Where Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Takes Place in the Timeline

With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle finally available to play, one lingering question fans have had can finally be answered: when exactly does the video game take place in the timeline of the five films? Read on to see when this adventure occurs within the context of the movies.

The Indiana Jones Film Series and Game Timeline, Explained

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, published by Bethesda Softworks and developed by MachineGames, features an entirely new original story and globe-trotting adventure for Jones to embark on, taking him to various exotic locations. MachineGames took great care in the story, characters, and world of The Great Circle so that it didn’t interfere with the timeline or events of the films whatsoever and can instead serve as an excellent entry in the series.

Therefore, the title cards reveal that the game takes place in 1937, and with that placement and various clues provided early on in the game, the official timeline for Indiana Jones looks like this:

• The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1908-1920)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1935)
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1936)
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (1937)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1938)
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (1957)
• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (1969)

Related: Here’s Who the Voice Actor for Indiana Jones Is in The Great Circle

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the earliest film in the franchise, taking place in 1935. This film was followed by Raiders, which took place in 1936 and led to The Great Circle in 1937. Besides the title cards that give the year in which the game takes place, there are also emotional and subtle story beats that hint at Indiana’s mindset going into the beginning of the game.

The game’s prologue mission is a fantastic recreation of the opening scene of Raiders. Interestingly, it ends with the iconic boulder chase scene edited with Marion Ravenwood’s voice in the background before Indy wakes up, implying that it was a dream and that Indiana still has her on his mind after the film’s events.

Marion is Indy’s primary love interest, appearing in Raiders, Crystal Skull, and Dial of Destiny. Given that The Great Circle takes place after Raiders, which had a happy ending featuring the two together, it had to address her absence since she is nowhere to be seen in The Last Crusade, which takes place a year after the game.

In one of the first missions of the game, there is a side conversation in which Marcus Brody asks Indy what happened between him and Marion and that Indiana can’t use this latest adventure to hide from his feelings. The scene concludes with a touching moment that reveals the journal that players use throughout the game is a surprise gift from her that Indy hadn’t found until he began packing.

Overall, the placement of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the timeline is a testament to the development team’s respect for the series and their fundamental understanding of the character.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available now on PC and Xbox.