Best Harry Potter Games of All Time, Ranked

There isn’t a wizarding world that’s anywhere near as enchanting and as prominent as the one featured in Harry Potter, which begs the question: why on earth aren’t there more games to elevate its popularity? It seems that, prior to Hogwarts Legacy making its well-overdue rounds on the market, the franchise struggled to capture the beating heart of the series, which in turn led to numerous half-baked mobile entries and pay-to-win visual novels. But that time has passed, and the ever-popular school of witchcraft and wizardry has finally, after the several years of being slept on, received the treatment it so rightfully deserves.

Hogwarts Legacy aside, there are plenty of other works in which fans of the franchise can get their kicks. If, however, you aren’t entirely sure where to plant roots in the boroughs of Hogwarts and its witchy corridors, then be sure to read on for a few quick suggestions. In our eyes, these are the five best Harry Potter games money can buy.

5. Quidditch World Cup

The broomstick-based sport hasn’t seen the light of day since Quidditch World Cup last touched down on the green just shy of twenty years ago. That said, until the forthcoming Quidditch Champions manages to find its way to consoles and PC, it’s the best we’ve got. And that isn’t to say that it’s a bad game — because it isn’t. On the contrary, Electronic Arts’ spin on the wizarding sport is actually one of the best representations on file to date.

Despite its graphics being a slightly outdated and its mechanics being a little worse for wear, Quidditch World Cup does actually have its admirable share of great features, including its own World Cup and Exhibition modes. And while it isn’t quite as fancy as some of the series’ later installments, it’s certainly a lot better than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. 

4. Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a gacha game in which players not only collect wizards and witches from Hogwarts, but battle them, too. And it doesn’t stop there, either, as the game also offers a cartoon-like open world to explore, as well as classes to attend, spells to master, and a series of mini-games and puzzles to solve, also. What’s more, it also features an entire campaign—a story in which all of the cult characters play key roles in the plot and academic years.

Of course, Magic Awakened is a gacha game, which means there are several pay walls that prevent you from unlocking all of the areas and features. That said, there’s still plenty to love here — especially for those who’ve grown accustomed with playing bite-sized RPGs on smaller handheld devices and what have you.

3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Long before Portkey Games picked up the slack and transformed the wizarding world into a full-fledged action-RPG, we had the original series—a three-piece saga that, to this day, holds a special place in fans’ hearts. And while it isn’t quite as fleshed out and as aesthetically appealing as, for example, Hogwarts Legacy, Philosopher’s Stone is still, in many ways, one of the best of its kind, and not just pure nostalgia fodder.

In addition to the PS1 game having a rather lengthy story, Philosopher’s Stone also features a pretty impressive open world setting, as well as a myriad of hidden locations, spells, and optional quests. And while it doesn’t stretch much beyond the grounds of Hogwarts, it does chalk up a surprisingly good environment to wander around in. Is it the best of the bunch? No. But then, we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t fit to share the podium with some of its successors.

2. LEGO Harry Potter

Chances are, if there’s a franchise that’s popular enough to span several movies, books, and other forms of entertainment, then there’s a good old-fashioned LEGO game to go with it. In the case of Harry Potter, there is, of course, an all-in-one saga that boasts all seven years of the series, which includes the many, many adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in and around the wizarding world and its connecting Muggle biomes. Collectively, the series has all the brick-based antics of a traditional LEGO iteration, but with, well, more spells than you could shake a stick (or wand) at.

LEGO Harry Potter not only has one of the most enjoyable campaigns of them all, but also a treasure trove of characters, mini-games, and collectibles, to list just a few. What’s more, it also paints a solid portrait of Hogwarts itself, and does a rather nifty job of filling its crags and crevices with plenty of Easter eggs and lore, too. And so, for these reasons, it’s easy to see why the LEGO world claims one of the top spots on the food chain.

1. Hogwarts Legacy

When all’s said and done, there isn’t a wizarding world out there that captures the heart and soul of the Potter universe the same as Hogwarts Legacy. It’s so picture-perfect, in fact, that the game itself is a boon to J.K. Rowling’s literary phenomenon, and then some. It’s a crying shame, really, that it took a studio that was capable enough to find the time to even conjure such a world in all of its magical dressings, but the fact is, it is here, and it’s arguably one of the best representations of the Harry Potter universe to date.

Hogwarts Legacy, being the open world RPG that it is, provides players with the opportunity to sink into the shoes of a student in the beloved school of witchcraft and wizardry. Aside from its lengthy quest line and extracurricular activities, the game also serves up countless waves of puzzles, challenges, and hidden secrets that pay tribute to the anthology. It’s the real deal, is what we’re saying, and it is, in all fairness, the one-and-only world fans of the franchise will need to play at some point in their gaming careers.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our top five Harry Potter titles? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.