StarCraft owned and published by Blizzard Entertainment.
Arguably the most popular (and successful) real-time strategy series of all time, StarCraft is all about war. Shifting to a grim future, StarCraft focuses on three species - Terran, Zerg, and Protoss - as they vie for domination in a crowded galaxy. And, unsurprisingly, there may be something far darker and more dastardly pulling the strings in the background...
The StarCraft franchise only consists of two overarching games, StarCraft and StarCraft II. That said, each game is divided up into a series of campaigns, including expansion packs that add to the story. You can normally play the campaigns in any order you like, though if you want to play chronologically you want to go from left to right on the selection screen. This timeline divides them into the individual campaigns, since other media slot in-between some of the campaigns.
Unlike other franchises whose outside media is of variable canonicity, the majority of StarCraft's material is considered canon. So long as material in a novel or comic does not contradict something in the games, it is included on the timeline. (Though if you're only interested in the 'main' story, stick to the StarCraft, Brood War, and StarCraft II campaigns.)
There are many short stories in the StarCraft franchise. These are not currently included on the timeline. (I'll take a stab at it in the future.)
Two expansion packs for the original StarCraft, Insurrection and Retribution, were licensed by an outside company, and not released by Blizzard. These stories don't contradict the events of the other games, but their canonicity is debatable. Given their age and poor reception, you probably don't need to bother with either expansion pack, and they're not included on the timeline.
In-Universe Chronological Order
- StarCraft: I, Mengsk (2008, novel - 'Angus' and 'Arcturus' sections)
- StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils (2010, novel)
- StarCraft: Uprising (2000, novel)
- StarCraft II: Devil's Due (2011, novel)
- StarCraft (1998, video game - Terran campaign, 'Rebel Yell')
- StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade (2001, novel)
- StarCraft: Speed of Darkness (2002, novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost: Nova (2006, novel)
- StarCraft: I, Mengsk (2008, novel - 'Valerian' section only)
- StarCraft (1998, video game - Zerg campaign, 'The Overmind')
- StarCraft: Queen of Blades (2006, novel)
- StarCraft (1998, video game - Protoss campaign, 'The Fall')
- StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga (2002, novel)
- StarCraft: Brood War (1999, expansion pack - Protoss campaign, 'The Stand')
- StarCraft: Brood War (1999, expansion pack - Terran campaign, 'The Iron Fist')
- StarCraft: Brood War (1999, expansion pack - Zerg campaign, 'The Queen of Blades')
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 1 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 2 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 3 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: I, Mengsk (2008, novel - prologue and epilogue only)
- StarCraft (2009, comics)
- StarCraft: Ghost: Nova (2006, novel - prologue and epilogue only)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn (2007, novel)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters (2007, novel)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Twilight (2009, novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres (2011, novel)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010, video game / expansion pack)
- StarCraft II: Flashpoint (2012, novel)
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013, expansion pack)
- StarCraft Field Manual (2015, novel)
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015, expansion pack - mini-campaign, 'Whispers of Oblivion')
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015, expansion pack)
- StarCraft II: This Sacred Land (2019, comics)
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015, expansion pack - mini-campaign, 'Into the Void')
- StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops (2016, expansion pack)
- StarCraft: Evolution (2016, novel)
- StarCraft II: Shadow Wars (2017, comics)
- StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast (2020, comics)
- StarCraft: Soldiers (2019, comics)
Release Order (video games)
- StarCraft (1998, video game)
- StarCraft: Insurrection (1998, licensed expansion pack)
- StarCraft: Retribution (1998, licensed expansion pack)
- StarCraft: Brood War (1999, expansion pack)
- StarCraft 64 (2000, video game)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010, video game / expansion pack)
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013, expansion pack)
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015, expansion pack)
- StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops (2016, expansion pack)
- StarCraft: Remastered (2017, video game - remaster)
Release Order (novels)
- StarCraft: Uprising (2000, novel)
- StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade (2001, novel)
- StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga (2002, novel)
- StarCraft: Speed of Darkness (2002, novel)
- StarCraft: Queen of Blades (2006, novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost: Nova (2006, novel)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn (2007, novel)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters (2007, novel)
- StarCraft: I, Mengsk (2008, novel)
- StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Twilight (2009, novel)
- StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils (2010, novel)
- StarCraft II: Devil's Due (2011, novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres (2011, novel)
- StarCraft II: Flashpoint (2012, novel)
- StarCraft II: War Stories (2014, novel)
- StarCraft Field Manual (2015, novel)
- StarCraft: Evolution (2016, novel)
Release Order (comics)
- StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 1 (2008, graphic novel)
- StarCraft (2009, comics)
- StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 2 (2009, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 3 (2009, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 4 (2009, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 1 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 2 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft: Ghost Academy: Volume 3 (2010, graphic novel)
- StarCraft II: Shadow Wars (2017, comics)
- StarCraft: Scavengers (2018, comics)
- StarCraft: Soldiers (2019, comics)
- StarCraft: Survivors (2019, comics)
- StarCraft II: This Sacred Land (2019, comics)
- StarCraft II: Nature of the Beast (2020, comics)