus]

Play it in release order:
Impostor Factory 2021
Finding Paradise 2017
Sigmund Minisode 2 2015
A Bird Story 2014
SigCorp Holiday Special 2013
To the Moon 2011

[Merlandese]

Any order is fine. Each game has its own story that makes sense on its own, but you'll come out of each with questions that could only be answered by playing another one, no matter the order you play them in.

[H-Labs]

I recommend To the Moon (plus mini-episodes that come with) -> Finding Paradise -> Impostor Factory. This is release order, skipping A Bird Story. afaik, The Mirror Lied is a completely separate game from the rest. I have not played it.

While you CAN play in any order, thanks to wonderful writing, there are little mysteries and plot threads that you will enjoy more if you play in order. They'd feel somewhat disjointed otherwise. Impostor Factory in particular plays with your expectations a few times and has moments that will feel random without playing Finding Paradise, at the very least.

I omitted A Bird Story because I feel Finding Paradise covers most of the same story, and A Bird Story is the one game that I did not enjoy. I've loved everything else though, and hope you give them a try!

[🔥]

I didn't like A Bird Story at all, I feel like using Kan Gao to write this kind of story is like getting Picasso to whitewash your house. It's taking incredible talent and not letting them use a key element of it.
However, I feel like having gone through it adds to Finding Paradise and it probably shouldn't be skipped.

[mit]

At the very end of Impostor Factory there is a list:

Episode 1: To The Moon
Sigmund Corp Minisode 1
Sigmund Corp Minisode 2
Episode 2: Finding Paradise
A Bird Story
Episode X: Impostor Factory

So I guess that's the recommended play order of the games from developers. Although I'd played all of them in release order and didn't have a problem.

"Episode X" is a bit curious, though. Don't you think? :)

[M&Ms]

I would play The Mirror Lied before you play Finding Paradise - it's not explicitly linked to any of them, but there are some fun callbacks to TML in games that were released after the minisodes.