Now if you’re big into the fandom then of course you’ll love ‘em. And Luckily for everyone, J. K. Rowling’s series of fantasy novels set in the magical school of Hogwarts had some caring developers working on these games from the get-go. So masterpieces like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone went on to become part of the cultural fabric of gamers from way back then. Immense popularity, critical acclaim, and an empire of merchandise built on the shoulders of Harry and his wizarding friends allowed the franchise to pump out game after game for every movie released(and then some). For this very reason it can be hard to decide which one to play, or which one to defend in arguments over which is the best. And I know that’s the kind of question that keeps you awake at night. So I’ve done my best creating this ranking of every Harry Potter video game – excluding a couple of very forgettable mobile releases. It’s time to talk about some fantastically magical games, and where Harry Potter fans can find them.
16. LEGO Creator: Harry Potter (2001)
Don’t mix this game up with the most recent of the LEGO Harry Potter action-adventure games. This one came out back in the beginning of the century when the plastic brick toy manufacturer was working on ways to branch out, and video games were their next big thing. The thing is, they still weren’t experts at translating the LEGO experience to the virtual world. And this was one of their very first attempts. The results were… weird. Despite loosely following the story of HP and The Philosopher’s Stone, it’s pretty hard to tell what’s going on at first. The graphics are hideous by design, and the structure-building gameplay was simply lacking.
15. Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
For the sequel, LEGO changed developers from Superscape to Qube Software and things went a little smoother. The commentator is no longer as annoying. And overall gameplay is a lot more streamlined. Once you’re done building each scenario you get a chance to run around collecting LEGO pieces much like in more recent games. You can even design your own LEGO wizard! That said, the game is simply too weird for me to put it higher up on the list.
14. The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 & 2 (2010/2011)
It was pretty hard not to put this at the bottom of the list in some ways. But I figured that, at least, this game was easier to understand than the old LEGO titles. That said, that doesn’t mean it’s any good. In fact, in many ways it’s terrible. And that goes for both of them. Because they’re essentially the same game. Instead of letting you explore Hogwarts or providing any sort of engaging gameplay, EA’s Bright Light team decided to make a cover-based shooter. And, not even a good one! You just run around shooting the same rays of magic at enemies with no strategy or level-design whatsoever. Graphics are meant to look ultra-cinematic but they’re honestly pretty mediocre to be the game’s only redeemable quality. It’s a shame that the Battle of Hogwarts, one of the most exciting scenes in the series, was done in such a shabby way. Worth giving this a playthrough but it likely won’t be your favorite by any stretch.
13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Admittedly, the series’ decline had begun far before the Deathly Hallows era. Albeit not nearly as bad as the sequel, HP and the Half-Blood Prince was lacking in many of the areas that make these games work. For starters, the dialogue was pretty bad. Instead of pulling lines from the books or films, the writers filled in the blanks with their own creativity. This often led to betraying the style and feel of the source material. They also decided that, for some reason, it was better to replace the subtle humor of Harry Potter with several bad slapstick jokes worthy of a pre-recorded laugh track. As if that weren’t enough, the graphics were pretty bad for the times(PS2/PS3/Xbox360 era). And Quidditch was at an all-time low after being turned into a placeholder on-rails mini-game. Still, the game could be enjoyable enough for a Harry Potter fan to play through it and have quite a bit of fun with the multiplayer dueling, which is probably the best part of the whole thing.
12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
HP and the Goblet of Fire is the perfect game from the franchise for those in love with hack and slash gameplay. And I know there are plenty of you out there. It’s a pretty linear adventure that roughly follows the events of the movie split into different missions where Harry, Ron, and Hermione collect Tri-Wizard shields in a manner similar to collecting stars in Super Mario 64. Although the exploration element is sorely missed, the graphics were pretty nice here. And the whole thing can even be fun if you allow yourself to look past Ron and Hermione’s terrible AI and the often repetitive combat. It’s also worth noting that the game’s storytelling is basic and essentially assumes you’ve already watched the movie.
11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
After HP and the Goblet of Fire was heavily criticized by both users and critics for its lack of exploration and its linear nature, the sequel was a return to form of sorts. This one opened up Hogwarts for open-world exploration once more. But other than exploring the magic castle, the rest of the gameplay is fairly basic and there’s frankly not that much to do. The game has you doing diverse mini-quests for different people to recruit them for Dumbledore’s Army, along with a whole bunch of silly side-quests that feel like they were designed to artificially lengthen the game. Still, the fact that the game required you to learn different movements to catch each spell was immersive. Swinging the WiiMote around on the Wii version is among the best Harry Potter roleplaying activities I’ve ever had a chance to enjoy. Which is why it’s the version I personally recommend. The game’s biggest shortcoming lies in the mediocre graphics and how the character’s models only barely resemble their movie counterparts. Get over that and you have a pretty entertaining game on your hands.
10. Book of Spells (2012)
Considering that swinging the WiiMote was the best thing about Order of the Phoenix, it’s no surprise that the franchise also made it to the PSMove. Book of Spells is an Augmented Reality game based on an in-universe book authored by Miranda Goshawk, famous author of many Hogwarts textbooks. The game is a sort of interactive reading of the book with beautiful visuals and solid writing. The gameplay is pretty simple, which is actually a nice change of pace. After choosing your Hogwarts house and wand, or linking your Pottermore account for synchronization, you’ll see yourself on-screen as you flip the pages of the book and learn each spell by repeating their incantations and gesturing with your wand. It may not be an action-adventure epic. But it’s a very tasty morsel of Harry Potter lore delivered in the most immersive way possible.
9. Book of Potions (2013)
Much like BoS, Book of Potions is based on another in-universe book. But this one is authored by Zygmunt Budge, a mysterious and eccentric Wizard with a penchant for potioneering. It’s essentially the same game with somewhat updated graphics and focusing on the brewing of potions instead of spells. In a way, these games were like a window into the life of a Hogwarts student. And it felt much like attending the different courses taught at the school.
8. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (2018)
Despite being bogged down by unusual cartoonish graphics and a very aggressive microtransaction scheme, it’s hard not to give Hogwarts Mystery credit for being a colorful lore-rich point and click adventure though. For me, one of the best parts of this “RPG” was getting to customize my character with relative freedom. The story, involving your struggle to clear your family name after your older sibling was expelled from Hogwarts, is also compelling and full of great HP lore. If you have money to pour into buying Gems to be able to play the game without waiting several hours between each session, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. Otherwise you’ll probably forget you even downloaded it after the first few half-day breaks.
7. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup (2003)
Quidditch has been one of the most important aspects of HP games ever since The Philosopher’s Stone came out in 2001. Who hasn’t fantasized about being a magical jock and having everyone in Hogwarts fawning over you? And don’t get me started on those cool uniforms. Considering this, it was only natural that what’s essentially a sports game with magic became one of the most beloved games the franchise has seen so far. HP Quidditch World Cup sees you rising through the ranks of the competitive Quidditch scene, starting out managing rookies in Hogwarts until eventually winning the Quidditch World Cup. This is cited by fans as being the best Quidditch experience to date.
6. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (2019)
If you liked the concept behind Pokémon GO! but can’t really get into the whole Pocket Monsters thing, then this is the Harry Potter game for you. This AR game isn’t the most creative thing around, as what it does is spraying a coat of Harry Potter goodness on top of the geolocation game. That said, that doesn’t make it any less fun for a HP fan. The story doesn’t make that much sense IMO. But it’s solid enough to justify your efforts in protecting the Statute of Secrecy of the magic society. You’ll unlock new scenes and interactions with fan-favorite characters like Harry himself as you progress through the game.
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
This game is a bit of a divisive subject among Harry Potter fans. Graphics are substantially improved from previous games, and the puzzles are some of the best in the series. It requires you to switch between Harry, Ron, and Hermione to take advantage of their unique skills and progress through the game. It’s a nice little feature and true fans will enjoy being able to play as all characters. That said, the storytelling is lacking and action-scenes are quite dull. Exploration, while still there, is also scaled-down. Which is pretty unacceptable for a large portion of the fanbase. One way or another it’s a very enjoyable game, and it features some of the best stealth gameplay in the series.
4. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (2010)
After LEGO figured out how to turn their brand into a multi-medium franchise through personality and humor, their video games saw a considerable improvement from the LEGO Creator days. Exploring locales, making potions, and of course collecting copious amounts of you-know-what pieces in various ways. This is the perfect recipe for a good time. Plus re-living iconic scenes from the series in the charming and often hilarious style LEGO games are known for is the perfect way to keep things fresh.
3. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (2011)
Just like the prequel, this game is all about immersing yourself in a less serious and very humorous version of the Harry Potter universe. Replayability is among the most remarkable aspects of these games. As trying to collect every single LEGO piece, finding secrets, and unlocking characters is very addictive. Have a friend over, pop open some sodas and enjoy some couch multiplayer goodness. You’ll see these games are just as enjoyable now as they were back when they came out. Even non-Harry Potter fanatics will likely have a great time here.
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
Well I’m sure the top two spots are obvious for anyone who’s played through most of these games. Despite not being quite as good as its sequel, HP and the Philosopher’s Stone deserves an enormous amount of credit for resisting the trend of terrible cash-grab movie tie-in videogames that used to plague the scene. It does have some annoying movement controls, and having to stand still to cast spells is pretty action-breaking. But the care put into the Hogwarts exploration experience is remarkable. There are so many secrets and cool bits of lore-rich details, I used to get fully immersed in the experience. I truly felt like a Hogwarts student back in the day with this game. That said, if I could wipe the trauma and emotional scars that the stealth sections left on my impressionable childish brain then I would dive into this as a student IRL without thinking twice.
1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Everything that The Philosopher’s Stone did right, Chamber of Secrets did twofold. This game was simply amazing back in the day when it first came out. And it remains superior to most of the series. In this game the protagonist isn’t Harry, but the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding. Exploration was very open. But you could only access some areas after acquiring certain spells, much like The Legend of Zelda. Very cool feature. The puzzles were satisfying, progression was seamless, and it involved an enjoyable amount of backtracking. Each sealed area teased you with the promise of uncovering more secrets which is what the movie was all about as well. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is, without a doubt, the best HP game in existence. Highly recommend giving this a try whenever you get the chance.
